William, I, Prince of Orange, 1533-1584

Person

Staff Only

Dates

Existence: 1533 - 1584

Biography

William I, Prince of Orange (1533-1584), also known as William the Silent, William the Taciturn (translated from Dutch: Willem de Zwijger),or William of Orange (Dutch: Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch Revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs that set off the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1581. Born into the House of Nassau, he became Prince of Orange in 1544 and is thereby the founder of the Orange-Nassau branch and the ancestor of the monarchy of the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, he is also known as Father of the Fatherland (Dutch: Vader des Vaderlands).

A wealthy nobleman, William originally served the Habsburgs as a member of the court of Margaret of Parma, governor of the Spanish Netherlands. Unhappy with the centralization of political power away from the local estates and with the Spanish persecution of Dutch Protestants, William joined the Dutch uprising and turned against his former masters. The most influential and politically capable of the rebels, he led the Dutch to several successes in the fight against the Spanish. Declared an outlaw by the Spanish king in 1580, he was assassinated by Balthasar Gérard (also written as "Gerardts") in Delft in 1584.

Citation:

Vuilyama di Sāyaleṇṭa, 1924: t.p. (Vuilyama di Sāyaleṇṭa)

Hoof, J.v. Symphony nr. 1, 1996?: label (Willem de Zwijger) prog. notes (Wilhelm der Schweiger)

Wikipedia, via WWW, Dec. 17, 2020 (William I, Prince of Orange (1533-1584), also known as William the Silent, William the Taciturn (translated from Dutch: Willem de Zwijger),or William of Orange (Dutch: Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch Revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs that set off the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1581. Born into the House of Nassau, he became Prince of Orange in 1544 and is thereby the founder of the Orange-Nassau branch and the ancestor of the monarchy of the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, he is also known as Father of the Fatherland (Dutch: Vader des Vaderlands). A wealthy nobleman, William originally served the Habsburgs as a member of the court of Margaret of Parma, governor of the Spanish Netherlands. Unhappy with the centralization of political power away from the local estates and with the Spanish persecution of Dutch Protestants, William joined the Dutch uprising and turned against his former masters. The most influential and politically capable of the rebels, he led the Dutch to several successes in the fight against the Spanish. Declared an outlaw by the Spanish king in 1580, he was assassinated by Balthasar Gérard (also written as "Gerardts") in Delft in 1584.)

Robert Beale collection of letters, 1567-1595 (William the Silent, Prince of Orange)

Wikipedia, via WWW, July 5, 2021 (William the Silent; William the Taciturn; William of Orange; main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish Habsburgs that set off the Eighty Years' War that resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1581; born into the House of Nassau; became Prince of Orange in 1544; wealthy nobleman; born 24 April 1533; assassinated by Balthasar Gérard in Delft in 1584)