Prince of Orange

**Prince of Orange** is a title of nobility.

The title is used by members of the House of Orange-Nassau, as heirs to the crown of the Netherlands. It also used by members of the House of Hohenzollern. At the moment, the title is used by Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (Orange-Nassau), Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia (Hohenzollern) and Guy, Marquis de Mailly-Neslé, Prince d'Orange.

## The history of the title

The title was at first related to a self-ruling state called the Principality of Orange. It lies in the south of what we now call France. The land was the property of the house of Orange and from 1544 of the house of Orange-Nassau.

The last of the original princes, René of Nassau, left the principality to his cousin William the Silent after he died. William the Silent was not related to the original house of Orange, but was the legal heir.

In a war in 1673, Louis XIV of France  took over the lands of the principality and added them to his own royal domain. This was part of the war against the stadtholder William III of Orange. Louis XIV then gave the principality to Louis of Mailly-Nesles, marquis of Nesles (1689–1764), a very remote relation of the original princes of Orange.  His descendant still claims the title today. In 1714, Louis XIV allowed Prince Louis Armand of Bourbon-Conti to use the land of the Principality to make money. Prince Louis Armand died in 1727 and the principality was merged in the Crown in 1731.

William III died without legitimate children. This meant that the principality was seen as inherited by his closest cognate relative on the basis of the testament of Frederic-Henry, Frederick I of Prussia . He handed over the principality's lands but not the title to France in 1713.  France supported his claim. In this way, the territory of the principality was no longer a separate state, but became a part of France. Through the Treaty of Utrecht. A new "Principality of Orange" was created by the King of Prussia as part of the duchy of Gelderland.. The kings of Prussia and the German emperors styled themselves Princes of Orange till 1918.

John William Friso of Nassau was chosen as the heir to the princes of Orange in the Netherlands by the last will of William III.  John William Friso was also related to William the Silent through the female line. Several of his descendants became stadtholders. They claim the principality of Orange on the basis of agnatic inheritance (inheritance of lands to the brother rather than the sons of the king) . This way of inheriting is similar to the way William the Silent inherited from his cousin René. The claim to the title is also on basis of the testament of Philips William, Maurice and William III. Although they claimed the title "Prince of Orange", France never allowed them to obtain anything of the lands of the principality itself. It is from this tradition that later stadtholders of the Netherlands, and the present-day royal family of the Netherlands, also hold the title.

### As sovereign prince of Orange

Until 1340, it was customary for all sons of the prince of Orange to inherit the title.
Only the direct line of descent to Raimond V is shown here.

#### House of Baux

|Picture|Name|Birth|Created Prince of Orange|Stopped to be Prince of Orange|Death|Other titles while Prince of Orange|Princess of Orange|||||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince Bertrand I|align="center"|1110/1115|align="center"|1173 <small>_After the death of his brother-in-law, Raimbaut, Count of Orange, the County of Orange was made more important and became a principality and given to Bertrand I by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I.</small>|align="center" colspan="2"|April/October 1180|align="center"|Lord of Baux||<small>Tibors de Sarenom</small>|

#### House of Baux-Orange

|Picture|Name|Birth|Became Prince of Orange|Stopped to be Prince of Orange|Death|Other titles while Prince of Orange|Princess of Orange|||||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince William I|align="center"|1155|align="center"|31 October 1180|align="center" colspan="2"|bef. 30 July 1218|align="center"|Co-Prince (with brothers); Lord of Baux||<small>1. Ermengarde of Mévouillon</small> <small>2. Alix</small>|
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince William II|align="center"|-|align="center"|31 October 1180|align="center" colspan="2"|bef. 1 November 1239|align="center"|Co-Prince (with brothers); Lord of Baux||<small>Précieuse</small>|
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince Raymond I|align="center"|-|align="center"|bef. 30 July 1218|align="center" colspan="2"|1282|align="center"|Lord of Baux||<small>Malberjone of Aix</small>|
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince Bertrand II|align="center"|-|align="center"|1282|align="center" colspan="2"|aft. 21 July 1314|align="center"|Lord of Baux||<small>Eleanore of Geneva</small>|
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince Raymond II|align="center"|-|align="center"|aft. 21 July 1314|align="center" colspan="2"|1340, aft. 9 September|align="center"|Lord of Baux and Condorcet||<small>Anne of Viennois</small>|
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince Raymond III|align="center"|-|align="center"|aft. 9 September 1340|align="center" colspan="2"|10 February 1393|align="center"|Lord of Baux||<small>1. Constance of Trian</small> <small>2. Jeanne of Geneva</small>|
|align="center"||align="center"|Princess Mary|align="center"|-|align="center"|10 February 1393|align="center" colspan="2"|October 1417|align="left"|Lady of Arlay, Cuiseaux, and Vitteaux||<small>Prince John I</small>|

