William the Silent
William I of Orange-Nassau (24 April 1533 – 10 July 1584) was an important leader of the Dutch rebellion against the Spanish in the Eighty Years' War. He was the first leader of the Netherlands. He held the title of Prince of Orange.
| 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 |  |
| Military service | |
| Battles/wars | |
William of Orange is better known as William the Silent (in Dutch: Willem de Zwijger). It is not known how he got this name. One story says that when the kings of France and Spain proposed to William to kill all Protestants in his area, William did not reply.
William was born in Nassau in Germany. The king of Spain made him stadtholder (a sort of leader) of several Dutch provinces. But William converted to Protestantism, the religion of the Dutch people, and joined their struggle for independence. The king of Spain offered a reward for the person who would kill William. In 1584 William was shot by Balthasar Gerards in his house in Delft. William's last words were in French: "Mon Dieu, mon Dieu, ayez pitié de moi et de ton pauvre peuple" (My Lord, My Lord, have pity on me and your poor people). Balthasar Gerards never received his reward, because he was killed by the angry Dutch.
In the Netherlands, people often call him "Father of the fatherland". The Dutch national anthem, the Wilhelmus, is about William.