View source for House of Orange-Nassau

{{Short description|European dynasty of German and Dutch origin}}
{{Redirect|House of Orange}}
{{Infobox royal house
| name = House of Orange-Nassau
| type = [[Royal house]]
| estate = [[Netherlands]]
| coat of arms = Royal Coat of Arms of the Netherlands.svg
| coat_of_arms_size = 200px
| caption = [[Coat of arms of the Netherlands|Royal arms of the Netherlands]]
| parent house = [[House of Nassau]]
| country = [[Netherlands]], [[United Kingdom]], [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Belgium]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Principality of Orange|Orange]], [[Nassau (region)|Nassau]]
| titles = {{Collapsible list|
Current:
* [[King of the Netherlands]]
* [[Prince of Orange]]
* [[Marquis of Veere and Flushing]]
* [[Count of Katzenelnbogen]]
* [[Count of Vianden]]
* [[Count of Diez]]
* [[Count of Spiegelberg]]
* [[Count of Buren]]
* [[Count of Leerdam]]
* [[Count of Culemborg]]
* [[Burgrave of Antwerp]]
* [[Baron of Breda]]
* [[Baron of Diest]] 
* [[Baron of Beilstein]]
* [[Baron of the town of Grave and the lands of Cuyk]] 
* [[Baron of IJsselstein]]
* [[Baron of Cranendonk]]
* [[Baron of Eindhoven]]
* [[Baron of Liesveld]] 
* [[Baron of Herstal]] 
* [[Baron of Warneton]]
* [[Baron of Arlay and Nozeroy]]
* [[Hereditary and Free Lord of Ameland]]
* [[Lord of Borculo]]
* [[Lord of Bredevoort]]
* [[Lord of Lichtenvoorde]]
* [[Lord of Het Loo]]
* [[Lord of  Geertruidenberg]]
* [[Lord of Clundert]]
* [[Lord of Zevenbergen]]
* [[Lord of Hooge and Lage Zwaluwe]]
* [[Lord of Naaldwijk]]
* [[Lord of Polanen]]
* [[Lord of St Maartensdijk]]
* [[Lord of Soest]]
* [[Lord of Baarn]]
* [[Lord of Ter Eem]]
* [[Lord of Willemstad]]
* [[Lord of Steenbergen]]
* [[Lord of Montfort (Netherlands)|Lord of Montfort]]
* [[Lord of St Vith]]
* [[Lord of Bütgenbach]]
* [[Lord of Dasburg]]
* [[Lord of Niervaart]]
* [[Lord of Turnhout]]
* [[Lord of Besançon]]

Former:
* [[King of England]], [[King of Scotland|Scotland]] and [[Kingdom of Ireland|Ireland]]
* [[Sovereign Principality of the United Netherlands|Sovereign Prince of the Netherlands]]
* [[Grand Duke of Luxembourg]]
* [[Duchy of Limburg (1839–1867)|Duke of Limburg]]
* [[Principality of Orange-Nassau|Fürst of Nassau-Orange]]
* [[Principality of Nassau-Orange-Fulda|Fürst of Nassau-Orange-Fulda]]
* [[Nassau (state)|Princely Count of Nassau-Dietz]]
* [[Nassau (state)|Count of Nassau-Dillenburg]]
* [[Stadtholder]] in the [[Dutch Republic|Netherlands]]}}
| etymology = [[Orange, Vaucluse|Orange, France]] and [[Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate|Nassau, Germany]]
| founder = [[William the Silent]]
| image = Willem I van Oranje wapen.svg
| image_size = 75px
| alt2 = 
| image_caption = Arms of William the Silent
| final ruler = 
| dissolution = 28 November 1962 (in [[agnatic]] line after death of [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Wilhelmina]])
| current head = [[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands|King Willem-Alexander]]<br/>(in [[cognatic]] line)
| founding year = {{Start date and age|1544|7|15|df=y}}
| cadet branches = 
}}

The '''House of Orange-Nassau''' ({{langx|nl|Huis van Oranje-Nassau}}, {{IPA|nl|ˈɦœys fɑn oːˌrɑɲə ˈnɑsʌu|pron}}){{Efn|In isolation, ''van'' is pronounced &nbsp;{{IPA|nl|vɑn|}}.|group=}}, also known as the '''House of Orange''' or rarely the '''Fourth House of Orange''' in comparison with the other noble houses that held the [[Principality of Orange]], is the current [[dynasty|reigning house]] of the [[Netherlands]]. A branch of the European [[House of Nassau]], the house has played a central role in the [[Politics and government of the Netherlands (1581–1795)|politics and government of the Netherlands]] and elsewhere in [[Europe]], particularly since [[William the Silent]] organised the [[Dutch Revolt]] against [[Spain|Spanish]] rule, which after the [[Eighty Years' War]] (1568–1648) led to an [[Dutch Republic|independent Dutch state]].  [[William III of Orange]] led the resistance of the Netherlands and Europe to [[Louis XIV of France]] and orchestrated the [[Glorious Revolution]] in England that established parliamentary rule.  Similarly, [[Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands]] was instrumental in the [[Dutch resistance]] during [[World War II]].

Several members of the house served during the Eighty Years war and after as [[stadtholder]] ("governor"; Dutch: ''stadhouder'') during the [[Dutch Republic]]. However, in 1815, after a long period as a republic, the Netherlands became a [[Monarchy of the Netherlands|monarchy]] under the House of Orange-Nassau.

The dynasty was established as a result of the marriage of [[Henry III of Nassau-Breda]] from [[Germany]] and [[Claudia of Chalon-Orange]] from French [[Burgundy (region)|Burgundy]] in 1515. Their son [[René of Chalon]] inherited in 1530 the independent and sovereign [[Principality of Orange]] from his mother's brother, [[Philibert of Chalon]]. As the first Nassau to be the Prince of Orange, René could have used "Orange-Nassau" as his new family name. However, his uncle, in his will, had stipulated that René should continue the use of the name Chalon-Orange. After René's death in 1544, his cousin William of Nassau-Dillenburg inherited all of his lands. This "William I of Orange", in English better known as [[William the Silent]], became the founder of the House of Orange-Nassau.<ref name=Rowen/>{{rp|10}}

== Origins ==
{{Further|House of Nassau|House of Chalon-Arlay}}
[[File:Willem van Oranje wapen.svg|thumb|right|155px|1544: "Orange-Nassau" symbolized by adding the "Chalon-Orange" arms in an [[Escutcheon (heraldry)|escutcheon]] to the "Nassau" arms.]]

[[Nassau Castle]] was founded around 1100 by [[Dudo of Laurenburg|Dudo]], Count of [[Laurenburg]], the founder of the [[House of Nassau]]. In 1120, Dudo's sons and successors, Counts [[Rupert I, Count of Laurenburg|Rupert I]] and [[Arnold I, Count of Laurenburg|Arnold I]], established themselves at Nassau Castle, taking for themselves the title "[[County of Nassau|Count of Nassau]]". In 1255 the Nassau possessions were split between [[Walram II, Count of Nassau|Walram]] and [[Otto I, Count of Nassau|Otto]], the sons of Count [[Henry II, Count of Nassau|Henry II]]. The descendants of Walram were known as the Walram Line, and they became [[House of Nassau-Weilburg|Dukes of Nassau]] and, in 1890, [[Grand Dukes of Luxembourg]]. This line also included [[Adolf, King of the Romans|Adolph of Nassau]], who was elected [[King of the Romans]] in 1292. The descendants of Otto became known as the Ottonian Line, and they inherited parts of the [[County of Nassau]], as well as properties in [[France]] and the [[Netherlands]].{{cn|date=October 2022}}

The House of Orange-Nassau stems from the younger Ottonian Line. The first of this line to establish himself in the Netherlands was [[John I, Count of Nassau-Siegen]], who married [[Margaret of the Mark]]. The real founder of the Nassau fortunes in the Netherlands was John's son, [[Engelbert I of Nassau|Engelbert I]]. He became counsellor to the [[Duke of Burgundy|Burgundian]] [[Duke of Brabant|Dukes of Brabant]], first to [[Anton of Burgundy]], and later to his son [[Jan IV of Brabant]]. He also would later serve [[Philip the Good]]. In 1403, he married the Dutch noblewoman [[Johanna van Polanen]] and so inherited lands in the Netherlands, with the [[Baron#The Low Countries|Barony]] of [[Breda (Netherlands)|Breda]] as the core of the Dutch possessions and the family fortune.<ref name="Grew">{{Cite book| last = Grew| first = Marion Ethel| title = The House of Orange| publisher = Methuen & Co. Ltd| year = 1947| location =London}}</ref>{{rp|35}}

A nobleman's power was often based on his ownership of vast tracts of land and lucrative offices. It also helped that much of the lands that the House of Orange-Nassau controlled sat under one of the commercial and mercantile centres of the world (see below under [[#Lands and Titles|Lands and Titles]]). The importance of the family grew throughout the 15th and 16th centuries as they became councilors, generals and stadholders of the [[House of Habsburg|Habsburgs]] (see [[:fr:Armorial des dix-sept provinces des Pays-Bas|armorial of the great nobles of the Burgundian Netherlands]] and [[list of knights of the Golden Fleece]]). [[Engelbert II of Nassau]] served [[Charles the Bold]] and [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor]], who had married Charles's daughter [[Mary of Burgundy]]. In 1496, he was appointed [[stadtholder]] of Flanders and by 1498 he had been named President of the [[Grand Conseil]]. In 1501, Maximilian named him Lieutenant-General of the [[Seventeen Provinces]] of the [[Low Countries|Netherlands]]. From that point forward (until his death in 1504), Engelbert was the principal representative of the [[Habsburg monarchy|Habsburg Empire]] to the region. [[Hendrik III of Nassau-Breda]] was appointed [[stadtholder]] of [[Holland]] and [[Zeeland]] by [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles of Ghent]] in the beginning of the 16th century. Hendrik was succeeded by his son [[René of Chalon]] in 1538, who had inherited the title of [[Prince of Orange]] and the [[Principality of Orange|principality of that name]] from his maternal uncle [[Philibert of Chalon]]. In 1544, René died in battle aged 25. His possessions, including the principality and title, passed by his will as [[Prince#Prince as a reigning monarch|sovereign]] [[prince]] to his paternal cousin, [[William I of Orange]]. From then on, the family members called themselves "Orange-Nassau."<ref name=Rowen/>{{rp|8}}<ref name= Grew/>{{rp|37}}<ref name="Blok">{{cite book |title=History of the people of the Netherlands|url=https://archive.org/details/historypeoplene01blokgoog|first=Petrus Johannes |last =Blok|publisher=G. P. Putnam's sons|location=New York|year=1898}}</ref>{{rp|vol3,pp3-4}}<ref name="Israel">{{cite book|title=The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness and Fall, 1477–1806 |first= Jonathan I. |last= Israel |publisher= Oxford University Press |year=1995 |isbn= 0-19-873072-1}} {{ISBN|0-19-820734-4}} paperback.</ref>{{rp|37,107,139}}

== Eighty Years' War ==
{{Main|Eighty Years' War}}
[[File:WilliamOfOrange1580.jpg|thumb|right|155px|[[William the Silent]], Prince of Orange, leader of the [[Dutch Revolt]], and stadholder of Holland, Zeeland, and Utrecht by [[Adriaen Thomasz. Key]], c. 1580]]
Although [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] pretended to resist the [[Protestant Reformation]], he ruled the Dutch territories wisely with moderation and regard for local customs, and he did not persecute his [[Protestant]] subjects on a large scale. His son [[Philip II of Spain|Philip II]] inherited his antipathy for the Protestants but not his moderation. Under the reign of Philip, a true persecution of Protestants was initiated and taxes were raised to an outrageous level. Discontent arose and William of Orange (with his vague [[Lutheran]] childhood) stood up for the Protestant (mainly [[Calvinist]]) inhabitants of the Netherlands.  Things went badly after the [[Eighty Years' War]] started in 1568, but luck turned to his advantage when Protestant rebels attacking from the North Sea captured [[Brielle]], a coastal town in present-day [[South Holland]] in 1572. Many cities in Holland began to support William. During the 1570s he had to defend his core territories in Holland several times, but in the 1580s the inland cities in Holland were secure. William of Orange was considered a threat to Spanish rule in the area and was assassinated in 1584 by a hired killer sent by Philip.<ref name=Blok/>{{rp|vol3,p177}}<ref name=Israel/>{{rp|216}}<ref name="Motley1">{{cite book |title=The Rise of the Dutch Republic|url=https://archive.org/details/risedutchrepubl35motlgoog|first=John Lothrop|last =Motley|publisher=Harper & Brothers|year=1855}}</ref>

William was succeeded by his second son [[Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange|Maurits]], a Protestant who proved an excellent military commander. His abilities as a commander and the lack of strong leadership in [[Spain]] after the death of Philip II (1598) gave Maurits excellent opportunities to conquer large parts of the present-day Dutch territory.<ref name=Blok/>{{rp|vol 3,pp243-253}}<ref name="Motley2">{{cite book |title=History of the United Netherlands from the Death of William the Silent to the Synod of Dort|url=https://archive.org/details/historyunitedne11motlgoog|first=John Lothrop |last =Motley|publisher=John Murray|location=London|year=1860}}</ref> In 1585 Maurits was elected [[stadtholder]] of the provinces of Holland and Zealand as his father's successor and as a counterpose to Elizabeth's delegate, the [[Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester|Earl of Leicester]]. In 1587 he was appointed captain-general (military commander-in-chief) of the armies of the [[Dutch Republic]]. In the early years of the 17th century, there arose quarrels between stadtholder and [[oligarchy|oligarchist]] [[regenten|regents]]—a group of powerful merchants led by [[Johan van Oldebarnevelt]]—because Maurits wanted more powers in the Republic. Maurits won this power struggle by arranging the judicial murder of Oldebarnevelt.<ref name=Israel/>{{rp|421–432,459}}<ref name=Motley2/>

