The Royal Forums > Reigning Houses > Dutch Royals
On This Day: Dutch Royal Family
Lee-Z
Location: Heerlen, Netherlands
Originally Posted by lucien
Her name was Anna van Buren
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_van_Egmont
Wisdom begins in wonder - Socrates
Duc_et_Pair
Location: City, Netherlands
And March 20th 2004,70 years to the day of the demise of her grandmother Queen Mother Emma
saw the demise of HM Queen Juliana 1909 2004.
Actually it is Anna van Egmond / Anne d'Egmont indeed, daughter of Maximiliaan van Egmond / Maximilien d'Egmont and of Françoise de Lannoy.
Koninklijke Nederlandse Academie van Wetenschappen:
Anna van Egmond (1533-1558)
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_v...ond_(1533-1558)
The Palais Egmont and the Parc Egmont in Brussels are named after this family: https://images4.persgroep.net/rcs/JG...b2&quality=0.8
Anna is a cousin to Lamoraal, Count of Egmont and cousin-by-marriage to Philippe de Montmorency, Count of Horne, close comrades-in-arms to the Prince of Orange, who were both beheaded in Brussels:
https://www.quernus.info/maxi/00010/0001050aa.jpg
An Ard Ri
Royal Blogger
Location: An Iarmhí, Ireland
On this day,24th of April 1533 : Birth of William I, Prince of Orange also known as William the Silent.
William was born at Dillenburg castle and was the eldest son of son of William, Count of Nassau and Juliana of Stolberg-Wernigerode.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Silent
On this day,May 5th 1582 : Death of Charlotte de Bourbon,Princess (consort) of Orange .
Charlotte de Bourbon was the daughter of Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier and Jacqueline de Longwy. Her father was a Catholic Royalist commander during the French Wars of Religion and her mother was one of queen Catherine's ladies-in-waiting.Her father had Charlotte placed in the l'abbaye de Jouarre to be raised as a nun.Charlotte escaped the convent in 1572 and announced her conversion to Calvinism.Charlotte married William of Orange in 1575 .Charlotte died in Antwerp and is buried at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Antwerp.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_of_Bourbon
Countessmeout
June 29, 1911- birth of Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, husband and prince consort of Queen Juliana.
Bernhard Leopold Frederik Everhard Julius Coert Karel Godfried Pieter Prinz von Lippe-Biesterfeld was born in Jena, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in the German empire. He was the eldest son of Prince Bernhard of Lippe and his wife Baroness Armgard von Cramm. At the time of his birth he was only a count, as his parents' marriage was considered morganatic. In 1916 his Uncle Leopold IV retroactively accorded their marriage dynastic status, and in doing so made Armgard a Princess and her sons gained their Prince status. Biesterfeld was added at the time to mark the new cadet line of the family.
He had a younger brother Prince Aschwin who was born in 1914. He was a Nazi supporter so he lost contact with Bernhard for years. He lived in NY for decades were he worked at the Metropolitan museum of art in Asian art. He married French Simone Arnoux but had no children. When he was dying from Parkinsons his brother convinced to move home to the Netherlands where he died in 1988. He was a godfather to Prince Constantijn.
Though after WWI the family lost their principality, the family retained wealth. Bernhard spent much of his childhood at his family's new estate Castle Reckenwalde which was in East Brandenberg (now Poland).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2...nowo_palac.JPG
He was of poor health as a young man and the doctors never thought he would live a long life. He was reckless and often got in car accidents. He attended boarding schools and graduated in 1929 from a school in Berlin. He went on to study law at University of Lausanne.
He joined the Nazi party while he was in university, though he denied just how deep he became involved. But he was never radical in political thought though he did show sympathy to Hitler in the early days.
He worked with the German chemical company IG Farben and would eventually end up working for their office in Paris.
He met Princess Juliana at the 1936 winter Olympics. Juliana's mother was looking for a suitable husband for her daughter who was 17. As he was from a princely house and protestant he was considered a suitable match. They were engaged September 8 1936 and were married in the Hague January 7, 1937. He had signed a pre-nup which was very strict on what he could and could not do. He was given Dutch citizenship and he changed his name from the German to the Dutch spelling.
