  william i, count of nassau-dillenburg (nicknamed william the rich, ; 10 april 1487 â 6 october 1559) was a count of nassau-dillenburg from the house of nassau. he was not wealthy; his nickname the rich refers to him having many children. william was born in dillenburg as the younger son of count john v of nassau-dillenburg and landgravine elisabeth, daughter of landgrave henry iii of hesse-marburg and anna of katzenelnbogen he was the brother of count henry iii of nassau-breda and the father of william i of orange. his eldest son william inherited the principality of orange. the early house of orange-nassau descends from the younger william, while the later house of orange-nassau (and the dutch royal family) descends from both the younger william and his younger brother john. ==family and children== william of nassau was married twice. firstly, he married on 29 october 1506 countess walburga of egmont (29 october 1490 â march 1529), daughter of john iii of egmont. she gave him two daughters: # elisabeth ( october 1515 â 31 january 1523) # magdalene ( 6 october 1522 â 18 august 1567), married on 16 july 1538 to count herman of neuenahr and moers after her death, he married on 20 september 1531 countess juliane of stolberg-wernigerode (15 february 1506 â 18 june 1580). they had twelve children: # william i of orange (24 april 1533 â 10 july 1584) # hermanna (b. 9 august 1534), died young # john vi "the elder" (22 november 1536 â 28 october 1606) # louis of nassau (10 january 1538 â 14 april 1574) # maria (15 march 1539 â may 1599), married on 11 november 1556 to count william iv of berg-s'heerenberg # adolf (11 july 1540 â 23 may 1568) # anna (21 september 1541 â 12 february 1616), married on 16 june 1559 to count albert of nassau-weilburg # elisabeth (25 september 1542 â 18 november 1603), married 16 june 1559 to count conrad of solms-braunfels # catharine (19 december 1542 â 25 december 1624),
1487_births 1559_deaths Counts_of_Nassau House_of_Nassau House_of_Orange-Nassau