William the Silent

:For other men named William of Orange, see William of Orange (disambiguation)

Legacy

At the suggestion of Johan van Oldenbarneveldt, William's son Maurice succeeded his father as stadtholder of Holland and Zeeland. A strong military leader, he won several victories over the Spanish. Van Oldenbarneveldt managed to sign a very favourable 12-year armistice in 1609, although Maurice was unhappy with this. After the armistice, Maurice's half-brother (and William's youngest son), Frederick Henry, continued the battle against the Spanish. The Netherlands became formally independent after the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.

Related Topics:
Johan van Oldenbarneveldt - Maurice - 1609 - Frederick Henry - Peace of Westphalia - 1648

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The son of Frederick Henry, William II of Orange succeeded his father as stadtholder, as did his son, William III of Orange. The latter also became king of England until he died childless in 1702. He appointed his nephew (a great-great-grandson of William of Orange's brother John) Johan Willem Friso as his successor. The first king of the Netherlands, William I was a descendant of Johan Willem Friso. His descendants have been the monarchs of the Netherlands to this day. See House of Orange for a more extensive overview.

Related Topics:
William II of Orange - William III of Orange - 1702 - William I - House of Orange

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As the chief financer and political and military leader of the early years of the Dutch revolt, William is considered a national hero in the Netherlands, even though he was born in Germany, and usually spoke French. Many of the Dutch national symbols can be traced back to William of Orange:

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• The flag of the Netherlands (red, white and blue) is derived from the flag of the prince, which was orange, white and blue.
• The coat of arms of the Netherlands is based on that of William of Orange. Its motto Je maintiendrai (French, "I will maintain") was also used by William of Orange, who based it on the motto of his uncle René of Châlon, who used Je maintiendrai Châlon.
• The national anthem of the Netherlands, the Wilhelmus was originally a propaganda song for William. It was probably written by Philips van Marnix, lord of Sint-Aldegonde, a supporter of William of Orange.
• The national colour of the Netherlands is orange, and it is used, among other things, in clothing of Dutch athletes.