During WWII he didn't originally want to flee the country with the royals, but was convinced to lead their military mission in London. While his wife and children took refuge in Canada, Bernhard remained in London with her mother. Thanks to George VI he was screened and allowed to do work with British intelligence (originally they were reluctant due to his German heritage and his history). He became a spitfire pilot (like his grandson Willem Alexander h would continue as an avid pilot through out his life). After the Netherlands were liberated he returned with the family and helped negotiate the German surrender there.
In 1948 his wife became queen when her mother abdicated. He served on the boards of a number of corporations. He was active through the rest of his life in trying to get Polish soldiers proper recognition for their involvement in the liberation of the Netherlands. It was not achieved in his life time, In 2006 his daughter Beatrix would reward the Polish 1st independent parachute brigade the Military William order, the highest Dutch military decoration, in recognition of their involvement.
He was ill for many years. He died in 2004, from lung and intestinal cancer. he was buried December 11 at Nieuwe Kerk in Delft. His wife had died in March of that year, and his son in law Claus had died in 2002. Unlike them both, he was transported in the under carriage of a cannon, and there was a definite military feel to his funeral as he was a war veteran.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince...s_bernhard.jpg
Prince Bernhard and his wife had four daughters:
-Beatrix: succeeded her mother as Queen in 1980 and abdicated in 2013. She was married to Claus von Amsberg and had three sons, including the current King Willem Alexander. She has eight grandchildren, 7 girls and 1 boy. Her son Johan Friso died in 2013.
-Irene: caused controversy when she married the catholic Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma. They had four children (2 sons, 2 daughters) and 10 grandchildren (7 girls and 3 boys). In 1980 she moved back to the Netherlands, her divorce finalized in 1981. Her former husband died in 2010.
-Margriet-born in Canada during WWII. married Pieter van Vollenhoven and has four sons. They have 11 grandchildren.
-Christina- she was nearly blind as her mother has meassels when she was pregnant with her (could see some with special glasses). She was married to Cuban exile Jorge Guillermo who she divorced in 1996. They had three children (2 sons and 1 daughter) and have four grandchildren. She was a music teacher and dance therapist. She died in 2019 from bone cancer.
He also had two children from affairs:
-Alicia von Bielefeld: her mother was never identified. She is a landscape architect in the US (born in 1952, five years younger then Christina).
-Alexia Grinda-Lejeune: (born in 1967) was born to French model and socialite Helene Grinda. Was born the same year as Willem Alexander. She was raised by her stepfather Stanislas baron Lejeune.
His paternity was only acknowledged after his death.
August 2 1858- birth of Queen Emma of the Netherlands. She was the great-great grandmother of Willem-Alexander.
Adelheid Emma Wilhelmina Theresia was born at Arolsen castle. Her father was George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont. Her mother Princess Helena of Nassau was the daughter of William, Duke of Nassau. Her parents had seven children. She was their 4th child and daughter, her parents having six daughters and one son Friedrich. Her father had an eighth child, a son Prince Wolrad, by a second marriage. Her sister Helena was married to Queen Victoria's son Leopold, Duke of Albany.
William III of the Netherlands was widowed in 1877 when his wife Sophie of Wurrttemberg died. Sophie had born him three sons through their son Maurice had died as a child in 1850. William was anxious to remarry and considered a few women including Princess Thyra of Denmark. He first considered Emma's sister Pauline. Pauline would eventually marry Alexis, Hereditary Prince of Bentheim and Steinfurt. Instead he chose Emma.
There was a lot of protest over his choice. Emma was 20 when they married. Her husband was 61 (41 year age difference). Emma was younger then both her stepsons. William was born in 1840 (39) and Alexander was born in 1851 (28). She would have been more appropriate a bride for his sons.
William gained permission from parliament and the couple were married January 7, 1879. Despite the huge age difference it was a seemingly happy marriage and Emma was said to have a good influence on her husband.
Less then six months after they were married her eldest stepson William died. Though 38 he had never married having failed to marry Countess Mathilde von Limburg-Stirum. Her second stepson Alexander would die in 1884 from typhus at the age of 32. He was single as well.
In 1880 Emma gave birth to her only child, William's only daughter.
-Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria: succeeded her father as queen at 10 years old in 1890. She married Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and had one daughter Juliana.