#### House of Châlon-Arlay (also House of Ivrea of Anscarid dynasty)

|Picture|Name|Birth|Became Prince of Orange|Stopped to be Prince of Orange|Death|Other titles while Prince of Orange|Princess of Orange|||||||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince John I|align="center"|-|align="center"|10 February 1393|align="center"|October 1417|align="center"|2 September 1418|align="left"|Lord of Arlay, Cuiseaux and Vitteaux||<small>Princess Mary</small>|
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince Louis I|align="center"|1390|align="center"|October 1417|align="center" colspan="2"|3 December 1463|align="left"|Lord of Arlay, Arguel, Orbe, and Echelens||<small>1. Jeanne of Montbéliard</small> <small>2. Eleanor d'Armagnac</small> <small>3. Blanche of Gamaches</small>|||
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince William II|align="center"|-|align="center"|3 December 1463|align="center" colspan="2"|27 September 1475|align="left"|Lord of Arlay and Arguel||<small>Catherine of Brittany</small>|||
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince John II|align="center"|1443|align="center"|27 September 1475|align="center" colspan="2"|15 April 1502|align="left"|Count of Tonnerre; Lord of Arlay, Arguel and Montfaucon; Admiral of Guyenne.||<small>1. Jeanne de Bourbon</small> <small>2. Philiberte of Luxembourg</small>|||
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince Philibert|align="center"|18 March 1502|align="center"|15 April 1502|align="center" colspan="2"|3 August 1530|align="left"|Viceroy of Naples; Prince of Melfi; Duke of Gravina; Count of Tonnerre, Charny, Penthièvre; Viscount of Besançon; Lord of Arlay, Nozeroy, Rougemont, Orgelet and Montfaucon, Lieutenant-General in the Imperial army.||<small>_no wife_</small>|||

#### House of Nassau

|Picture|Name|Birth|Became Prince of Orange|Stopped to be Prince of Orange|Death|Other titles while Prince of Orange|Princess of Orange|||||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince René|align="center"|5 February 1519|align="center"|3 August 1530|align="center" colspan="2"|15 July 1544|align="left"|Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht and Guelders; Count of Nassau, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Breda, Diest, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Lord of Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon.||<small>Anna of Lorraine</small>|

