Five Brothers and a War

History—1500 to 1600 AD

Willem was married four times:

• Anna van Egmont (1533-1558). Married in 1551. • Anna von Sachsen (1544-1577). Married in 1561. • Charlotte de Bourbon (1547-1582). Married 1575. • Louise de Coligny (1555-1620). Married 1583.

As Willem died, the Oranje-Nassau mantle was assumed by Willem and Anna van Egmont’s eldest son, Filips Willem (“Philip William”). As a side-note, three of the marriages were ended by death. Anna van Egmont and Charlotte died, thereby ending their marriage to Willem. Louise was left a wealthy widow upon Willem’s death. The exception was Anna von Sachsen. Through financial troubles, Willem and Anna hired a counselor who could help with both financial and legal matters. That person was the father of the famous Flemish artist, Peter Paul Rubens, Jan Rubens. As it happens, Jan Rubens impregnated Anne, who subsequently gave birth to a daughter, Christine. Not surprisingly, Willem did not allow her to take his surname, Oranje-Nassau. Rather, he gave her the name “van Dietz”, meaning “from Dietz” referring to a county in Germany, with a backwater relationship to the House of Oranje-Nassau. Willem then forced a confession of adultery from Rubens, at which point Anna demanded that Willem put both her and Rubens to death. She did admit to the affair, which was of course impossible to deny having given birth to a child. This in turn led to the final agreement of separation and divorce between Anna and Willem in 1571. Anna was then virtually entombed in a castle room that had its windows walled in the window and had the door altered, to have a small opening, only allowing enough space for food to be delivered to her.

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She died there in 1577, shortly before her 33 rd birthday. Christine was taken in by Rubens and his forgiving wife. On a somewhat related note, Peter Paul Rubens was born the same year Anna died, 1577.

Peter Paul Rubens, Massacre of the Innocents, 1612

Five Brothers and a War

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