The king grew ill in the late 1880's from kidney issues, and suffered from dementia the last years. Emma served as regent for her husband in those last years before he died November 23, 1890. Emma would serve as regent for her daughter until she came of age August 31, 1898.
Emma died from bronchitis in the Hague in 1934 at 75. She was buried in Delft. She died four years before she became a great-grandmother, Beatrix born in 1938.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntYenUR-hXQ
Many of the tiaras we see on the royal women today in the Netherlands originate with Emma.
The Queen Emma Diamond tiara was a posthumous gift from her husband
Queen Emma's Diamond Tiara | The Court Jeweller
The diamond bandeau tiara was a wedding gift to Emma from the Dutch people.
The Dutch Diamond Bandeau | The Court Jeweller
The Dutch sapphire tiara which Maxima wore when her husband became king, was a gift from William to Emma.
The Dutch Sapphire Parure Tiara | The Court Jeweller
The sapphire necklace tiara worn by Beatrice was a gift to Emma from her husband.
The Dutch Sapphire Necklace Tiara | The Court Jeweller
The Mellerio ruby tiara as well
The Mellerio Ruby Parure Tiara | The Court Jeweller
CyrilVladisla
Location: Conneaut, United States
On this day, August 14, 1687 ~Birth of Johan Willem Friso, Prince of Orange
Originally Posted by CyrilVladisla
He and his wife are the most recent common ancestor of all of the current reigning European monarchies.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_..._William_Friso
They weren't for the Lichtenstein princes until 1938. Franz I was not a descendent of Johan and his wife. But his great-nephew who succeeded him, Franz Joseph II was through his mother.
On this day, September 1, 1711 ~ Birth of Willem IV, Prince of Orange
On this day, December 6, 1792 ~ Birth of King Willem II of The Netherlands at Noordeinde Palace
On this day December 8th,1962: The Funeral of Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
The former Queen who died on November 28th at the Paleis Het Loo was buried at the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, traditional resting place of the House of Orange.
On this day, December 12, 1843 ~ Demise of King Willem I of The Netherlands in exile in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia
Was he really in exile? I mean, I know he abdicated and moved to Berlin and married but wasn't that by choice?
His morganatic second marriage to the Catholic Henrietta d'Oultremont must have aroused a lot of controversy
On this day, December 23, 1544 ~ Birth of Anna of Saxony, Princess of Orange, wife of Prince Willem I of Orange
10th of January 1480 : Birth of The Archduchess Margaret of Austria, future Princess of Asturias, Duchess of Savoy and Imperial Regent of the Low Countries
Margaret was the daughter Archduke Maximilian of Austria (later Holy Roman Emperor) and Maria of Burgundy and the younger sister of Philip the Handsome. The Archduchess was also an aunt to the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
Margaret was married twice
Firstly in 1496 to Juan, Prince of Asturias who died in 1497.
Secondly in 1501 to Philibert II, Duc de Savoie who died in 1504.
In 1507 the Emperor appointed Margaret as Regent of the Low Countries a position she held until her death in December 1530.One of her final acts prior to her death was the signing of a Franco-Imperial Peace treaty known as the Treaty of Cambrai or the Peace of the Ladies which was signed by Margaret and her sister in law Louise de Savoie mother of the king François I
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margar...chess_of_Savoy
January 18, 1795 birth of Anna Pavlovna of Russia, wife of William II.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...photo=56666740
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_P...%BA%D0%B0..jpg
She was born in Gatchina Palace in St Petersburg. Her father was Paul I of Russia. Her mother was Paul's second wife Maria Feodorovna who was born Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg. Her maternal aunts and uncles included Frederick I (1st king of Wurttemberg) and Archduchess Elizabeth the first wife of Holy Roman emperor Francis II (died before he became emperor).
Her father's first marriage to Natalia Alexeievna had produced only a stillborn child. Her mother bore her father ten children, 9 of whom reached adulthood. Anna was the 8th born child, with four brothers and 5 sisters. Her brothers included Alexander I and Nicholas I of Russia.
She spent her childhood at their summer residence Tsarskoye Selo where she was raised by her mother with her two younger brothers Nicholas and Michael. She received a good education including foreign languages and math.