#### House of Orange-Nassau (first creation)

|Picture|Name|Birth|Became Prince of Orange|Stopped to be Prince of Orange|Death|Other titles while Prince of Orange|Princess of Orange|||||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince William I|align="center"|24 April 1533|align="center"|15 July 1544|align="center" colspan="2"|10 July 1584|align="left"|Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht and Friesland; Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Katzenelnbogen, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Breda, Lands of Cuijk, City of Grave, Diest, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Lord of Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Willemstad, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon.||<small>1. Anna van Egmont</small> <small>2. Anna of Saxony</small> <small>3. Charlotte de Bourbon</small> <small>4. Louise de Coligny</small>|
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince Philip William|align="center"|19 December 1554|align="center"|10 July 1584|align="center" colspan="2"|20 February 1618|align="left"|Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Buren, Leerdam, Katzenelnbogen, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Eindhoven, City of Grave, IJsselstein, Diest, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Lord of Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Willemstad, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon.||<small>Éléonore de Bourbon</small>|
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince Maurice|align="center"|14 November 1567|align="center"|20 February 1618|align="center" colspan="2"|23 April 1625|align="left"|Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, Overijssel and Groningen; Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen; Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Buren, Leerdam, Katzenelnbogen, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Aggeris, Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Daesburg, Eindhoven, City of Grave, Lek, IJsselstein, Diest, Grimbergen, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Bentheim-Lingen, Moers, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Lord of Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Willemstad, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon.||<small>_no wife_</small>|
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince Frederick Henry|align="center"|29 January 1584|align="center"|23 April 1625|align="center" colspan="2"|14 March 1647|align="left"|Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel; Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen; Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Buren, Leerdam, Katzenelnbogen, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Aggeris, Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Daesburg, Eindhoven, City of Grave, Lek, IJsselstein, Diest, Grimbergen, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Bentheim-Lingen, Moers, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Lord of Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Willemstad, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon.||<small>Amalia of Solms-Braunfels</small>|
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince William II|align="center"|27 May 1626|align="center"|14 March 1647|align="center" colspan="2"|6 November 1650|align="left"|Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders and Overijssel; Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen; Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Buren, Leerdam, Katzenelnbogen, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Aggeris, Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Daesburg, Eindhoven, City of Grave, Lek, IJsselstein, Diest, Grimbergen, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Bentheim-Lingen, Moers, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Lord of Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Turnhout, Willemstad, Zevenbergen, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon.||<small>Mary, Princess Royal</small>|
|align="center"||align="center"|William III|align="center"|14 November 1650|align="center"|6 November 1650|align="center" colspan="2"|8 March 1702|align="left"|King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel; Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen; Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Buren, Leerdam, Katzenelnbogen, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Aggeris, Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Daesburg, Eindhoven, City of Grave, Lek, IJsselstein, Diest, Grimbergen, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Bentheim-Lingen, Moers, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Lord of Baarn, Bredevoort, Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, 't Loo, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Soest, Ter Eem, Turnhout, Willemstad, Zevenbergen, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon.||<small>Queen Mary II of England</small>|

#### House of Orange-Nassau (second creation)

As personal title of nobility:

|Picture|Name|Heir of|Birth|Became Prince of Orange|Stopped to be Prince of Orange|Death|Other titles while Prince of Orange|Princess of Orange||||||||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince John William Friso|align="center"|William III|align="center"|4 August 1687|align="center"|8 March 1702|align="center" colspan="2"|14 July 1711|align="left"|Stadtholder of Friesland and Groningen; Fürst of Nassau-Dietz → Fürst of Orange-Nassau; Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen; Count of Buren, Leerdam, Katzenelnbogen, Spiegelberg, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Aggeris, Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Daesburg, Eindhoven, City of Grave, Lek, IJsselstein, Diest, Grimbergen, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Hereditary Lord of Ameland; Lord of Baarn, Bredevoort, Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Liesveld, 't Loo, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Soest, Ter Eem, Turnhout, Willemstad, Zevenbergen, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon.||<small>Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel</small>|||
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince William IV|align="center"|Prince John William Friso|align="center" colspan="2"|1 September 1711|align="center" colspan="2"|22 October 1751|align="left"|General Stadtholder of the United Provinces;  Fürst of Orange-Nassau; Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen; Count of Buren, Culemborg, Leerdam, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Aggeris, Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Daesburg, Eindhoven, City of Grave, Lek, IJsselstein, Diest, Grimbergen, Herstal, Warneton, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Hereditary Lord of Ameland; Lord of Baarn, Bredevoort, Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Liesveld, 't Loo, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Soest, Ter Eem, Turnhout, Willemstad, Zevenbergen, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon.||<small>Anne, Princess Royal</small>|||||
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince William V|align="center"|Prince William IV|align="center"|8 March 1748|align="center"|22 October 1751|align="center" colspan="2"|9 April 1806|align="left"|General Stadtholder of the United Provinces; Fürst of Orange-Nassau; Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen; Count of Buren, Culemborg, Leerdam, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Aggeris, Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Daesburg, Eindhoven, City of Grave, Lek, IJsselstein, Diest, Grimbergen, Herstal, Warneton, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Hereditary Lord of Ameland; Lord of Baarn, Bredevoort, Borculo, Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Lichtenvoorde, Liesveld, 't Loo, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Soest, Ter Eem, Turnhout, Willemstad, Zevenbergen, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon.||<small>Princess Wilhelmine of Prussia</small>|||
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince William VI _later_ **William I**|align="center"|Prince William V|align="center"|24 August 1772|align="center"|9 April 1806|align="center"|16 March 1815 _title dropped when invested as first King of the Netherlands_|align="center"|7 October 1840|align="left"|Fürst of Orange-Nassau; Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen; Count of Buren, Culemborg, Leerdam, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Aggeris, Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Daesburg, Eindhoven, City of Grave, Lek, IJsselstein, Diest, Grimbergen, Herstal, Warneton, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Hereditary Lord of Ameland; Lord of Baarn, Bredevoort, Borculo, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Lichtenvoorde, Liesveld, 't Loo, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Soest, Ter Eem, Turnhout, Willemstad, Zevenbergen, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon.||<small>Wilhelmine of Prussia</small>|