== 17th century ==
=== Expansion of dynastic power ===
Maurice died unmarried in 1625 and left no legitimate children. He was succeeded by his half-brother [[Frederick Henry, prince of Orange|Frederick Henry]] (Dutch: ''Frederik Hendrik''), youngest son of William I. Maurits urged his successor on his deathbed to marry as soon as possible. A few weeks after Maurits's death, he married [[Amalia van Solms-Braunfels]].
Frederick Henry and Amalia were the parents of a son and several daughters. These daughters were married to important noble houses such as the house of [[Hohenzollern]], but also to the Frisian Nassaus, who were stadtholders in [[Friesland]]. His only son, [[William II of Orange|William]], married [[Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange]], the eldest daughter of [[Charles I of England]]. These dynastic moves were the work of Amalia.<ref name="Rowen"/>{{rp|72–74}}<ref name="Geyl">{{cite book |title=Orange and Stuart 1641–1672|first=Pieter |last =Geyl|others = [[Arnold Pomerans]] (trans.)|publisher=Phoenix|edition=reprint|year=2002}}</ref>{{rp|61}}

=== Exile and resurgence ===
{{Further|First Stadtholderless period}}
[[File:Nason, Pieter (attributed to) - Four generations Princes of Orange - William I, Maurice and Frederick Henry, William II and William III - 1662-1666.jpg|thumb|300px|Painting by Willem van Honthorst (1662), diachronically depicting four generations of Princes of Orange: [[William the Silent|William I]], [[Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange|Maurice]] and [[Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange|Frederick Henry]], [[William II, Prince of Orange|William II]], and [[William III of England|William III]].]]
Frederick Henry died in 1647 and his son succeeded him. As the [[Peace of Münster|Treaty of Munster]] was about to be signed, thereby ending the Eighty Years' War, William tried to maintain the powers he had in wartime as military commander. These would necessarily be diminished in peacetime as the army would be reduced, along with his income.  This met with great opposition from the regents. When [[Andries Bicker]] and [[Cornelis de Graeff]], the great regents of the city of [[Amsterdam]] refused some mayors he appointed, he besieged Amsterdam. The siege provoked the wrath of the regents. William died of smallpox on November 6, 1650, leaving only a posthumous son, [[William III of England|William III]] (*November 14, 1650). Since the Prince of Orange upon the death of William II, William III, was an infant, the regents used this opportunity to leave the stadtholdership vacant. This inaugurated the era in Dutch history that is known as the [[First Stadtholderless Period]].<ref name="Rowen2">{{cite book |title=John de Witt, grand pensionary of Holland, 1625–1672|url=https://archive.org/details/johndewittgrandp0000rowe|url-access=registration|first=Herbert H.|last=Rowen|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=1978|isbn=9780691052472}}</ref>  A quarrel about the education of the young prince arose between his mother and his grandmother Amalia (who outlived her husband by 28 years). Amalia wanted an education which was pointed at the resurgence of the House of Orange to power, but Mary wanted a pure English education. The Estates of Holland, under [[Jan de Witt]] and Cornelis de Graeff, meddled in the education and made William a "child of state" to be educated by the state. The doctrine used in this education was keeping William from the throne. William became indeed very docile to the wishes of the regents and the Estates.<ref name=Geyl/><ref name=Rowen2/>

The Dutch Republic was attacked by France and England in 1672. The military function of stadtholder was no longer superfluous, and with the support of the [[Orangism (Netherlands Republic)|Orangist]]s, William was restored, and he became the stadtholder. William successfully repelled the invasion and seized royal power. He became more powerful than his predecessors from the Eighty Years' War.<ref name=Geyl/><ref name=Rowen2/> In 1677, William married his cousin [[Mary II of England|Mary Stuart]], the daughter of the future king [[James II of England]]. In 1688, William embarked on a mission to depose his Catholic father-in-law from the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland. He and his wife were crowned the King and Queen of England on April 11, 1689. With the accession to the thrones of the three kingdoms, he became one of the most powerful sovereigns in Europe, and the only one to defeat [[Louis XIV of France]].<ref name=Geyl/> William III died childless after a riding accident on March 8, 1702, leaving the main male line of the House of Orange extinct, and leaving Scotland, England and Ireland to his sister-in-law [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Queen Anne]].

=== Position in the Dutch Republic in the 17th century ===
[[File:Willem II prince of Orange and Maria Stuart.jpg|right|thumb|Willem II (1626–50), prince of Orange, and his wife [[Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange|Mary Stuart, Princess of Orange]] (1631–60).]]

The house of Orange-Nassau was relatively unlucky in establishing a hereditary dynasty in an age that favoured hereditary rule.   The [[House of Stuart|Stuarts]] and the [[House of Bourbon|Bourbons]] came to power at the same time as the Oranges, the [[House of Vasa|Vasas]] and [[House of Oldenburg|Oldenburgs]] were able to establish a hereditary kingship in Sweden and Denmark, and the [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollerns]] were able to set themselves on a course to the rule of Germany.  The House of Orange was no less gifted than those houses, in fact, some might argue more so, as their ranks included some the foremost statesmen and captains of the time.   A 104 years separated the death of William the Silent from the accession of his great-grandson, William III, as King of England. Although the institutions of the [[Dutch Republic|United Provinces]] became more republican and entrenched as time went on, William the Silent had been offered the countship of Holland and Zealand, and only his assassination prevented his accession to those offices.  This fact did not go unforgotten by his successors.<ref name="Rowen">{{cite book |title=The princes of Orange: the stadholders in the Dutch Republic|first=Herbert H.|last =Rowen|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1988}}</ref>{{rp|28–31,64,71,93,139–141}}

The [[Prince of Orange]] was also not just another noble among equals in the Netherlands.  First, he was the traditional leader of the nation in war and in rebellion against Spain.  He was uniquely able to transcend the local issues of the cities, towns and provinces.  He was also a sovereign ruler in his own right (see [[Prince of Orange]] article).  This gave him a great deal of prestige, even in a republic.  He was the center of a real court like the Stuarts and Bourbons, French speaking, and extravagant to a scale.  It was natural for foreign ambassadors and dignitaries to present themselves to him and consult with him as well as to the [[States General of the Netherlands|States General]] to which they were officially credited.  The marriage policy of the princes, allying themselves twice with the Royal Stuarts, also gave them acceptance into the royal caste of rulers.<ref name="Haley">{{cite book |title=The Dutch in the Seventeenth Century|first=K(enneth) H(arold) D(obson)|last =Haley|publisher=Thames and Hudson|year=1972|pages= 75–83|isbn=0-15-518473-3}}</ref>{{rp|76–77,80}}

Besides showing the relationships among the family, the family tree below also points out an extraordinary run of bad luck. In the 211 years from the death of William the Silent to the conquest by France, there was only one time that a son directly succeeded his father as Prince of Orange, Stadholder and Captain-General without a minority (William II).  When the Oranges were in power, they also tended to settle for the actualities of power, rather than the appearances, which increasingly tended to upset the ruling regents of the towns and cities. On being offered the dukedom of Gelderland by the States of that province, [[William III of England|William III]] let the offer lapse as liable to raise too much opposition in the other provinces.<ref name="Haley"/>{{rp|75–83}}
<gallery class="center" >
File:Counts of Nassau.jpg|The collateral house of Nassau: the four brothers of Willem I, prince of Orange: Jan (1536–1606), sitting, Hendrik (1550–1574), Adolf (1540–1568) and Lodewijk (1538–1574), counts of Nassau.
File:Willem Jacobsz. Delff 003.jpg|"The Nassau Cavalcade", members of the House of Orange-Nassau on parade in 1621 from an engraving by Willem Delff. From left to right in the first row: [[Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange|Prince Maurice]], [[Philip William, Prince of Orange|Prince Philip William]] and [[Frederick Henry, prince of Orange|Prince Frederick Henry]], between Maurice and Frederick Henry is [[William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Delff |first=Willem Jacobsz. |title=De Nassauische Cavalcade |work=From an engraving on exhibit in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam |publisher=Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam |url= http://www.rijksmuseum.nl |access-date=26 April 2011}}</ref>
File:Groepsportret van Vier Graven van Nassau met bedienden 1662-1670.jpg|Princes of the collateral House of Nassau-Dietz from the Stadhouderlijk Hof (nowadays called [[Princessehof Ceramics Museum]]) in [[Leeuwarden]],  H.Prince of Nassau, Henry Casimir, Prince of Nassau, George, Prince of Nassau, and Willem Frederick, Prince of Nassau_Dietz
</gallery>

The house of Orange was also related by marriage to several of these key European dynasties of the time, [[House of Stuart|Stuart]], [[House of Bourbon|Bourbon]], and [[House of Wittelsbach#Palatinate branch|Palatine]], [[House of Hannover|Hannover]] and [[House of Hohenzollern|Hohenzollern]]. These alliances had consequences for all of them.  William III used his double relationship with the Stuarts to justify his co-equal status with his wife on the English throne after the Glorious Revolution.  As an [[fils de france|arrière petit fils de France]], albeit in the female line, he felt doubly insulted by his cousin [[Louis XIV]]'s occupation and seizure of his sovereign [[principality of Orange]].  His death without children of his own ensured the passing of Orange to a Dutch cousin and years of squabbles over the same, while securing the British throne to the more distantly related [[House of Hanover]].

{{Houses of Orange and Stuart}}

== 18th century ==
=== Second Stadtholderless period ===
{{Further|Second Stadtholderless period}}
The regents found that they had suffered under the powerful leadership of William III as the ruler of the Netherlands and king in the British Isles and they left the stadtholdership vacant for the second time. As William III died childless in 1702 the principality became a matter of dispute between Prince [[John William Friso of Nassau-Dietz]] of the Frisian Nassaus and King [[Frederick I of Prussia]], who both claimed the title [[Prince of Orange]]. Both descended from [[Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange]]. The King of Prussia was his grandson through his mother, [[Countess Luise Henriette of Nassau]]. Frederick Henry in his will had appointed this line as successor in case the main House of Orange-Nassau were to die out. John William Friso was a great-grandson of Frederick Henry (through [[Countess Albertine Agnes of Nassau]], another daughter) and was appointed heir in William III's will. The principality was captured by the forces of [[Louis XIV of France|King Louis XIV of France]] under [[Comte de Grignan|François Adhémar de Monteil, Count of Grignan]], in the [[Franco-Dutch War]] in 1672, and again in August 1682. With the [[Treaty of Utrecht]] that ended the wars of Louis XIV, the territory was formally ceded to [[Kingdom of France|France]] by Frederick I in 1713.<ref name=Grew/>{{rp|1}} John William Friso drowned in 1711 in the [[Hollands Diep]] near [[Moerdijk]], and he left his posthumously born son [[William IV, Prince of Orange]]. That son succeeded at that time his father as stadtholder in [[Friesland]] (as the stadtholdership had been hereditary in that province since 1664), and [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]]. William IV was also proclaimed the stadtholder of [[Guelders]] in 1722. When the French invaded Holland in 1747, William IV was appointed stadtholder in [[Holland]], [[Zeeland]], [[Overijssel]] and [[Utrecht (province)|Utrecht]] as well in the [[Orangist revolution]]. The position of stadtholder was made hereditary in both the male and the female lines in all provinces at the same time.<ref name=Rowen/>{{rp|148–151,170}}

=== Hereditary territories in Germany ===
[[File:Nassau-Oranien-map.png|thumb|Hereditary possessions of the House of Orange-Nassau in Germany in 1789]]
After the Nassau-Dietz branch took over, the House of Orange-Nassau had acquired the following territories by the end of the 18th century in the Holy Roman Empire, located in present-day Germany:{{cn|date=October 2022}}
* [[Nassau-Dillenburg|County of Nassau-Dillenburg]], elevated to principality in 1654
* [[Nassau-Siegen|County of Nassau-Siegen]], elevated to principality
* County of Nassau-Dietz, elevated to principality
* [[Hadamar|County of Nassau-Hadamar]], elevated to principality
* [[Beilstein, Hesse]]/Fief Beilstein
* [[Spiegelberg|Fief Spiegelberg]]
* [[Nassau, Germany|Amt Nassau]] (shared with [[Nassau-Usingen]])
* [[Kirrberg (Saar)|Amt Kirrberg]] (shared with Nassau-Usingen)
* Grund Seel and [[Burbach, North Rhine-Westphalia|Burbach]] (shared with Nassau-Weilburg)
* [[Camberg|Amt Camberg]] (shared with the [[Electorate of Trier]])
* [[Wehrheim|Amt Wehrheim]] (shared with the Electorate of Trier)
* [[Bad Ems|Ems]] custody (shared with [[Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt|Hesse-Darmstadt]])

Around 1742, William IV of Orange established the Hochdeutsche Hofdepartement, an administrative centre located in The Hague inside the Dutch Republic, which looked after the family's possessions in Germany.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3xmZAwAAQBAJ |title='Wachse hoch, Oranien!': Auf dem Weg zum ersten König der Niederlande: Wilhelm Friedrich Prinz von Oranien-Nassau als regierender deutscher Fürst 1802-1806: Fulda + Corvey + Dortmund + Weingarten |chapter=Eine Republik und viele Fürsten |first=Simon |last=Groenveld |publisher=Waxmann Verlag |location=Münster |date=2013 |pages=19 |access-date=23 October 2022 |isbn=9783830979692 |lang=de}}:</ref>