Napoleon sought her hand after failing to marry her sister Catherine (Catherine would marry George, Duke of Oldenberg and later their maternal cousin William I of Wurtemberg). Her mother delayed the marriage talk long enough that Napoleon lost interest and married Marie Louise instead.
Instead she was married to Prince Willem Frederick of the Netherlands, the heir of William I. He had been originally meant to marry Princess Charlotte of Wales but it fell through do to Charlotte's mother's opposition. Anna and William were married at the winter palace February 21, 1816. The bride was 21 and the groom was 24. The union was the suggestion of her brother Alexander as a symbol of alliance created at the Congress of Vienna. As Anna had the right of her other siblings to not be forced into marriage, William had been invited to Russia to meet her before hand and for Anna to get to know him.
Anna would remain Russian Orthodox. The agreement was that their children would be raised in their father's protestant faith, though she could retain hers. The couple remained in Russia for a year after their marriage.
The couple originally lived in Brussels until forced to leave in 1830 by the Belgian revolution. Anna was quite fond of Belgium as it reminded her the most of her home. She had a hard time adjusting to life in her new home. She helped found a school though for poor women and girls to be educated in sewing. And during the revolution she created a hospital for wounded soldiers.
The marriage was a rocky one. Her husband was below her rank in her mind, and he mixed with commoners and other people below them which would not have happened at the imperial court. When many of her jewels were stolen she suspected either her husband sold them to pay debts, or some of his questionable friends had taken them.
Anna though seemed to be in love with her husband despite the issues. And she served as a mediator between her husband and his father who had a rocky relationship. She never involved herself in politics though said to be quite intelligent. She studied the Dutch language as well as history and culture.
October 7, 1840 her father in law abdicated from the throne. Her and her husband became the new king and queen of the Netherlands.
Anna was described as a bit cold and distant as a queen. Having grown up in the imperial court, she was accustomed to a sheer distance between royals and the common public. And despite years in the Netherlands, she never fuilly adjusted to the closer relationship to the common public. She did speak better Dutch then her husband who had been raised speaking French. She continued to love the etiquette, ceremony and pomp of royal life that she knew so well back home in Russia. She kept in contact with her mother and brothers at home.
Her husband suddenly died in 1849. She retired from court after her husband's death as she didn't get along well with her daughter in law Sophie. Sophie was her niece, the daughter of her sister Catherine. She considered moving home to Russia at one point after problems with her son but she remained.
Anna died March 1, 1865 in the Hague at the age of 70 (16 days before the 16th anniversary of her husband's death).
She and her husband had five children. Though 4 children made it to adulthood, they would only have grandchildren from the eldest and youngest.
-William: succeeded his father as William III. His first wife was Sophie of Wurttemberg (daughter of Anna's sister Catherine by her second husband) and then Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont. He had 3 sons with Sophie but they all died before him (the last 6 years before him). He was succeeded by his only child with Emma, his daughter Wilhemina though Emma served as regent. He was the last king of the Netherlands until Willem Alexander (his great-great grandson) took the throne in 2013, 123 years after his death.
-Alexander: died at age 29. He never married. There was talk of him marrying Queen Victoria but she had found him too plain, and a marriage to Isabella II of Spain was vetoed due to her religion. He suffered declining health for years before his death.
-Henry: He married twice but had no children. His first wife was Amalia Maria da Gloria Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and his second was Marie Elisabeth Louise Frederica of Prussia. He was nicknamed the navigator as he had a long naval career and even spent months with the Dutch East India company. He died at 58.
-Ernest Casimir: He died at 5 months old when the family was still in Belgium.
-Sophie: She married her first cousin Charles Alexander, Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (his mother was Anna's sister Maria). They had four children.
dutch history, dutch royal family, house of orange-nassau
« Dutch Nobility | - »
Costs, Income and Fortune of the Dutch Royal Family Henri M. Dutch Royals 225 09-17-2020 05:44 PM
Dutch Royal Family Books Jelka Royal Library 40 10-04-2019 03:59 AM
Retrospective of the Dutch Royal Family Tina Dutch Royal History 79 01-08-2009 05:20 AM
Dutch Royal Family Christmas Alexandria Dutch Royals 12 12-30-2008 06:27 AM
Dutch Buildings Connected with Dutch & Foreign Royalty Marengo Dutch Royal Residences 3 12-11-2008 08:27 PM