As royal title for the heir apparent:
|Picture|Name|Heir of|Birth|Became Heir to the Crown|Created Prince of Orange|Stopped to be Prince of Orange|Death|Other titles while Prince of Orange|Princess of Orange|||||||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince William _later_ **William II**|align="center"|William I|align="center"|6 December 1792|align="center" colspan="2"|16 March 1815 _father's accession as King_|align="center"|7 October 1840 _became King_|align="center"|17 March 1849|align="center"|Prince of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau||<small>Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia</small>|
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince William _later_ **William III**|align="center"|William II|align="center"|19 February 1817|align="center" colspan="2"|7 October 1840 _father's accession as King_|align="center"|17 March 1849 _became King_|align="center"|23 November 1890|align="center"|Prince of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau||<small>Princess Sophie of Württemberg</small>|
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince William|align="center" rowspan="2"|William III|align="center"|4 September 1840|align="center" colspan="2"|17 March 1849 _father's accession as King_|align="center" colspan="2"|11 June 1879|align="center"|Prince of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau||<small>_no wife_</small>|||
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince Alexander|align="center"|25 August 1851|align="center" colspan="2"|11 June 1879 _brother's death_|align="center" colspan="2"|21 June 1884|align="center"|Prince of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau||<small>_no wife_</small>|||||
|align="center"||align="center"|Prince Willem-Alexander|align="center"|Beatrix|align="center"|27 April 1967|align="center" colspan="2"|30 April 1980 _mother's accession as Queen regnant_|align="center" colspan="2"|_Incumbent_|align="center"|Prince of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau, Jonkheer van Amsberg||<small>Máxima Zorreguieta</small>|||

#### House of Hohenzollern

- Frederick I of Prussia (1702–1713), a senior descendant in female line from William the Silent, who ceded his claims to the lands of Orange to France in 1713, and his descendants, currently Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia, Prinz von Oranje (1976-)

#### House of Mailly

- **Louis de Mailly, Marquis de Nesle et de Mailly**, appointed by the French king, and his descendants, currently Guy, Marquis de Nesle and of Mailly, Prince d'Orange.

#### House of Bourbon

- Louis Armand de Bourbon, appointed by the French king, and his descendants. Louis Armand was also the Prince of Conti.

## Related pages

- Prince of Wales

## More reading

- Herbert H. Rowen, _The princes of Orange: the stadholders in the Dutch Republic_. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press, 1988.
- Reina van Ditzhuyzen, _Het Huis van Oranje: prinsen, stadhouders, koningen en koninginnen''. Haarlem : De Haan, [1979].

## Other websites

- Treaty ceding the Principality to Louis XIV
- Treaty of Partition (1732)