=== End of the stadtholdership ===
William IV died in 1751, leaving his three-year-old son, [[William V, Prince of Orange|William V]], as the stadtholder. Since William V was still a minor, the regents reigned for him. He grew up to be an indecisive person, a character defect which would come to haunt William V his whole life.
His marriage to Wilhelmina of Prussia relieved this defect to some degree. In 1787, Willem V survived an attempt to depose him by the [[Patriottentijd|Patriots]] (anti-Orangist revolutionaries) after the [[Prussian invasion of Holland|Kingdom of Prussia intervened]]. When the [[Low Countries theatre of the War of the First Coalition|French invaded Holland]] in 1795, William V was forced into exile, and he was never to return alive to Holland.<ref name=Rowen/>{{rp|228–229}}<ref name=Blok/>{{rp|vol5,289}}

After 1795, the House of Orange-Nassau faced a difficult period, surviving in exile at other European courts, especially those of Prussia and Britain. Following the recognition of the [[Batavian Republic]] by the 1801 [[Oranienstein Letters]], William V's son William VI renounced the stadtholdership in 1802. In return, he received a few territories like the [[Dortmund|Free Imperial City of Dortmund]], [[Imperial Abbey of Corvey|Corvey Abbey]] and [[Fulda monastery|Diocese of Fulda]] from First Consul [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] of the [[French First Republic|French Republic]] ([[Treaty of Amiens]]), which was established as the [[Principality of Nassau-Orange-Fulda]].<ref>He acquired Fulda, Corvey, Weingarten and Dortmund. He lost the possessions again after changing sides from France to Prussia in 1806 when he refused to join the [[Confederation of the Rhine]]. Cf. J. and A. Romein 'Erflaters van onze beschaving', Querido, 1979</ref> William V died in 1806.<ref name="Hay2016">{{cite journal|last1=Hay|first1=Mark Edward|title=The House of Nassau between France and Independence, 1795–1814: Lesser Powers, Strategies of Conflict Resolution, Dynastic Networks|journal=The International History Review|date=1 June 2016|volume=38|issue=3|pages=482–504|doi=10.1080/07075332.2015.1046387|s2cid=155502574|url=https://www.academia.edu/25907933}}</ref>

== Monarchy since 1813 ==
{{NassauNeth}}
{{Main|Monarchy of the Netherlands}}

===United Kingdom of the Netherlands===
After a repressed Dutch rebel action, Prussian and Cossack troops drove out the French in 1813.  A provisional government was formed, some of those members had helped drive out William V 18 years earlier. However, they were realistic enough to accept that any new government would have to be headed by William V's son, William Frederick (William VI). All agreed that it would be better in the long term for the Dutch to restore William themselves rather than have him imposed by the allies.<ref name=Rowen/>{{rp|230}}

[[File:Prince William of Orange gets wounded at the shoulder.jpg|thumb|left|Prince [[William II of the Netherlands|William of Orange]] wounded at [[Battle of Waterloo|Waterloo]], 1815]]
At the invitation of the provisional government, William Frederick returned to the Netherlands on November 30. This move was strongly supported by the United Kingdom, which sought ways to strengthen the Netherlands and deny future French aggressors easy access to the Low Countries' Channel ports. The provisional government offered William the crown. He refused, believing that a stadholdership would give him more power.  Thus, on December 6, William proclaimed himself [[Sovereign Principality of the United Netherlands|hereditary sovereign prince]] of the Netherlands—something between a kingship and a stadholdership.  In 1814, he was awarded sovereignty over the Austrian Netherlands and the [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège]] as well. On March 15, 1815, with the support of the powers gathered at the [[Congress of Vienna]], William proclaimed himself [[William I of the Netherlands|King William I]]. He was also made grand duke of [[Luxembourg]], and (to assuage French sensitivity by distancing the title from the [[Principality of Orange|now-defunct principality]]) the title 'Prince of Orange' was changed to 'Prince of Oranje'.<ref>{{cite book | last =Couvée | first =D.H. | author2 =G. Pikkemaat | title =1813-15, ons koninkrijk geboren | publisher =N. Samsom nv | year =1963 | location =Alphen aan den Rijn | pages =119–139}}</ref>
The two countries remained separate, though they shared a common monarch via a [[personal union]].  William had thus fulfilled the House of Orange's three-century quest to unite the Low Countries.<ref name=Blok/>{{rp|vol5,398}}

The institution of the [[Monarchy of the Netherlands|monarch in the Netherlands]] is considered an office under the [[Constitution of the Netherlands]].<ref>Articles 24–49 of the Constitution of the Netherlands.</ref> There are none of the religious connotations to the office as in some other monarchies.{{cn|date=October 2022}} A Dutch sovereign is inaugurated rather than crowned in a [[coronation]] ceremony.{{cn|date=October 2022}} It was initially more of a crowned/hereditary presidency, and a continuation of the status quo ante of the pre-1795 hereditary [[Stadtholder|stadholderate]] in the [[Dutch Republic|Republic]].{{cn|date=October 2022}} In practice, the current monarch has considerably less power than the stadtholder.{{cn|date=October 2022}}

As king of the [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands]], William tried to establish one common culture. This provoked resistance in the southern parts of the country, which had been culturally separate from the north since 1581. He was considered an [[enlightened despotism|enlightened despot]].<ref name=Blok/>{{rp|vol5,399}}

The Prince of Orange held rights to Nassau lands (Dillenburg, Dietz, Beilstein, Hadamar, Siegen) in central Germany. On the other hand, the King of Prussia, [[Frederick William III]]—brother-in-law and first cousin of William I, had beginning from 1813 managed to establish his rule in Luxembourg, which he regarded as his inheritance from [[Anne, Duchess of Luxembourg]] who had died over three centuries earlier.  At the Congress of Vienna, the two brothers-in-law agreed to a trade—Frederick William received William I's ancestral lands while William I received Luxembourg. Both got what was geographically nearer to their centre of power.<ref name=Blok/>{{rp|vol5,392}}

In 1830, most of the southern portion of William's realm—the former Austrian Netherlands and Prince-Bishopric—declared independence as Belgium. William fought a disastrous war until 1839 when he was forced to settle for peace. With his realm halved, he decided to abdicate in 1840 in favour of his son, [[William II of the Netherlands|William II]]. Although William II shared his father's conservative inclinations, in 1848 he accepted an amended constitution that significantly curbed his own authority and transferred the real power to the States General. He took this step to prevent the [[Revolutions of 1848]] from spreading to his country.<ref name=Blok/>{{rp|vol5,455–463}}

===William III and the risk of extinction===
{{Further|Luxembourg Crisis|Republicanism in the Netherlands#1848–1890: Waning popularity|Republicanism in the Netherlands#Succession secured, republic prevented}}
William II died in 1849. He was succeeded by his son, [[William III of the Netherlands|William III]]. A rather [[Conservatism|conservative]], even reactionary man, William III was sharply opposed to the new 1848 constitution. He continually tried to form governments that were dependent on his support, even though it was prohibitively difficult for a government to stay in office against the will of Parliament. In 1868, he tried to sell [[Luxembourg]] to [[France]], which was the source of a quarrel between [[Prussia]] and [[France]].<ref name=Blok/>{{rp|vol5,483}}

William III had a rather unhappy marriage with [[Sophie of Württemberg]], and his heirs died young. This raised the possibility of the extinction of the House of Orange-Nassau. After the death of Queen Sophie in 1877, William remarried to 20-year-old [[Emma of the Netherlands|Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont]] in 1879; he was 41 years older than her. On 31 August 1880, Queen Emma gave birth to their daughter and the royal heiress, [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Wilhelmina]].<ref name=Blok/>{{rp|vol5,497–498}} There were considerably more concerns over the royal dynasty's future, when Wilhelmina's marriage with [[Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]] (since 1901) repeatedly resulted in [[miscarriage]]s. Had the House of Orange died out, the throne would likely have passed to [[Prince Heinrich XXXII Reuss of Köstritz]], leading the Netherlands into an undesirably strong influence from the [[German Empire]] that would threaten Dutch independence.<ref>"Were A Monarch To Fall Dead", ''[[The Washington Post]]'', 7 May 1905.</ref> Not just Socialists, but now also [[Anti-Revolutionary Party|Anti-Revolutionary]] politicians including Prime Minister [[Abraham Kuyper]] and Liberals such as [[Samuel van Houten]] advocated the restoration of the Republic in Parliament in case the marriage remained childless.<ref name="beatrixisme">{{Cite news |url=http://www.groene.nl/artikel/het-beatrixisme-zolang-beatrix-de-pvda-aan-haar-zijde-weet-te-houden-is-er-voor-oranje-weinig-kou-in-de-lucht |title=Het beatrixisme: zolang Beatrix de PvdA aan haar zijde weet te houden, is er voor Oranje weinig kou in de lucht |author=J.g. Kikkert |work=De Groene Amsterdammer |date=30 April 1997 |access-date=23 May 2015}}</ref> The birth of [[Juliana of the Netherlands|Princess Juliana]] in 1909 put the question to rest.<ref name="beatrixisme"/>

=== Monarchy in modern times ===
[[File:Het Frederiksplein te Amsterdam tijdens de intocht van koningin Wilhelmina, 5 september 1898 Rijksmuseum SK-A-1849.jpeg|thumb|right|Frederiksplein in Amsterdam during the entry of Queen Wilhelmina, 5 September 1898]]
Wilhelmina was queen of the [[Netherlands]] for 58 years, from 1890 to 1948. Because she was only 10 years old in 1890, her mother, [[Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont]], was the regent until Wilhelmina's 18th birthday in 1898. Since females were not allowed to hold power in Luxembourg, due to [[Salic law]], Luxembourg passed to the House of [[Nassau-Weilburg]], a collateral line to the House of Orange-Nassau. For a time, it appeared that the Dutch royal family would die with Wilhelmina. Her half-brother, [[Alexander, Prince of Orange|Prince Alexander]], had died in 1884, and no royal babies were born from then until Wilhelmina gave birth to her only child, [[Juliana of the Netherlands|Juliana]], in 1909. The Dutch royal house remained quite small until the later 1930s and the early 1940s, during which time Juliana gave birth to four daughters. Although the House of Orange died out in its male line with the death of Queen Wilhelmina, it continued in the female line as can be seen in other modern European monarchies, the name "Orange" continues to be used by the Dutch royalty<ref name=Blok/>{{rp|vol5,507–508}} and as evidenced in many patriotic songs, such as "[[Oranje boven]]".{{cn|date=October 2022}}

The Netherlands remained neutral in [[World War I]], during her reign, and the country was not invaded by [[German Empire|Germany]], as neighbouring [[Belgium]] was.<ref name=koninklijkhuis/>

Nevertheless, Queen Wilhelmina became a symbol of the Dutch resistance during [[World War II]]. The [[moral authority]] of the Monarchy was restored because of her rule. After 58 years on the throne as the Queen, Wilhelmina decided to abdicate in favour of her daughter, Juliana. Juliana had the reputation of making the monarchy less "aloof", and under her reign the Monarchy became known as the "cycling monarchy". Members of the royal family were often seen riding [[bicycle]]s through the cities and the countryside under Juliana.<ref name=koninklijkhuis/>

A [[Republicanism in the Netherlands#Beatrix–Claus marriage controversy|royal marriage controversy]] occurred in 1966 when Juliana's eldest daughter, the future [[Beatrix of the Netherlands|Queen Beatrix]], decided to marry [[Prince Claus of the Netherlands|Claus von Amsberg]], a German diplomat. The marriage of a member of the royal family to a German was quite controversial in the Netherlands, which had suffered under Nazi German occupation in 1940–45. This reluctance to accept a German consort probably was exacerbated by von Amsberg's former membership in the [[Hitler Youth]] under the Nazi regime in his native country, and also his following service in the German [[Wehrmacht]]. Beatrix needed permission from the government to marry anyone if she wanted to remain heiress to the throne, but after some argument, it was granted. As the years went by, Prince Claus was fully accepted by the Dutch people. In time, he became one of the most popular members of the Dutch monarchy, and his death in 2002 was widely mourned.<ref name=koninklijkhuis/>

On April 30, 1980, Queen Juliana abdicated in favour of her daughter, Beatrix. In the early years of the twenty-first century, the Dutch monarchy remained popular with a large part of the population. Beatrix's eldest son, [[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands|Willem-Alexander]], was born on April 27, 1967; the first immediate male heir to the Dutch throne since the death of his great-granduncle, Prince Alexander, in 1884. Willem-Alexander married [[Queen Máxima of the Netherlands|Máxima Zorreguieta]], an [[Argentina|Argentine]] banker, in 2002; the first commoner ever to marry an heir apparent to the Dutch throne. They are parents of three daughters: [[Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands|Catharina-Amalia]], [[Princess Alexia of the Netherlands|Alexia]], and [[Princess Ariane of the Netherlands|Ariane]]. After a long struggle with neurological illness, Queen Juliana died on March 20, 2004, and her husband, [[Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld|Prince Bernhard]], died on December 1 of that same year.<ref name=koninklijkhuis/>

Upon Beatrix's abdication on April 30, 2013, the Prince of Orange was inaugurated as King Willem-Alexander, becoming the Netherlands' first male ruler since 1890. His eldest daughter, Catharina-Amalia, as heiress apparent to the throne, became [[Princess of Orange]] in her own right.<ref name=koninklijkhuis/>

===Net worth===
{{see also|List of the richest royals}}
Unlike other royal houses, there has always been a separation in the Netherlands between what was owned by the state and used by the House of Orange in their offices as monarch, or previously, stadtholder, and the personal investments and fortune of the House of Orange.{{citation needed|date=June 2013}}

