v33_1180 - ORANGE - PHILIPPE-GUILLAUME OF NASSAU Pièce de trois sols (ou huitième d’écu ?)

ORANGE - PHILIP-WILLIAM OF NASSAU

(1584-20/02/1618)

Philippe-Guillaume was the eldest son of Guillaume le Taciturne and Anne d'Egmont. In 1568, when he was only thirteen years old, studying in Louvain, he was arrested by Philip II of Spain. In 1595 Philippe III of Spain freed Philippe-Guillaume who visited his principality of Orange for the first time in 1599 but failed to get rid of the usurper Alexandre de Mirabel. He married on November 23, 1606 Isabelle de Bourbon and with the help of the king of France Henri IV recovered his principality towards the end of the year 1606. In 1607, received triumphantly in Orange, he founded a parliament there composed half of Catholics and half Protestants. In 1605 and 1616 he stayed again in Orange. He died in Brussels on February 20, 1618.