History - OnThisDay - December 19th. 1554 - Philip William, Prince of Orange

Philip William, Prince of Orange was born on December 19th. 1554
in Buren, then a part of the 17 Provinces now located in
The Netherlands.



Family

Philip William, Prince of Orange was the first son of William the Silent
and Anna van Egmont. He was the brother of Countess Maria of Nassau
and a half brother of Maurice of Nassau.


Eleonora of Bourbon-Condé

Love and Marriage

In 1506, Philip William married Eleonora of Bourbon-Condé. She was
a daughter of Henry I, Prince de Condé. Her father was a cousin of
King Henry IV of France.

Duty

Philip William only was a boy of 13 years old, when his father ignored
the Duke of Alva's orders to return to Brussels. Instead the Spanish
rulers devised a plan. They took Philip William, who studied then at the
university of Louvain, captive. As a hostage he went to Spain, where he
grew up as a good catholic and a loyal subject. He would never see his
father again and his mother died in 1558.

In 1606, Philip William was recognized as Lord of Breda and
Steenbergen. In 1610 he made his ceremonial entry in Breda, there he
stayed till his death.

Philip William restored the Catholic services in the Castle of Breda,
however he did not try to challenge the Protestant Calvinist Reformed
Church.



Death

Philip William, Prince of Orange died on February 20th. 1618 in
Brussels.

His half brother Maurice of Nassau could finally inherit the title
Prince of Orange.


Source pictures: Wikipedia

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