As [[Monarchy of the Netherlands|monarch]], the King or Queen has use of, but not ownership of, the [[Huis ten Bosch]] as a residence and [[Noordeinde Palace]] as a work palace. In addition, the [[Royal Palace of Amsterdam]] is also at the disposal of the monarch (although it is only used for state visits and is open to the public when not in use for that purpose). [[Soestdijk Palace]] was sold to private investors in 2017.
The [[Dutch Royal Regalia|crown jewels]], comprising the [[crown (headgear)|crown]], [[Globus cruciger|orb and sceptre]], [[Sword of State]], royal banner, and ermine mantle have been placed in the Crown Property Trust. The trust also holds the items used on ceremonial occasions, such as the carriages, table silver, and dinner services.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=13343|title=Dutch Royal House – Movable Property|access-date=2008-06-29| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929135903/http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/english/content.jsp?objectid=13343| archive-date = 29 September 2007}}</ref>  The Royal House is also [[Monarchy of the Netherlands#Royal privileges|exempt from income, inheritance, and personal tax]].<ref>{{in lang|nl}} [[wikisource:nl:Nederlandse grondwet/Hoofdstuk 2#Artikel 40|Constitution for the Kingdom of the Netherlands]] Article 40 (Dutch edition of WikiSource)</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.government.nl/documents/regulations/2012/10/18/the-constitution-of-the-kingdom-of-the-netherlands-2008|title=The Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands 2008|first=Ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken en|last=Koninkrijksrelaties|website=www.government.nl|date=18 October 2012}}</ref>

The House of Orange has long had the reputation of being one of the wealthier royal houses in the world, largely due to their business investments in [[Royal Dutch Shell]], [[Philips]] electronics company, [[KLM|KLM-Royal Dutch Airlines]], and the [[Holland-America Line]]. How significant these investments are is a matter of conjecture, as their private finances, unlike their public stipends as monarch, are not open to public scrutiny.<ref name=ForbesRoyals2010>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20100710144237/http://www.forbes.com/2010/07/07/richest-royals-wealth-monarch-wedding-divorce-billionaire_slide_2.html In Pictures: The World's Richest Royals]." ''Forbes''. 7 July 2010. 30 September 2010.</ref>

As late as 2001, the fortune of the Royal Family was estimated by various sources (''Forbes'' magazine) at $3.2 billion. Most of the wealth was reported to come from the family's longstanding stake in the [[Royal Dutch Shell|Royal Dutch/Shell Group]]. At one time, the Oranges reportedly owned as much as 25% of the oil company; their stake is in 2001 was estimated at a minimum of 2%, worth $2.7 billion on the May 21 cutoff date for the Billionaires issue. The family also was estimated to have a 1% stake in financial services firm [[ABN-AMRO]].<ref>"[https://www.forbes.com/2001/06/26/0626queens.html How Much Is Queen Elizabeth Worth?]." ''Forbes'' 26 June 2001.</ref><ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20020811075717/http://www.forbes.com/2002/03/04/royalsphotoshow_2.html Royal Flush]." ''Forbes'' 4 March 2002.</ref>

The royal family's fortune seems to have been hit by declines in real estate and equities after 2008. They were also rumored to have lost up to $100 million when [[Bernard Madoff]]'s [[Madoff investment scandal|Ponzi scheme collapsed]], though the royal house denies the allegations.<ref>"[https://www.forbes.com/2009/06/17/monarchs-wealth-scandal-business-billionaires-richest-royals_slide_15.html Monarchs and the Madoff Scandal]." ''Forbes''. 17 June 2009.</ref> In 2009, ''Forbes'' estimated Queen Beatrix's wealth at US$300 million.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/2007/08/30/worlds-richest-royals-biz-royals07-cx_lk_0830royalintro_slide_15.html?thisSpeed=30000 |title=In Pictures: The World's Richest Royals |magazine=Forbes.com |date=30 August 2007 |access-date=2010-03-05}}</ref>  This could also have been due to splitting the fortune between Queen Beatrix and her 3 sisters, as there is no right of the eldest to inherit the whole property. A surge in export revenue, recovery in real estate and strong stock market have helped steady the royal family's fortunes, but uncertainty over the new government and future austerity measures needed to bring budget deficits in line may dampen future prospects. In July 2010, ''Forbes'' magazine estimated her net worth at $200 million<ref name="ForbesRoyals2010"/> This estimate was unchanged in April 2011.<ref name=ForbesRoyals2012>"[https://www.forbes.com/sites/investopedia/2011/04/29/the-worlds-richest-royals/ Report: The World's Richest Royals]." ''Forbes''. April 29, 2011.</ref>

== List of rulers ==
=== Stadtholderate under the House of Orange-Nassau ===
<section begin="Stadtholderate under the House of Orange-Nassau" />{{Succession table monarch
| name1       = '''[[William the Silent|William I]]'''
| nickname1   = [[Father of the nation]], William the Silent, Prince of Orange
| native1     = 
| life1       = {{Birth date|1533|04|24|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1584|07|10|1533|04|24|df=yes}}
| reignstart1 = 1559
| reignend1   = 1584
| notes1      = [[Stadtholder]]<ref>Stadtholder of [[County of Holland|Holland]], [[Zeeland]] and [[Utrecht (province)|Utrecht]] (employed by [[Philip II of Spain|Philip II]]: 1559 – 1567, employed by the [[States General of the Netherlands|States General]]: 1572 – 1584), Stadtholder of Friesland and Overijssel (1580–1584)</ref>
| family1     = Orange-Nassau
| image1      = WilliamOfOrange1580.jpg
| alt1        = William, Prince of Orange
| name2       = '''[[Maurice, Prince of Orange|Maurice]]'''
| nickname2   = Prince of Orange
| native2     = 
| life2       = {{Birth date|1567|11|14|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1625|4|23|1567|11|14|df=yes}}
| reignstart2 = 1585
| reignend2   = 1625
| notes2      = Stadtholder,<ref>Stadtholder of Holland and Zeeland (1585–1625), Utrecht, Guelders and Overijssel (1590–1625), Groningen (1620–1625)</ref> son of [[William the Silent|William I]]
| family2     = Orange-Nassau
| image2      = Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt - Maurits prins van Oranje-edit 1.jpg
| name3       = '''[[Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange|Frederick Henry]]'''
| nickname3   = Prince of Orange
| native3     = 
| life3       = {{Birth date|1584|1|29|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1647|3|14|1584|1|29|df=yes}}
| reignstart3 = 1625
| reignend3   = 1647
| notes3      = Stadtholder,<ref>Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel (1620–1625), Groningen and Drenthe (1640–1647)</ref> son of [[William the Silent|William I]]
| family3     = Orange-Nassau
| image3      = Frederik Hendrik by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt.jpg
| name4       = '''[[William II, Prince of Orange|William II]]'''
| nickname4   = Prince of Orange
| native4     = 
| life4       = {{Birth date|1626|5|27|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1650|11|6|1626|5|27|df=yes}}
| reignstart4 = 14 March 1647
| reignend4   = 6 November 1650
| notes4      = Stadtholder,<ref>Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, Groningen, Drenthe and Overijssel</ref> son of [[Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange|Frederick Henry]]
| family4     = Orange-Nassau
| image4      = Workshop of Gerard van Honthorst 001.jpg
| name5       = '''[[William III, Prince of Orange|William III]]'''
| nickname5   = Prince of Orange
| native5     = 
| life5       = {{Birth date|1650|11|4|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1702|3|8|1650|11|4|df=yes}}
| reignstart5 = 4 July 1672
| reignend5   = 8 March 1702
| notes5      = Stadtholder,<ref>Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht and Overijssel (1672–1702), Guelders (1675–1702), Drenthe (1696–1702)</ref> son of [[William II, Prince of Orange|William II]]<ref>William III invaded – on invitation – England and became king of England, Scotland and Ireland</ref>
| family5     = Orange-Nassau
| image5      = King William III of England, (1650-1702).jpg
| name6       = '''[[William IV, Prince of Orange|William IV]]'''
| nickname6   = Prince of Orange
| native6     = 
| life6       = {{Birth date|1711|9|1|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1751|10|22|1711|9|1|df=yes}}
| reignstart6 = 1 September 1711 (under the regency of [[Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel|Marie Louise]] until 1731)
| reignend6   = 22 October 1751
| notes6      = Hereditary Stadtholder of the United Netherlands,<ref>Hereditary Stadtholder of Friesland (1711–1747), Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht and Overijssel (April/May 1747 – November 1747), Stadtholder of Groningen (1718–1747), Guelders and Drenthe (1722–1747), was formally voted the first Hereditary Stadtholder of the United Provinces (1747–1751)</ref> son of [[John William Friso, Prince of Orange|John William Friso]]
| family6     = Orange-Nassau
| image6      = Willem IV (1711-51), prins van Oranje-Nassau Rijksmuseum SK-A-887.jpeg
| alt7        = 
| name7       = '''[[William V, Prince of Orange|William V]]'''
| nickname7   = Prince of Orange
| native7     = 
| life7       = {{Birth date|1748|3|8|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1806|4|9|1748|3|8|df=yes}}
| reignstart7 = 22 October 1751
| reignend7   = 9 April 1806
| notes7      = Hereditary Stadtholder of the United Netherlands, son of [[William IV, Prince of Orange|William IV]], succeeded by his son [[William I of the Netherlands|King William I]] (-> [[#William I|Principality of the Netherlands (1813–1815)]]
| family7     = Orange-Nassau
| image7      = J. G. Ziesenis - State Portrait of Prince William V.jpg
}}<section end="Stadtholderate under the House of Orange-Nassau" />

=== Stadtholderate under the Houses of Nassau-Dillenburg and Nassau-Dietz ===
Note:<ref>Stadtholders of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe, became the direct male line ancestor of the Republic's hereditary Stadtholders, and later of the kings of the Netherlands.</ref>
<section begin="Stadtholderate under the House of Nassau" />{{Succession table monarch
| name1       = '''[[John VI, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg|John VI]]'''
| nickname1   = Jan de Oude (John the Elder)
| native1     = 
| life1       = {{Birth date|1536|11|22|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1606|10|8|1536|11|22|df=yes}}
| reignstart1 = 1578
| reignend1   = 1581
| notes1      = Stadtholder,<ref>Stadtholder of [[Guelders]] (under [[Philip II of Spain|Philip II]]), architect of the [[Union of Utrecht]]</ref> brother of [[William the Silent|William I]]
| family1     = [[House of Nassau|Nassau-Dillenburg]]
| image1      = Jan de Oude.gif
| alt1        = 
| name2       = '''[[William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg|William Louis]]'''
| nickname2   = Us Heit (Our Father)
| native2     = 
| life2       = {{Birth date|1560|03|13|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1620|05|31|1560|03|13|df=yes}}
| reignstart2 = 1584
| reignend2   = 1620
| notes2      = Stadtholder,<ref>Stadtholder of Friesland (1584–1620), Groningen (1594–1620) and Drenthe (1596–1620)</ref> son of [[John VI, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg|John VI]]
| family2     = [[House of Nassau|Nassau-Dillenburg]]
| image2      = Willem Lodewijk van Nassau 1560-1620.jpg
| alt2        = 
| name3       = '''[[Ernest Casimir I, Count of Nassau-Dietz|Ernest Casimir I]]'''
| nickname   = 
| native3     = 
| life3       = {{Birth date|1573|12|22|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1632|6|2|1573|12|22|df=yes}}
| reignstart3 = 1620
| reignend3   = 1632
| notes3      = Stadtholder,<ref>Stadtholder of Friesland (1620–1632), Groningen and Drenthe (1625–1632)</ref> son of [[John VI, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg|John VI]]
| family3     = [[House of Nassau|Nassau]]
| image3      = Portrait of Ernst Casimir van Nassau-Dietz (Wybrand de Geest, 1633).jpg
| alt3        = 
| name4       = '''[[Henry Casimir I of Nassau-Dietz|Henry Casimir I]]'''
| nickname4   = 
| native4     = 
| life4       = {{Birth date|1612|1|21|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1640|7|13|1612|1|21|df=yes}}
| reignstart4 = 1632
| reignend4   = 1640
| notes4      = Stadtholder,<ref>Stadtholder of Friesland (1632–1640), Groningen and Drenthe (1632–1640)</ref> son of [[Ernest Casimir I, Count of Nassau-Dietz|Ernest Casimir I]]
| family4     = [[House of Nassau|Nassau-Dietz]]
| image4      = Hendrik Casimir I van Nassau-Dietz.jpg
| alt4        = 
| name5       = '''[[William Frederick, Prince of Nassau-Dietz|William Frederick]]'''
| nickname5   = 
| native5     = 
| life5       = {{Birth date|1613|8|7|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1664|10|31|1613|8|7|df=yes}}
| reignstart5 = 1640
| reignend5   = 1664
| notes5      = Stadtholder,<ref>Stadtholder of Friesland (1640–1664), Groningen and Drenthe (1650–1664)</ref> son of [[Ernest Casimir I, Count of Nassau-Dietz|Ernest Casimir I]]
| family5     = [[House of Nassau|Nassau]]
| image5      = Portrait of William Frederick, Prince of Nassau-Dietz, by Pieter Nason Mauritshuis 124.jpg
| alt5        = 
| name6       = '''[[Henry Casimir II, Prince of Nassau-Dietz|Henry Casimir II]]'''
| nickname6   = 
| native6     = 
| life6       = {{Birth date|1657|1|18|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1696|3|25|1657|1|18|df=yes}}
| reignstart6 = 18 January 1664
| reignend6   = 25 March 1696
| notes6      = Hereditary Stadtholder,<ref>In 1675 the State of Friesland voted to make the Stadtholdership hereditary in the house of Nassau-Dietz</ref> son of [[William Frederick, Prince of Nassau-Dietz|William Frederick]]
| family6     = [[House of Nassau|Nassau-Dietz]]
| image6      = HendrikCasimirII.jpg
| alt6        = 
| name7       = '''[[John William Friso, Prince of Orange|John William Friso]]'''
| nickname7   = 
| native7     = 
| life7       = {{Birth date|1687|8|4|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1711|7|14|1687|8|4|df=yes}}
| reignstart7 = 25 March 1696
| reignend7   = 14 July 1711
| notes7      = Hereditary Stadtholder,<ref>Hereditary Stadtholder of Friesland (1707–1711) and Griningen (1708–1711)</ref> son of [[Henry Casimir II, Prince of Nassau-Dietz|Henry Casimir II]], succeeded by his son [[William IV, Prince of Orange|William IV of Orange-Nassau]], Hereditary Stadtholder of the United Netherlands (-> [[#Stadtholderate under the House of Orange-Nassau|Stadtholderate under the House of Orange-Nassau]]
| family7     = [[House of Nassau|Nassau-Dietz]], Orange-Nassau
| image7      = Portrait of Johan Willem Friso van Nassau-Dietz (1687-1711) by Lancelot Volders.jpg
| alt7        = 
}}<section end="Stadtholderate under the House of Nassau" />
{{anchor|William I}}

