OTD January 29th. 1584 Frederick Henry Prince of Orange

January 29th. 1584 marks the birth of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange.
This event took place in Delft, then a part of the Dutch Republic now,
located in the Netherlands.

Family

Frederick Henry was the youngest child of William the Silent and
Louise de Coligny. His father was stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland,
Utrecht and Friesland. His mother Louise was the daughter of the
Huguenot leader Gaspard de Coligny. He was thus a half brother
of Maurice of Orange.

Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, his wife and children

Love and Marriage

On April 4th. 1625, Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
married to Amalia of Solms-Braunfels. They would have
nine children together, four of them died young.

Frederick Henry also recognized one illegitimate child by
Margaretha Catharina Bruyns. This was Frederick Nassau,
Lord of Zuylenstein.

Life

When his half brother, Maurice died without legitimate issue,
Frederick Henry succeeded him. He became stadtholder of
Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Overijsel and Guelders. He also
became captain and admiral-general of the Union, commander
in chief of the Dutch States Army and of the Dutch Navy.

Frederick Henry was a good statesman and politician. His reign
was known as the 'Golden age' of the Republic. It was marked by
great military and naval triumph and commercial expansion. This
also gave an outburst of activity in the domains of art and
literature.

He gave the order to build the Palace Huis ten Bosch and he
renovated the Noordeinde Palace in The Hague.

Nieuwe Kerk in Delft - own picture taken in 2013

Death

On March 1647, Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, died in
The Hague. He was buried at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft.

Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange was succeeded by his
son William II.


Source pictures: Wikipedia (except the one of the church in Delft)