The Story of The Netherlands

Daan Schuurmans talks about the origins of the Orange dynasty. With the marriage of Count Engelbrecht of Nassau to the Dutch Johanna van Polanen, the German Nassau family set foot on Dutch soil for the first time. More than a century later, descendant Willem received the title Prince of Orange thanks to an inheritance. This William of Orange-Nassau wants to strengthen his position by marrying the Protestant Anne of Saxony. But that gets him into big trouble with his ruler, the Spanish king Philip the Second.

After the murder of William of Orange, the role of the Nassaus in the Netherlands seems to have ended. His inheritance sows division within the family and a battle erupts over who can call himself the rightful successor of the Father of the Fatherland: eldest son Philip Willem or the younger Maurits?

In the 17th century, the Oranges were at the height of their power and prestige. One woman plays an important role in this: Amalia van Solms. This Orange Lady is committed to the survival of the dynasty and the image of the family.

In Friesland, the Nassau-Dietz family continued the Orange Line after the death of King-Stadholder William the Third. From Leeuwarden they try to match the name and fame of their Orange predecessors and obtain the governorship over the whole of the Netherlands.

Due to revolution and wars at the beginning of the 19th century, the Oranges fled and lost everything: the governorship, their possessions and even the Netherlands. But not their English and German family ties. The Orange seem to have been forgotten in the Netherlands for a long time when, thanks to their international contacts, they returned to the highest position ever in the Netherlands in 1813. With King William I on the throne.

The power of the Orange Kings slowly but surely crumbles in the nineteenth century. A new constitution gives parliament more power at the expense of the king. Much to the frustration of King Willem III, who is doing everything he can to turn the tide. Because what is a king without power?