=== Principality of the Netherlands (1813–1815) ===
{{Succession table monarch
| name1       = '''[[William I of the Netherlands|William Frederick]]'''
| nickname1   = 
| native1     = 
| life1       = {{Birth date|1772|08|24|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1843|12|12|1772|08|24|df=yes}}
| reignstart1 = 6 December 1813
| reignend1   = 16 March 1815
| notes1      = Raised Netherlands to status of kingdom in 1815, son of Stadtholder William V
| family1     = Orange-Nassau
| image1      = Willem I (1772-1843), souverein vorst der Verenigde Nederlanden, later koning der Nederlanden Rijksmuseum SK-A-1519.jpeg
| alt1        = William I of the Netherlands
}}

=== Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–present) ===
{{Succession table monarch
| name1       = '''[[William I of the Netherlands|William I]]'''
| nickname1   = 
| native1     = 
| life1       = {{Birth date|1772|08|24|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1843|12|12|1772|08|24|df=yes}}
| reignstart1 = 16 March 1815
| reignend1   = 7 October 1840
| notes1      = Son of the last Stadtholder [[William V, Prince of Orange|William V]]
| family1     = Orange-Nassau
| image1      = William I of the Netherlands.jpg
| alt1        = William I of the Netherlands
| name2       = '''[[William II of the Netherlands|William II]]'''
| nickname2   = 
| native2     = 
| life2       = {{Birth date|1792|12|06|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1849|03|17|1792|12|06|df=yes}}
| reignstart2 = 7 October 1840
| reignend2   = 17 March 1849
| notes2      = Son of William I
| family2     = Orange-Nassau
| image2      = Willemll by Pieneman.jpg
| alt2        = William II of the Netherlands
| name3       = '''[[William III of the Netherlands|William III]]'''
| nickname3   = 
| native3     = 
| life3       = {{Birth date|1817|02|17|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1890|11|23|1817|02|17|df=yes}}
| reignstart3 = 17 March 1849
| reignend3   = 23 November 1890
| notes3      = Son of William II
| family3     = Orange-Nassau
| image3      = Willem III (1817-90), koning der Nederlanden, Nicolaas Pieneman, 1856 - Rijksmuseum.jpg
| alt3        = William III of the Netherlands
| name4       = '''[[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Wilhelmina]]'''
| nickname4   = 
| native4     = 
| life4       = {{Birth date|1880|08|31|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|1962|11|28|1880|08|31|df=yes}}
| reignstart4 = 23 November 1890
| reignend4   = 4 September 1948
| notes4      = Daughter of William III
| family4     = Orange-Nassau
| image4      = Thérèse Schwartze 013.jpg
| alt4        = Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
| name5       = '''[[Juliana of the Netherlands|Juliana]]'''
| nickname5   = 
| native5     = 
| life5       = {{Birth date|1909|04|30|df=yes}} – {{Death date and age|2004|03|20|1909|04|30|df=yes}}
| reignstart5 = 4 September 1948
| reignend5   = 30 April 1980
| notes5      = Daughter of Wilhelmina
| family5     = Orange-Nassau
| image5      = Juliana 1959.jpg
| alt5        = Juliana of the Netherlands
| name6       = '''[[Beatrix of the Netherlands|Beatrix]]'''
| nickname6   = 
| native6     = 
| life6       = {{Birth date and age|1938|01|31|df=yes}}
| reignstart6 = 30 April 1980
| reignend6   = 30 April 2013
| notes6      = Daughter of Juliana
| family6     = Orange-Nassau
| image6      = Koningin Beatrix in Vries.jpg
| alt6        = Beatrix of the Netherlands
| name7       = '''[[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands|Willem-Alexander]]'''
| nickname7   = 
| native7     = 
| life7       = {{Birth date and age|1967|4|27|df=yes}}
| reignstart7 = 30 April 2013
| reignend7   = 
| notes7      = Son of Beatrix
| family7     = Orange-Nassau
| image7      = Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange.jpg
| alt7        = William-Alexander
}}

<div style="overflow:auto">
{{#tag:timeline
|Define $width = 750 # 3 pixels per year ($end - $start) × 250
Define $warning = 630 # $width - 120
Define $height = 360 # 7 × 30 + 150
Define $footnote = 230 # $width  - 400

Define $start = 1770
Define $end = {{CURRENTYEAR}}

ImageSize  = width:$width height:$height
PlotArea   = right:10 left:1 bottom:80 top:60
Period     = from:$start till:$end
TimeAxis   = orientation:horizontal
Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:1

Colors =
     id:bg              value:white
     id:lightline       value:rgb(0.8, 0.8, 0.8)
     id:lighttext       value:rgb(0.5, 0.5, 0.5)
     id:LIFESPAN        value:rgb(0.88, 0.90, 0.70) Legend: Lifespan
     id:PRINCE          value:rgb(0.68, 0.11, 0.16) Legend: Reign_as_Sovereign_Prince
     id:REIGN           value:rgb(0.13, 0.27, 0.55) Legend: Reign_as_King/Queen
     id:NAME            value:rgb(0.15, 0.13, 0.05)

BackgroundColors = canvas:bg
ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightline unit:year increment:2 start:$start
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:lighttext unit:year increment:10 start:1770

Define $dy = -5 # shift text to button side of bar

PlotData=
  bar:1 width:18
    color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M
    from:1772.64 till:1813.93 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:[[William I of the Netherlands|William I]]
    color:PRINCE
    from:1813.93 till:1815.20
    color:REIGN
    from:1815.20 till:1840.77
    color:LIFESPAN
    from:1840.77 till:1843.95

  bar:2 width:18
    color:LIFESPAN align:left fontsize:M
    from:1792.93 till:1840.77 shift:(-28,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:[[William II of the Netherlands|William II]]
    color:REIGN
    from:1840.77 till:1849.21

  bar:3 width:18
    color:LIFESPAN align:left fontsize:M
    from:1817.13 till:1849.21 shift:(-28,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:[[William III of the Netherlands|William III]]
    color:REIGN
    from:1849.21 till:1890.89

  bar:4 width:18
    color:LIFESPAN align:left fontsize:M
    from:1880.67 till:1890.89 shift:(-52,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:[[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Wilhelmina]]
    color:REIGN
    from:1890.89 till:1948.68
    color:LIFESPAN
    from:1948.68 till:1962.91

  bar:5 width:18
    color:LIFESPAN align:left fontsize:M
    from:1909.33 till:1948.68 shift:(-20,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:[[Juliana of the Netherlands|Juliana]]
    color:REIGN
    from:1948.68 till:1980.33
    color:LIFESPAN
    from:1980.33 till:2004.22

  bar:6 width:18
    color:LIFESPAN align:left fontsize:M
    from:1938.08 till:1980.33 shift:(-20,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:[[Beatrix of the Netherlands|Beatrix]]
    color:REIGN
    from:1980.33 till:2013.33
    color:LIFESPAN
    from:2013.33 till:{{CURRENTYEAR}}

  bar:7 width:18
    color:LIFESPAN align:left fontsize:M
    from:1967.32 till:2013.33 shift:(-46,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:[[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands|Willem-Alexander]]
    color:REIGN
    from:2013.33 till:{{CURRENTYEAR}}

TextData =
   pos:(200,$height)
   fontsize:L
   textcolor:black
   text:"Lifespan of each Orange-Nassau monarch"
}}</div>

== Royal family versus royal house ==
{{Main|Dutch royal house}}

{{Dutch Royal Family}} 

Under Dutch law, there is a distinction between the royal family and the [[Dutch royal house]]. Whereas 'royal family' refers to the entire Orange-Nassau family, only a small subgroup of it constitutes the royal house. By the Royal House Membership Act 2002, membership of the royal house is limited to:<ref name="koninklijkhuis">{{cite web|title=The Official Website of the Dutch Royal House in English |url=http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/globale-paginas/taalrubrieken/english/news/ |access-date=26 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530175348/http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/globale-paginas/taalrubrieken/english/news |archive-date=30 May 2013 }}</ref><ref name="WLKH">{{cite web|url=http://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0013729/geldigheidsdatum_09-05-2015|title=wetten.nl – Regeling – Wet lidmaatschap koninklijk huis – BWBR0013729|website=wetten.overheid.nl}}</ref>

The royal house and family is the Orange-Nassau family.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Official Website of the Dutch Royal House in English| url = https://www.royal-house.nl/topics/themes/history | accessdate = 9 January 2024|quote = "The Royal House of the Netherlands is the House of Orange-Nassau."}}</ref>

* (Article 1) the reigning monarch (King or Queen);<ref name="WLKH"/>
* (Article 1a) the members of the royal family in the line of [[succession to the Dutch throne]], limited to the second degree of sanguinity reckoned from the reigning monarch;<ref name="WLKH"/>
* (Article 1b) the heir presumptive of the reigning monarch;<ref name="WLKH"/>
* (Article 1c) the former monarch (upon abdication);<ref name="WLKH"/>
* (Article 2) the spouses of the above, even if the above die.<ref name="WLKH"/>
* (Article 3) H.R.H. [[Princess Margriet of the Netherlands]], (for whom an exception was made);{{cn|date=October 2022}}

Members of the Royal House lose their membership (and thereby, designation as prince or princess of the Netherlands) if they lose the membership of the Royal House on the succession of a new monarch (not being in the second degree of sanguinity to the monarch anymore, Article 1a), or by royal decree approved by the Council of State (Article 5).<ref name="WLKH"/> This last scenario could happen, for example, if a royal house member marries without the consent of the Dutch Parliament.{{cn|date=October 2022}} For example, this happened with [[Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau|Prince Friso]] in 2004, when he married [[Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau|Mabel Wisse Smit]].{{cn|date=October 2022}}

==Family tree==

===Origins of the Nassaus===

The lineage of the [[House of Nassau]] can be traced back to the 10th century.

{{Family tree of the House of Nassau}}

A detailed family tree can be found here. A detailed [[:nl:Stamboom Oranje-Nassau|family tree of the House of Orange-Nassau]] from the 15th century can be found on the Dutch Wikipedia at [[Dutch monarchs family tree]].


===Orange and Nassau Family Tree===

{{Family tree of the House of Orange-Nassau}}

The main house of Orange-Nassau also spawned several illegitimate branches.  These branches contributed to the political and economic history of England and the Netherlands. [[Justinus van Nassau]] was the only extramarital child of [[William the Silent|William of Orange]]. He was a Dutch army commander known for unsuccessfully [[Siege of Breda (1624)|defending Breda against the Spanish]], and the depiction of his surrender on the famous picture by [[Diego Velázquez]], ''[[The Surrender of Breda]]''. [[Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerd]] was a younger illegitimate son of [[Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange|Prince Maurice]] and [[Margaretha van Mechelen]]. His descendants were later created Counts of Nassau-LaLecq. One of his sons was the famous general [[Henry de Nassau, Lord Overkirk|Henry de Nassau, Lord of Overkirk]], [[William III of England|King William III]]'s [[Master of the Horse]], and one of the most trusted generals of [[John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough]].  His descendants became the [[Earl of Grantham|Earls of Grantham]] in England. [[Frederick Nassau de Zuylestein|Frederick van Nassau, Lord of Zuylestein]], an illegitimate son of [[Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange]], gave rise to the [[Earl of Rochford|Earls of Rochford]] in England. The [[William Nassau de Zuylestein, 4th Earl of Rochford|4th earl of Rochford]] was a famous English diplomat and a statesman.

