Back Willem van Oranje Afrikaans فيليم الصامت Arabic ويليام الصامت ARZ Guillermu d'Orange AST Oranlı Vilhelm Azerbaijani Вільгельм I Аранскі Byelorussian Вільгельм Аранскі BE-X-OLD Вилхелм Орански Bulgarian উইলিয়াম দ্য সাইলেন্ট Bengali/Bangla Willem Iañ van Nassau Breton
| William the Silent | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Adriaen Thomasz. Key, c. 1570–1584 | |
| Prince of Orange | |
| Reign | 15 July 1544 – 10 July 1584 |
| Predecessor | René |
| Successor | Philip William |
| Stadtholder of Friesland | |
| In office 1580–1584 | |
| Preceded by | George de Lalaing |
| Succeeded by | William Louis of Nassau-Dillenburg |
| Stadtholder of Holland and Zeeland | |
| In office 1572–1584 | |
| Preceded by | Maximilien de Hénin-Liétard |
| Succeeded by | Maurice of Nassau |
| In office 1559–1567 | |
| Monarch | Philip II of Spain |
| Preceded by | Maximilian of Burgundy |
| Succeeded by | Maximilien de Hénin-Liétard |
| Stadtholder of Utrecht | |
| In office 1572–1584 | |
| Preceded by | Maximilien de Hénin-Liétard |
| Succeeded by | Adolf van Nieuwenaar |
| In office 1559–1567 | |
| Monarch | Philip II of Spain |
| Preceded by | Maximilian of Burgundy |
| Succeeded by | Maximilien de Hénin-Liétard |
| Born | 24 April 1533 Dillenburg, County of Nassau, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 10 July 1584 (aged 51) Delft, County of Holland, Dutch Republic |
| Spouse | |
| Issue | 16 |
| House | Born into the House of Nassau; founder of the Orange-Nassau branch; ancestor of the monarchy of the Netherlands |
| Father | William I, Count of Nassau-Siegen |
| Mother | Juliana of Stolberg-Werningerode |
| Signature | .PNG) |
| Military service | |
| Battles/wars | |
William the Silent or William the Taciturn (Dutch: Willem de Zwijger;[1][2] 24 April 1533 – 10 July 1584), more commonly known in the Netherlands[3][4] as William of Orange (Dutch: Willem van Oranje), was the 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 1648. 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 (Latin: Pater Patriae; 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 centralisation 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 in Delft in 1584.
- ^ Abelous, Louis David (1872). William the Taciturn. Translated by Lacroix, J. P. The Library of Congress catalogued with subject "William I, Prince of Orange (1534–1584). New York: Nelson & Phillips; [etc.]
- ^ John Whitehead Historian, Oxford, Oriel College, weblog page about William I Once I was a clever boy
- ^ "Willem van Oranje". Canon van Nederland (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 May 2023.
- ^ "Hoe wordt Willem van Oranje vader des vaderlands?". NPO Kennis (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 October 2021.