===Royal House of Orange-Nassau=== 

In 1815, William VI of Orange became King of the Netherlands.  This summary genealogical tree shows how the current Royal house of Orange-Nassau is related:<ref name="koninklijkhuis"/>

<section begin=FamilyTree />{{Tree chart/start|style=font-size:70%;line-height:100%;}}

{{Tree chart| WLM1 |~|y|~| WPR | 
| WLM1='''[[William I of the Netherlands|William I, 1772–1843, King of the Netherlands, 1815–1840]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br />[[File:Arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815-1907).svg|40px]]'''|boxstyle_ WLM1=border-width:4px; border-color:#FFA500
|WPR=[[Wilhelmine of Prussia, Queen of the Netherlands|Wilhelmina of Prussia]]<br/>[[File:Arms of East Prussia.svg|40px]]}}

{{Tree chart| | | | |)|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.|}}

{{Tree chart| | | | WLM2 |y| APR | | | | | | | |FRD| | | PAUL| | MAR
| WLM2='''[[William II of the Netherlands|William II, 1792–1849, King of the Netherlands, 1840]]'''<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br />[[File:Arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815-1907).svg|40px]]|boxstyle_ WLM2=border-width:4px; border-color:#FFA500
|APR=[[Anna Pavlovna of Russia]]<br/>[[File:Mali tsr.svg|60px]]
|FRD=[[Prince Frederick of the Netherlands|Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, 1797–1881]]<br/>[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br/>[[File:Arms of the second son of the king of the Netherlands.svg|40px]]<br/><ref>{{cite book |title=Handboek der Wapenkunde|first=Johannes Baptist|last=Rietstap|publisher=Theod. Bom|location=the Netherlands|year=1875|page=348|quote="Prins FREDERIK: Het koninklijke wapen, in 't shcildhoofd gebroken door een rooden barensteel, de middelste hanger beladen met een regtopstaanden goud pijl." }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Heraldiek|first=J.H.|last=Junius|publisher=Frederik Muller|location=the Netherlands|year=1894|page=151|quote=...de tweede oon voert het koninklijk wapen gebroken door een barensteel van drie stukken met een zilveren pijl.}}</ref>|PAUL=[[Princess Pauline of Orange-Nassau|Princess Pauline of Orange-Nassau, 1800–1806]]
|MAR=[[Princess Marianne of the Netherlands|Princess Marianne of the Netherlands, 1810–1883]]<br/><div style="display:inline-block;">[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br/>[[File:Arms of the eldest daughter of the king of the Netherlands.svg|40px]]</div><ref>{{cite book |title=Heraldiek|first=J.H.|last=Junius|publisher=Frederik Muller|location=the Netherlands|year=1894|page=151|quote=...is het wapen afgebeeld van de oudste dochter van den Koning der Nederlanden. De barensteel is van keel en beladen met een gouden koningskroon.}}</ref><br/>married [[Prince Albert of Prussia (1809–1872)]]}}

{{Tree chart| | | | | | |!| | | | | | | | | | | |`|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|.}}

{{Tree chart| | | | | | |)|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| | | |!| | |!}}

{{Tree chart| EWP |y|~| WLM3 |y| SVW | | ALX | | HEN | | SPH | | LOU | | MAR 
|EWP='''[[Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont|Emma of Waldeck-Pyrmont]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br />[[File:Arms of queen Emma of the Netherlands.svg|40px]]'''
|WLM3='''[[William III of the Netherlands|William III, 1817–1890, King of the Netherlands, 1849]]'''<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br />[[File:Arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815-1907).svg|40px]]|boxstyle_ WLM3=border-width:4px; border-color:#FFA500
|SVW=[[Sophie of Württemberg|Sophia of Württemberg]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br />[[File:Coat of Arms of Wurtemberg-Urach.svg|40px]]|ALX=[[Prince Alexander of the Netherlands|Prince Alexander of the Netherlands, 1818–1848]]
|HEN=[[Prince Henry of the Netherlands (1820–1879)|Prince Henry of the Netherlands, "the Navigator" 1820–1879]]
|SPH=[[Princess Sophie of the Netherlands|Princess Sophie of the Netherlands, 1824–1897]] married [[Charles Alexander, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach]]
|LOU=[[Louise of the Netherlands|Princess Louise of the Netherlands,1828–1871]] married [[Charles XV of Sweden]]
|MAR=[[Princess Marie of the Netherlands|Princess Marie of the Netherlands, 1841–1910]] married [[William, Prince of Wied]] one son was [[William, Prince of Albania]]}}

{{Tree chart| | | |!| | | | |`|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.}}

{{Tree chart| | WHL |y|HDK| |PWM| | PMN | | PAL 
| WHL='''[[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Wilhelmina, 1880–1962, Queen of the Netherlands, 1890–1948]]'''<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br />[[File:Arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815-1907).svg|40px]][[File:Arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.svg|40px]]<br />To 1907 after 1907|boxstyle_ WHL=border-width:4px; border-color:#FFA500
|HDK=[[Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin|Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1876–1934, Prince of the Netherlands]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br/>[[File:Arms of Hendrik of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.svg|40px]]
|PWM=[[William, Prince of Orange|William, Prince of Orange 1840–1879]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br/>[[File:Arms of the Prince of Orange (1815-1884).svg|40px]]
|PMN=[[Prince Maurice of the Netherlands|Prince Maurice of the Netherlands, 1843–1850]]
|PAL=[[Alexander, Prince of Orange|Alexander, Prince of Orange, 1851–1884]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br/>[[File:Arms of the Prince of Orange (1815-1884).svg|40px]]}}

{{Tree chart| | | | |!| | | | }}

{{Tree chart| | | | JUL |y| BER | | | JUL='''[[Juliana of the Netherlands|Juliana 1909–2004, Queen of the Netherlands, 1948–1980]]'''<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br />[[File:Arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.svg|40px]][[File:Arms of Juliana of the Netherlands.svg|40px]]|boxstyle_ JUL=border-width:4px; border-color:#FFA500
|BER=[[Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld|Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, Prince of the Netherlands 1911–2004]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br/>[[File:Arms of Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld.svg|40px]]}}

{{Tree chart|,|-|-|-|-|-|^|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|.| }}

{{Tree chart| BEA |y| CLS  | | | IRE | | MAR|y|PTR| | CHR| BEA='''[[Beatrix of the Netherlands|Beatrix,1938–, Queen of the Netherlands,1980–2013]]'''<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br />[[File:Arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.svg|40px]][[File:Arms of Beatrix of the Netherlands.svg|40px]]|boxstyle_ BEA=border-width:4px; border-color:#FFA500
|CLS=[[Prince Claus of the Netherlands|Claus van Amsberg,1926–2002, Prince of the Netherlands]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br/>[[File:Arms of Claus von Amsberg.svg|40px]]
|IRE=[[Princess Irene of the Netherlands|Princess Irene of the Netherlands, 1939, m.(1964–1981) Carlos Hugo of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma, 4 children not eligible for throne]]
|MAR=[[Princess Margriet of the Netherlands|Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, 1943–]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br />[[File:Arms of Beatrix of the Netherlands.svg|40px]]
|PTR=[[Pieter van Vollenhoven]]|CHR=[[Princess Christina of the Netherlands|Princess Christina of the Netherlands,(1947–2019), m. Jorge Pérez y Guillermo (m. 1975; div. 1996), 3 children not eligible for throne]]}}

{{Tree chart| | |,|^|-|-|-|-|-|v|-|-|-|.| | |`|-|-|-|-|-|-|.}}

{{Tree chart| WAN |y| MAX | |FRI| |CON|y|LAUR| | | |VOL|WAN='''[[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands|William-Alexander of the Netherlands,1967–]]'''<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br />[[File:Arms of the children of Beatrix of the Netherlands.svg|40px]][[File:Arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.svg|40px]]<br/>'''[[Prince of Orange|Prince of Orange & Heir Apparent, 1980–2013]]''', '''[[Monarch of the Netherlands|King of the Netherlands, 2013–]]'''|boxstyle_ WAN=border-width:4px; border-color:#FFA500
|MAX=[[Queen Máxima of the Netherlands|Queen Maxima of the Netherlands]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br/>[[File:Arms of Maxima, Queen of the Netherlands.svg|40px]]
|FRI=[[Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau|Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau 1968–2013 m.(2004) Mabel Wisse Smit without permission, his children are not eligible for the throne and he was no longer a Prince of the Netherlands after his marriage]]
|CON=[[Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands|Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, 1969–]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br />[[File:Arms of the children of Beatrix of the Netherlands.svg|40px]]|
|LAUR=[[Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands]]|VOL=[[Princess Margriet of the Netherlands|4 sons, 2 of whom were eligible for the throne until Beatrix abdicated in 2013]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br />[[File:Arms of the children of Margriet of the Netherlands.svg|40px]]}}

{{Tree chart| |,|-|^|-|v|-|-|-|.| | |,|-|-|^|v|-|-|-|.| }}

{{Tree chart| AMA | | ALX | | ARI | |EL| |CC| |LEO|
|AMA=[[Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands|Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands,2003– Princess of Orange & heiress apparent, 2013–]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br/>[[File:Arms of the children of Wilhelm-Alexander of the Netherlands.svg|40px]]|boxstyle_ AMA=border-width:4px; border-color:#FFA500
|ALX=[[Princess Alexia of the Netherlands|Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, 2005–]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br/>[[File:Arms of the children of Wilhelm-Alexander of the Netherlands.svg|40px]]
|ARI=[[Princess Ariane of the Netherlands|Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, 2007–]]<br />[[File:Royal Crown of the Netherlands (Heraldic).svg|40px]]<br/>[[File:Arms of the children of Wilhelm-Alexander of the Netherlands.svg|40px]]
|EL=[[Countess Eloise of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg|Countess Eloise of Orange-Nassau, 2002–]]
|CC=[[Count Claus-Casimir of Orange-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg|Count Claus-Casimir of Orange-Nassau, 2004–]]
|LEO=[[Countess Leonore of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg|Countess Leonore of Orange-Nassau, 2006–]]}}

{{Tree chart/end}}<section end=FamilyTree />

==Coats of Arms==

{{main|Armorial of the House of Nassau|nl:Wapen van Nassau#Tak van Otto}}
{{See also|Coat of arms of the Netherlands}}

[[File:Arms of Nassau.svg|thumb|200px|Arms of the Ottonian Branch of the House of Nassau:<ref name="Rietstap"/> ''Azure billetty or, a lion rampant of the last armed and langued gules'']]

The gallery below show the [[coats of arms]] used by members of the house of Orange-Nassau. Their growing complexity and use of crowns shows how arms are used to reflect the growing political position and royal aspirations of the family.  A much more complete armorial is given at the [[Armorial of the House of Nassau]], and another one at [[:nl:Wapen van Nassau#Tak van Otto|Wapen van Nassau, Tak van Otto]] at the Dutch Wikipedia.

The ancestral coat of arms of the Ottonian line of the [[house of Nassau]] is shown right.  Their distant cousins of the Walramian line added a red coronet to distinguish them. There is no specific documentation in the literature on the origin of the arms.  The lion was always a popular noble symbol, originating as a symbol of nobility, power, and royal aspirations in western culture going all the way back to [[Hercules]].  The lion was also heavily used as a heraldic symbol in border territories and neighbouring countries of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and [[France]]. It was in all likelihood a way of showing independence from the [[Holy Roman Emperor]], who used an [[Reichsadler|eagle]] in his personal arms and the [[King of France]], who used the famous [[Fleur-de-lis]]. The lion was so heavily used in the Netherlands for various provinces and families (see [[Leo Belgicus]]) that it became the national arms of the [[Dutch Republic Lion|Dutch Republic]], its successor [[Coat of arms of the Netherlands|Kingdom of the Netherlands]], [[Coat of Arms of Belgium|Belgium]], and [[Coat of arms of Luxembourg|Luxembourg]].  Blue, because of its nearness to purple, which in the northern climes tended to fade (red was the other choice), was also a popular color for those with royal aspirations. The billets could have been anything from blocks of wood to abstractions of the reenforcements holding the shield together.  The fact that these were arms were very similar to those of the [[List of counts of Burgundy|counts of Burgundy]] (Franche-Comté) did not seem to cause too much confusion.

Henry III of Nassau-Breda came to the Netherlands in 1499 as heir to his uncle, [[Engelbert II of Nassau|Engelbrecht II of Nassau-Breda]].  His and his uncle's arms are shown below.  When [[Philibert of Chalon|Philbert, prince of Orange]] died in 1530, his sister's son [[René of Chalon|René of Breda]] inherited the Princedom of Orange on condition that he used the name and coat of arms of the Chalon-Orange family. History knows him therefore as René of Chalon instead of as "René of Nassau-Breda." The 1st and 4th grand quarters show the arms of the Chalons-Arlay (the gold bend) princes of Orange (the bugle). The blue and gold cross is the arms of Jeanne of Geneva, who married one of the Chalons princes. The 2nd and 3rd show the quarterings of Brittany and Luxembourg-St. Pol.  The inescutcheon overall is his paternal arms quartered of Nassau and Breda. [[William the Silent]]'s father, William the Rich, was rich only in children.  He bore the arms shown below.  Clockwise from upper left they displayed the arms of Nassau (1st quarter), Katzenelenbogen (3rd quarter), Dietz (2nd quarter), Vianden (4th quarter).
<gallery class="center" >
Nassau-Dillenburg 1420 klein.svg|Arms of Engelbrecht II and Henry III of Nassau-Breda.<ref name="Rietstap"/>
File:Nassau-Chalons wapen.svg|Coat of arms of Rene of Chalons as Prince of Orange.<ref name="Rietstap"/>
File:Nassau-Dillenburg 1559-1739.svg|Arms of William the Rich, count of Nassau-Dillenburg.<ref name="Rietstap"/>
</gallery>

The princes of Orange in the 16th and 17th century used the following sets of arms.  On becoming prince of Orange, William placed the Chalon-Arlay arms in the center ("as an inescutcheon") of his father's arms.  He used these arms until 1582 when he purchased the [[marquisate of Veere]] and Vlissingen.  It had been the property of Philip II since 1567, but had fallen into arrears to the province. In 1580 the [[Hof van Holland|Court of Holland]] ordered it sold. William bought it as it gave him two more votes in the States of Zeeland. He owned the government of the two towns, and so could appoint their magistrates. He already had one as First Noble for Philip William, who had inherited Maartensdijk. This made William the predominant member of the States of Zeeland. It was a smaller version of the countship of Zeeland (& Holland) promised to William, and was a potent political base for his descendants. William then added the shield of Veere and Buren to his arms as shown in the arms of [[Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange|Frederick Henry]], [[William II of Orange|William II]] and [[William III of England|William III]] with the arms of the marquisate in the top center, and the arms of the county of Buren in the bottom center.<ref name="Rowen"/>{{rp|29–30}} William also started the tradition of keeping the number of billets in the upper left quarter for Nassau at 17 to symbolize the original 17 provinces of the Burgundian/Habsburg Netherlands, which he always hoped would form one united nation.

<gallery class="center">
File:Willem van Oranje wapen oud.svg|Coat of arms of [[William the Silent]] as Prince of Orange from 1544 to 1582, and his eldest son [[Philip William, Prince of Orange|Philip William]]<ref name="Rietstap"/>
File:Arms of William Henry, Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau with Veere.svg|The coat of arms used by [[William the Silent]] from 1582 until his death, [[Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange|Frederick Henry]], [[William II of Orange|William II]], and [[William III of England|William III]] as [[Prince of Orange]]<ref name="Rietstap">{{cite book |title=Armorial general|first=Johannes Baptist|last =Rietstap|publisher=Genealogical Publishing Co.|year=2003|volume= 2|page=297|isbn=0-8063-4811-9|quote=Ecartelé : au 1. d'azur, semé de billettes d'or au lion d'or, armé et lampassé de gueules, brochant sur le tout (Maison de Nassau); II, d'or, au léopard lionné de gueules, arméc ouronné et lampassé d'azur (Katzenelnbogen); III, de gueules à la fasce d'argent (Vianden); IV, de gueules à deux lions passant l'un sur l'autre; sur-le-tout écartelé, aux I et IV de gueules, à la bande d'or (Chalon), et aux II et III d'or, au cor de chasse d'azur, virolé et lié de gueules (Orange); sur-le-tout-du-tout de cinq points d'or équipolés à quatre d'azur (Genève); un écusson de sable à la fasce d'argent brochant en chef (Marquis de Flessingue et Veere); un écusson de gueules à la fasce bretessée et contre-bretessée d'argent brochant en pointe (Buren). Cimier: 1er un demi-vol cont. coupé d'or sur gueles (Chalons), 2er une ramure de cerf d'or (Orange) 3er un demi-vol de sa, ch. d'un disque de armes de Dietz. Supports: deux lions d'or, arm. et lamp. de gueles. Devise: JE MAINTIENDRAI.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KGwv4BDnlaQC&q=orange|access-date = 26 May 2015}}</ref>
File:Maurits Nassau wapen klein.svg|alt=The coat of arms used by Maurice showing the county of Moers (top left center and bottom right center) and his mother's arms of Saxony (center): 78|The coat of arms used by [[Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange|Maurice]] showing the county of [[Moers]] (top left center and bottom right center) and his mother's arms of [[House of Wettin|Saxony]] (center)<ref name="Haley"/>{{rp|78}}<ref>{{Cite web|last=Anonymous |title=Wapenbord van Prins Maurits met het devies van de Engelse orde van de Kouseband |work=Exhibit of a painted woodcut of Maurice's Arms encircled by the Order of the Garter in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam |publisher=Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam |url=http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/collectie/zoeken/asset.jsp?id=NG-NM-10152&lang=en |access-date=26 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111084906/http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/collectie/zoeken/asset.jsp?id=NG-NM-10152&lang=en |archive-date=11 January 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Armorial général, contenant la description des armoiries des familles nobles et patriciennes de l'Europe: précédé d'un dictionnaire des termes du blason|first=Johannes Baptist|last =Rietstap|publisher=G.B. van Goor|year=1861|page=746|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=TU4EAAAAIAAJ&q=nassau+princes+d%27orange|quote=a la exception de celebre prince Maurice qui portai les armes ...}}</ref>
File:Arms of William Henry, Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau.svg|An alternate coat of arms sometimes used by [[Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange|Frederick Henry]], [[William II, Prince of Orange|William II]], and [[William III of England|William III]] as Prince of Orange showing the county of [[Moers]] in the top center rather than [[marquisate of Veere|Veere]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Post |first=Pieter |title=Coat of Arms as depicted in "Begraeffenisse van syne hoogheyt Frederick Hendrick" |work=engraving, in the collection of |publisher=Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam |year=1651 |url=http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/collectie/zoeken/asset.jsp?id=NG-793-53 |access-date=1 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111092052/http://www.rijksmuseum.nl/collectie/zoeken/asset.jsp?id=NG-793-53 |archive-date=11 January 2012 }}</ref>
File:Coat of arms of William and Mary as Prince and Princess of Orange.svg|Coat of arms on expeditionary banner of William and Mary, 1688, showing the arms of [[William III of England|William III]] impaled with the royal arms of England
File:Royal Arms of England (1694-1702).svg|Coat of arms of King William III of England as King of England.
</gallery>

When [[John William Friso, Prince of Orange|John William Friso]] became Prince of Orange, he used the arms below.  However, he was never recognized outside of Holland and areas friendly to Holland as Prince of Orange.  His son, [[William IV, Prince of Orange|William IV]], recognized as Prince of Orange, seems to have used the original arms of [[William the Silent]].<ref name="Rietstap2">{{cite book |title=Armorial général, contenant la description des armoiries des familles nobles et patriciennes de l'Europe: précédé d'un dictionnaire des termes du blason|first=Johannes Baptist|last =Rietstap|publisher=G.B. van Goor|year=1861|page=746}}</ref> When the princes of Orange fled the Netherlands during the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of Holland, and when France occupied the Netherlands, they were compensated by Napoleon with the [[Principality of Nassau-Orange-Fulda]]. These principalities were confiscated when Napoleon invaded Germany (1806) and William VI supported his Prussian relatives. He succeeded his father as prince of Orange later that year, after William V's death.  The house of Orange-Nassau also had several illegitimate lines (see below) who based their arms on the arms of Nassau-Dillenburg.

<gallery class="center" >
File:Arms of Johan Willem Friso as Prince of Orange.JPG|Arms of Johan Willem Friso as Prince of Orange.<ref name="Familiegraf">{{Cite web| title = "Coat of Arms as depicted on the "Familiegraf van de Oranje-Nassau's in de Grote of Jacobijnerkerk te Leeuwarden"| work = Familiegraf van de Oranje-Nassau's in de Grote of Jacobijnerkerk te Leeuwarden| url = http://www.hethuisvanoranje.nl/14%20Familiegraven/IndexOranjegraven.html| access-date = 9 November 2011| archive-date = 15 December 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181215172246/https://www.hethuisvanoranje.nl/14| url-status = dead}}</ref>

File:Nassau-Fulda wapen.svg|Arms of William VI of Orange as prince of Orange-Nassau-Fulda.  The bottom most shield shows clockwise from top left the principality of Fulda, the lordship of Corvey, the county of Weingarten, and the lordship of Dortmund.<ref name="Rietstap2"/>

Image:Justinus van Nassau wapen.svg|Arms of [[Justinus van Nassau]],<ref name="Rietstap2"/> natural son of [[William the Silent]].

File:Nassau laLecq.svg|Arms of the [[Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerd]], natural son of [[Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange]], and his descendants the lords of den Lek and the [[earl of Grantham|earls of Grantham]] in England<ref name="Rietstap2"/>

Image:Blason Nassau-Zuylestein.svg|Arms of the [[Frederick Nassau de Zuylestein|lords of Zuylestein]], natural son of [[Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange]] and his descendants the [[earl of Rochford|earls of Rochford]] in England<ref name="Rietstap2"/>
</gallery>

When [[William I of the Netherlands|William VI of Orange]] returned to the Netherlands in 1813 and was proclaimed Sovereign Prince of the Netherlands, he quartered the former [[Dutch Republic Lion|Arms of the Dutch Republic]] (1st and 4th quarter) with the "Chalon-Orange" arms (2nd and 3rd quarter), which had come to symbolize Orange. As an in escutcheon he placed his ancestral arms of Nassau. When he became King in 1815, he combined the [[Dutch Republic Lion]] with the billets of the Nassau arms and added a royal crown to form the [[Coat of arms of the Netherlands]]. In 1907, Queen Wilhelmina replaced the royal crown on the lion and the shield bearers of the arms with a coronet.<ref>{{cite web | title = Wapens van leden van het Koninklijk Huis| work = Coats of Arms of the Dutch Royal Family, Website of the Dutch Monarchy, the Hague | publisher = Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD), the Hague, the Netherlands | url = http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/onderwerpen/wapens|quote="Het wapen van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden (Rijkswapen) en dat van de Koningen der Nederlanden (Koninklijk wapen) is vanaf de oprichting van het Koninkrijk in 1815 identiek. Het Wapen werd in 1907 gewijzigd en laatstelijk vastgesteld bij Koninklijk Besluit van 23 april 1980, nr. 3 (stb. 206) bij de troonsaanvaarding van Koningin Beatrix. De beschrijving van het wapenschild in het eerste artikel is dwingend voorgeschreven, de in het tweede en derde artikel beschreven uitwendige versierselen zijn facultatief. In de praktijk wordt de basisuitvoering van het wapen wel het Klein Rijkswapen genoemd. Het Koninklijk Wapen wordt sinds 1907 gekenmerkt door een gouden klimmende leeuw met gravenkroon. De blauwe achtergrond (het veld) is bezaaid met verticale gouden blokjes. De term bezaaid geeft in de heraldiek aan dat het aantal niet vaststaat, waardoor er ook een aantal niet compleet zijn afgebeeld. Het wapenschild wordt gehouden door twee leeuwen die in profiel zijn afgebeeld. Op het wapenschild is een Koningskroon geplaatst. Op een lint dat onder het wapenschild bevestigd is, staat de spreuk 'Je Maintiendrai'. Bij Koninklijk Besluit van 10 juli 1907 (Stb. 181) werd het Koninklijk Wapen, tevens Rijkswapen, aangepast. De leeuw in het schild en de schildhoudende leeuwen droegen vóór die tijd alle drie de Koninklijke kroon, maar raakten deze kwijt nu de toegevoegde purperen hermelijn gevoerde mantel, gedekt door een purperen baldakijn, een Koningskroon ging dragen. De schildhouders waren vóór 1907 bovendien aanziend in plaats van en profiel."|access-date = 30 April 2012}}</ref>

<gallery class="center" >
File:Arms of the Dutch Republic.svg|[[Dutch Republic Lion|Arms of the States General of the Dutch Republic]].  The sword symbolizes the determination to defend the nation, and the bundle of 7 arrows the unity of the 7 United Provinces of the Dutch Republic.
File:Arms of Sovereign Prince William I of Orange.svg|Arms of William VI as sovereign prince of the Netherlands.<ref name="Rietstap"/>
File:Royal Arms of the Netherlands (1815-1907).svg|[[Coat of arms of the Netherlands|First arms of the Kingdom and Kings of the Netherlands]] from 1815 to 1907.<ref name="koninklijkhuis"/>
File:Arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.svg|[[Coat of arms of the Netherlands|Arms of the Kingdom and Kings of the Netherlands]] since 1907.<ref name="koninklijkhuis"/>
</gallery>

Wilhelmina further decreed that in perpetuity her descendants should be styled "princes and princesses of Orange-Nassau" and that the name of the house would be "Orange-Nassau" (in Dutch "Oranje-Nassau").  Only those members of the members of the Dutch Royal Family that are designated to the smaller "Royal House" can use the title of prince or princess of the Netherlands.<ref name="koninklijkhuis"/> Since then, individual members of the House of Orange-Nassau are also given their own arms by the reigning monarch, similar to the United Kingdom. This is usually the royal arms, quartered with the arms of [[Prince of Orange|the principality of Orange]], and an in escutcheon of their paternal arms.<ref>{{cite web | title = Wapens van leden van het Koninklijk Huis| work = Coats of Arms of the Dutch Royal Family, Website of the Dutch Monarchy, the Hague | publisher = Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD), the Hague, the Netherlands | url =http://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/onderwerpen/wapens/inhoud/wapens-van-leden-van-het-koninklijk-huis| access-date = 30 April 2012}}</ref>

<gallery class="center" >
File:Arms of Juliana of the Netherlands.svg|Juliana of the Netherlands & Oranje-Nassau Personal Arms
File:Arms of Beatrix of the Netherlands.svg|Beatrix of the Netherlands & Oranje-Nassau Personal Arms
File:Arms of the children of Beatrix of the Netherlands.svg|William Alexander of the Netherlands and Oranje-Nassau Personal Arms
File:Arms of the children of Wilhelm-Alexander of the Netherlands.svg|Arms for children of King William Alexander of the Netherlands
File:Arms of the children of Margriet of the Netherlands.svg|Sons of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, Pieter van Vollenhoven<ref>{{Cite web| last = Klaas| title = Maurits van Vollenhoven| work = Article on Maurits van Vollenhoven, 18-09-2008 10:28| publisher = klaas.punt.nl| url = http://klaas.punt.nl/content/2008/09/maurits-van-vollenhoven| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131020013849/http://klaas.punt.nl/content/2008/09/maurits-van-vollenhoven| url-status = dead| archive-date = October 20, 2013| access-date = 4 April 2013}}</ref>
</gallery>

As sovereign Princes, the princes of Orange used an [[Fürst|independent prince's]] [[:File:Princely crown.svg|crown]] or the [[:File:Princely Hat.svg|princely hat]]. Sometimes, only the coronet part was used ([[:File:Arolsen Klebeband 01 343.jpg|see]], [[:File:Anselmus-van-Hulle-Hommes-illustres MG 0442.tif|here]] and [[:File:Funeral procession of Frederik Hendrik prince of Orange.jpg|here]]). After the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and as the [[principality of Orange]] had been incorporated into France by Louis XIV, they used the Dutch Royal Crowns.  The full coats of arms of the princes of Orange, later Kings of the Netherlands, incorporated the arms above, the crown, 2 lions as supporters and the motto "Je maintiendrai" ("I will maintain"), the latter taken from the Chalons princes of Orange, who used "Je maintiendrai Chalons".<ref name="Grew"/>{{rp|35}}
{{Gallery|noborder=yes|width=300|height=200|mode=nolines|align=center
|File:Prince of Orange proper.svg|Coat of Arms of Frederick Henry, William II and William III as sovereign princes of Orange.<ref name="Rietstap"/>
|File:Royal coat of arms of the Netherlands (1815-1907).svg|Royal coat of arms of the Netherlands (1815–1907)<ref name="koninklijkhuis"/>
|File:Royal coat of arms of the Netherlands.svg|Royal coat of arms of the Netherlands (1907–present)<ref name="koninklijkhuis"/>
}}

==Lands and titles==

{{main article|King of the Netherlands#Terminology, title, and lineage|Style of the Dutch sovereign|nl:Titels van de Nederlandse koninklijke familie#Historische titels van de Koning}}

===Titles===
<section begin=titles /> 
[[File:Amsterdam wapenbord.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Coats of arms corresponding to the titles borne by various Dutch monarchs, including Veere and Flushing (right above the bottom crowned arms), displayed at [[Nieuwe Kerk (Amsterdam)|Nieuwe Kerk]] in Amsterdam]]

Besides being [[Prince of Orange|sovereign]] over the [[principality of Orange]]  [[File:Oranje wapen.svg|30px]], this is a partial listing of larger estates and titles that William the Silent and his heirs possessed, most enfeoffed to some other sovereign, either the [[King of France]], [[House of Habsburg|the Habsburgs]], or the States of the provinces of the Netherlands<ref name="pennings">{{in lang|nl}} {{aut|Pennings, J.C.M. & Schreuder, E.A.T.M.}}, ‘Heer en meester van Ameland tot Zwaluwe. Het beheer en bestuur van de heerlijkheden van het Huis Oranje-Nassau door de Nassause Domeinraad (14de eeuw–1811)’ in: {{aut|Klooster, L.J.&nbsp;van der}} e.a. (red.), ''Jaarboek Oranje-Nassau Museum 1994'', Barjesteh, Meeuwes & Co Historische Uitgeverij, Rotterdam (1995), p. 45-75, {{ISBN|90-73714-18-4}}.</ref>

[[Style of the Dutch sovereign]]:

* [[Marquis of Veere and Flushing|Marquis]] of [[Veere]] and [[Vlissingen]]  [[File:Markizaat Veere wapen.svg|30px]]  [[File:Coat of arms of Veere.svg|30px]]

* [[Nassau-Dillenburg|Count of Nassau-Dillenburg]]  [[File:Nassau-Dillenburg 1559-1739.svg|30px]]

* [[County of Katzenelnbogen|Katzenelnbogen]] [[File:Katzenelnbogen wapen klein.svg|30px]], 
[[:nl:Diez|Dietz]] [[File:Dietz wapen.svg|30px]], 
[[Vianden]] [[File:Graafschap Vianden.svg|30px]], 
[[Buren]] [[File:Buren wapen klein.svg|30px]], 
[[:nl:Vorstendom Meurs|Moers]] [[File:Graafschap Meurs wapen.svg|30px]], 
[[Leerdam]] [[File:Leerdam wapen.svg|75px]], and 
[[Culemborg]] (1748)  [[File:Coat of arms of Culemborg.svg|30px]]

* [[Burgrave#History|Viscount of Antwerp]] [[File:CoA Antwerp, Belgium.svg|30px]]

* [[Baron]] of [[Breda]] [[File:Blason ville be Schoten.svg|30px]], 
[[Cranendonck]] [[File:Cranendonk heerlijkheidswapen.svg|30px]], 
[[Cuijk|Lands of Cuijk]] [[File:Coat of arms of Cuijk.svg|30px]], 
[[Eindhoven]] [[File:Eindhoven wapen.svg|30px]], 
[[Grave, Netherlands|City of Grave]] [[File:Coat of arms of Grave.svg|30px]], 
[[De Lek|Lek]] [[File:Heerlijkheid Van de Lek.svg|30px]], 
[[IJsselstein]] [[File:IJsselstein wapen.svg|30px]],
[[Acquoy]]  [[File:Acqoy wapen.svg|30px]], 
[[Diest]] [[File:Armoiries d'Isembourg.svg|30px]], 
[[Grimbergen]] [[File:Blason Grimbergen.svg|30px]]/[[File:Grimbergen, van wapen.svg|30px]], 
[[Herstal]]  [[File:Herstal wapen.svg|30px]], 
[[Warneton, Belgium|Warneton]] ([[:nl:Waasten (België)|Waasten (nl)]])  [[File:Waasten baronie wapen.svg|30px]], 
[[:de:Beilstein (Westerwald)|Beilstein]]  [[File:Beilstein wapen.svg|30px]], 
[[Bentheim-Lingen]]  [[File:DEU Grafschaft Lingen COA.svg|30px]], 
[[Arlay]] [[File:Blason maison fr de Chalon.svg|30px]], 
[[Nozeroy]] [[File:Blason ville fr Nozeroy Jura.svg|30px]], and
[[Orpierre]] [[File:Orpierre wapen.svg|30px]]; 

* [[Heerlijkheid|Lord]] of [[Baarn]] [[File:Coat of arms of Baarn.svg|30px]], [[Soest, Netherlands|Soest]] [[File:Wapen van Soest (Nederland).svg|30px]], & [[Ter Eem]]  [[File:Eemnes wapen.svg|30px]], 
[[Bredevoort]] [[File:Bredevoort wapen oud 6.svg|30px]], 
[[Dasburg]] [[File:DEU Dasburg COA.svg|30px]], 
[[Geertruidenberg]][[File:Geertruidenberg wapen.svg|30px]], 
[[Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe]] [[File:Hoge-Lage-Zwaluwe-wapen.svg|30px]], 
[[Klundert]][[File:Klundert wapen.svg|30px]], 
[[Het Loo|'t Loo]]  [[File:Blason vide 3D 600x660.svg|25px]], 
[[Montfort, Netherlands|Montfort]], [[File:Blason ville nl Montfort(Limburg).svg|30px]]
[[Naaldwijk]] [[File:Naaldwijk wapen.PNG|30px]], 
[[Klundert|Niervaart]], 
[[Houtrijk en Polanen|Polanen]]/[[Van Polanen Family|lands of Polanen]] [[File:Blason Jean II de Wassenaer, Seigneur de la Lecke (selon Gelre).svg|30px]], 
[[Steenbergen]] [[File:Steenbergen gemeentewapen.svg|60px]], 
[[Sint-Maartensdijk]] [[File:Sint Maartensdijk wapen.svg|30px]], 
[[Turnhout]] [[File:Turnhout wapen2.svg|30px]] &  [[Zevenbergen]] [[File:Blason ville nl Zevenbergen.svg|30px]],
[[Willemstad (North Brabant)|Willemstad]] [[File:Willemstad wapen.svg|30px]], 
[[Bütgenbach]][[File:BE Buetgenbach COA.svg|30px]], 
[[St. Vith|Sankt Vith]] [[File:BE Sankt Vith COA.svg|30px]], and 
[[Besançon]][[File:Blason-diocèse-Besançon-ancien.svg|30px]]

<section end=titles /> 

A fuller listing with maps of the territories are in the [[Maps of the Lands of the House of Orange]].

==Standards==
{{main|Royal Standard of the Netherlands|Flag of the Netherlands|List of Dutch flags}}

The Dutch Royal Family also makes extensive use of royal standards that are based on their coats of arms, but not identical to them (as the British Royal Family does).  Some examples from the Royal Family's website are:<ref name="koninklijkhuis"/>

The standards of the ruling king or queen:
<gallery class="center" >
File:Royal Standard of the Netherlands (1815–1908).svg|Royal Flag of the Netherlands (1815–1908)
File:Royal Standard of the Netherlands (1908–2013).svg|Royal Standard of Wilhelmina, Juliana and Beatrix (1908–2013)
File:Royal Standard of the Netherlands.svg|Royal Standard of the King
</gallery>

The standards of the current sons of the former Queen, now Princess Beatrix and their wives and the Queen's husband:
<gallery class="center" >
File:Standard of a Prince of the Netherlands (sons of Beatrix).svg|Royal Standard of the Princes of the Netherlands (Sons of Queen Beatrix)
File:Standard of Claus von Amsberg as Royal consort of the Netherlands.png|Standard of Claus von Amsberg as Royal consort of the Netherlands
File:Royal Standard of Máxima of Orange-Nassau.svg|Standard of Princess Maxima of the Netherlands
File:Royal Standard of Laurentien of Orange-Nassau.svg|Standard of Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands
</gallery>

A fuller listing can be found at the [[:fr:Armorial de la Maison de Nassau#Lignée Ottonienne|Armorial de la Maison de Nassau, section Lignée Ottonienne]] at the French Wikipedia.

== Residences of the House of Orange ==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Guilliam van Schoor and Gillis van Tilborgh 001.jpg|Hotel de Nassau in Brussels painted 1658 (former residence)
File:Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam.jpg|[[Royal Palace of Amsterdam]] (official ceremonial residence)
File:Denhaag paleis noordeinde.jpg|[[Noordeinde Palace]], The Hague (working offices of the Monarch)
File:Huis ten Bosch.jpg|[[Huis ten Bosch palace]], The Hague
File:Apeldoorn Paleis Het Loo 3.jpg|[[Het Loo Palace]]
File:Palace Soestdijk.jpg|[[Soestdijk Palace]]
File:Aerial image of the Schloss Oranienstein (view from the south).jpg| [[Schloss Oranienstein]] (former residence)
</gallery>

==See also==
For further about the Dutch Monarchy and the Dutch Royal House:
* [[Dutch monarchy]]
* [[House of Nassau]]
* [[Prince of Orange]]
* [[Principality of Orange]]
* [[Orange Institution]]
* [[William III of England]]

Traditionally, members of the Nassau family were buried in [[Breda (Netherlands)|Breda]]; but because that city was in Spanish hands when William died, he was buried in a new [[crypt]] in the [[Nieuwe Kerk (Delft)|New Church]], [[Delft]]. The monument on his tomb was originally very modest, but it was replaced in 1623 by a new one, made by [[Hendrik de Keyser]] and his son Pieter. Since then, most of the members of the House of Orange-Nassau, including all [[Dutch monarchy|Dutch monarchs]], have been buried in that church.  His great-grandson [[William III of England|William the Third]], King of England and Scotland and Stadtholder in the Netherlands, was buried in [[Westminster Abbey]].

* [[:nl:Grafkelder van Oranje-Nassau|Crypt of the House of Orange-Nassau]] {{in lang|nl}} in [[Delft]]
* [[:nl:Praalgraf Willem van Oranje|Burial Monument to William the Silent]] {{in lang|nl}}
* [[:nl:Grafkelder van de Friesche Nassau's|Crypt of the Frisian Nassaus]] {{in lang|nl}} in [[Leeuwarden]]
* [[:nl:Grafkelder van Nassau-LaLecq|Crypt of the Nassau-LaLecqs]] in [[:nl:Ouderkerk aan den IJssel|Ouderkerk aan den IJssel]] {{in lang|nl}}
* [[:nl:Praalgraf van Engelbrecht I van Nassau|Original Crypt of Netherland Nassaus]] {{in lang|nl}} in [[Breda]]
* [[:nl:Praalgraf van Engelbrecht II van Nassau|Crypt of Engelbrecht II van Nassau]] {{in lang|nl}} in [[Breda]]
* [[:nl:Grafkelder van Nassau-Bergen|Crypt of the Nassau-Bergens]] in [[:nl:Bergen (Noord-Holland)|Bergen]] {{in lang|nl}}
* [[:nl:Grafkelder van Nassau-Siegen|Crypt of the Nassau-Siegens]] {{in lang|nl}} in [[Siegen]]

In [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s 1956 science fiction novel ''[[Double Star]]'', the House of Orange reigns over – but does not rule over – an empire of humanity that spans the entire [[Solar System]].

* [[Hofstra University]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Cited works ===
* [[Herbert H. Rowen]], ''The princes of Orange: the stadholders in the Dutch Republic''. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988.
* [[John Lothrop Motley]], ''The Rise of the Dutch Republic''.  New York:  Harper & Brothers, 1855.
* [[John Lothrop Motley]], ''History of the United Netherlands from the Death of William the Silent to the Synod of Dort''.  London:  John Murray, 1860.
* [[Petrus Johannes Blok]], ''History of the people of the Netherlands''. New York:  G. P. Putnam's sons, 1898.
* [[Jonathan I. Israel]], ''The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall, 1477–1806''. Oxford University Press, 1995. {{ISBN|0-19-820734-4}}
* [[Pieter Geyl]], ''Orange and Stuart 1641–1672''. Phoenix Press, 2002.
* Mark Edward Hay, [https://www.bmgn-lchr.nl/articles/10.18352/bmgn-lchr.10480/ "Russia, Britain, and the House of Nassau: The Re-Establishment of the Orange Dynasty in the Netherlands, March–November 1813"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140420/https://www.bmgn-lchr.nl/articles/10.18352/bmgn-lchr.10480/ |date=2018-06-12 }}, ''Low Countries Historical Review'' 133/1, March 2018, 3–21.

== Further reading==
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Orange, House of |volume= 20 |last= Edmundson |first= George |author-link= George Edmundson |page= 146 |short=1 }}
* [[John Lothrop Motley]], ''The Life and Death of John of Barenvelt''. New York & London:  Harper and Brothers Publishing, 1900.
* Rouven Pons (Hrsg.): ''Oranien und Nassau in Europa. Lebenswelten einer frühneuzeitlichen Dynastie''. [[Historische Kommission für Nassau]], Wiesbaden 2018, {{ISBN|978-3-930221-38-7}}.

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://www.royal-house.nl/ Official website of the Dutch Royal House]
* [https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/llist?nodeid=g171062&page=1&reload=true&sorting=41 Sources about the history of Orange-Nassau in the Hessian Main State Archives, Wiesbaden]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Orange-Nassau, House Of}}
[[Category:House of Orange-Nassau| ]]
[[Category:German noble families]]
[[Category:House of Lippe]]
[[Category:House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]
[[Category:House of Nassau]]
[[Category:1544 establishments in Europe]]