The title Prince of Orange was initially used upon the rulers of the Principality of Orange. Following the principality's dissolution and absorption by France, the title continued being used by members of the House of Orange-Nassau, until the formation of an independent Kingdom of the Netherlands. Since the kingdom's formation, the title of Prince of Orange is bestowed upon the Dutch heir apparent. The current holder of the title is Catharina-Amalia, eldest daughter of King Willem-Alexander.
When the Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed in 1815, the monarchy initially followed Salic law.
In 1983, the Constitution of the Netherlands was amended to ensure absolute primogeniture, meaning that the sovereign is to be succeeded by their eldest child, regardless of sex.
Principality of Orange Until 1340, it was customary for all sons of the prince of Orange to inherit the title. Only the direct line of descent to Raimond V is shown here.
House of Baux The house of Baux succeeded to the principality of Orange when Bertrand of Baux married the heiress of the last native count of Orange, Tiburge, daughter of William of Orange, Omelaz, and Montpellier. Their son was William I of Baux-Orange. Bertrand was the son of Raymond of Baux and Stephanie of Gevaudan. Stephanie was the younger daughter of Gerberga, the heiress of the counts of Provence. For a genealogical table, see the reference cited:
NoNamePictureArmsBirthCreated Prince of OrangeCeased to be Prince of OrangeDeathOther titles while Prince of OrangePrincessofOrange 1. Prince Bertrand I 1110/1115 1173After the death of his brother-in-law, Raimbaut, Count of Orange, the County of Orange was elevated to a principality in 1163 by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I. April/October 1180 Lord of Baux Tibors de Sarenom
Bertrand I used as Prince of Orange the coat of arms of the House of Baux: a 16-pointed white star placed on a field of gules. Later on, the Princes of Orange quartered the legendary bugle-horn as a heraldic figure into their coat of arms.
House of Baux-Orange
NoNameArmsBirthBecame Prince of OrangeCeased to be Prince of OrangeDeathOther titles while Prince of OrangePrincessofOrange 2. Prince William I 1155 31 October 1180 bef. 30 July 1218 Co-Prince (with brothers); Lord of Baux 1. Ermengarde of Mévouillon2. Alix 3. Prince William II – 31 October 1180 bef. 1 November 1239 Co-Prince (with his brother); Lord of Baux Précieuse 4. Prince William III – aft. 1 November 1239 1257 Co-Prince (with his uncle); Lord of Baux Giburg 5. Prince Raymond I – bef. 30 July 1218 1282 Co-Prince (with his brother and nephew) Lord of Baux Malberjone of Aix 6. Prince Bertrand IV – 1282 aft. 21 July 1314 Lord of Baux Eleanore of Geneva 7. Prince Raymond IV – aft. 21 July 1314 1340, aft. 9 September Lord of Baux and Condorcet Anne of Viennois 8. Prince Raymond V – aft. 9 September 1340 10 February 1393 Lord of Baux 1. Constance of Trian2. Jeanne of Geneva 9. Princess Mary – 10 February 1393 October 1417 Lady of Arlay, Cuiseaux, and Vitteaux Prince John I
House of Chalon-Orange (also House of Ivrea of Anscarid dynasty)
The lords of Chalons and Arlay were a cadet branch of the ruling house of the county of Burgundy, the Anscarids or House of Ivrea. They married the heiress of Baux-Orange.
NoNamePictureArmsBirthBecame Prince of OrangeCeased to be Prince of OrangeDeathOther titles while Prince of OrangePrincessofOrange 10. Prince John I none – 10 February 1393 October 1417 2 September 1418 Lord of Arlay, Cuiseaux and Vitteaux Princess Mary 11. Prince Louis I none 1390 October 1417 3 December 1463 Lord of Arlay, Arguel, Orbe, and Echelens 1. Jeanne of Montbéliard2. Eleanor d'Armagnac3. Blanche of Gamaches 12. Prince William II none – 3 December 1463 27 September 1475 Lord of Arlay and Arguel Catherine of Brittany 13. Prince John II none 1443 27 September 1475 15 April 1502 Count of Tonnerre; Lord of Arlay, Arguel and Montfaucon; Admiral of Guyenne 1. Jeanne de Bourbon2. Philiberte of Luxembourg 14. Prince Philibert 18 March 1502 15 April 1502 3 August 1530 Viceroy of Naples; Prince of Melfi; Duke of Gravina; Count of Tonnerre, Charny, Penthièvre; Viscount of Besançon; Lord of Arlay, Nozeroy, Rougemont, Orgelet and Montfaucon, Lieutenant-General in the Imperial army. no wife
House of Chalon-Orange Rene inherited the principality of Orange from his uncle Philbert on the condition that he bear the name and arms of the house of Chalon-Orange. Therefore, he is usually counted as one of the Chalon-Orange and history knows him as Rene of Chalon, rather than "of Nassau".
NoNamePictureArmsBirthBecame Prince of OrangeCeased to be Prince of OrangeDeathOther titles while Prince of OrangePrincessofOrange 15. Prince René 5 February 1519 3 August 1530 15 July 1544 Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht and Guelders; Count of Nassau, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Breda, Diest, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Lord of Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon. Anna of Lorraine
House of Orange-Nassau (first incarnation)
William of Nassau inherited the principality of Orange from his cousin René. Although William descended from no previous Prince of Orange, as René had no children or siblings, he exercised his right as sovereign prince to will Orange to his first cousin on his father's side, who actually had no Orange blood. This began the Dutch Royal House of Orange-Nassau.
No.NamePictureArmsBirthBecame Prince of OrangeCeased to be Prince of OrangeDeathOther titles while Prince of OrangePrincessofOrange 16. Prince William I (the Silent) .: 24 April 1533 15 July 1544 10 July 1584 Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht and Friesland; Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Katzenelnbogen, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Breda, Lands of Cuijk, City of Grave, Diest, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Lord of Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Willemstad, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon. 1. Anna van Egmont2. Anna of Saxony3. Charlotte de Bourbon4. Louise de Coligny 17. Prince Philip William 19 December 1554 10 July 1584 20 February 1618 Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Buren, Leerdam, Katzenelnbogen, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Eindhoven, City of Grave, IJsselstein, Diest, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Lord of Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Willemstad, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon. Éléonore de Bourbon 18. Prince Maurice 14 November 1567 20 February 1618 23 April 1625 Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, Overijssel and Groningen; Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen; Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Buren, Leerdam, Katzenelnbogen, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Aggeris, Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Daesburg, Eindhoven, City of Grave, Lek, IJsselstein, Diest, Grimbergen, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Bentheim-Lingen, Moers, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Lord of Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Willemstad, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon. no wife 19. Prince Frederick Henry 29 January 1584 23 April 1625 14 March 1647 Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel; Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen; Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Buren, Leerdam, Katzenelnbogen, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Aggeris, Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Daesburg, Eindhoven, City of Grave, Lek, IJsselstein, Diest, Grimbergen, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Bentheim-Lingen, Moers, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Lord of Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Willemstad, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon. Amalia of Solms-Braunfels 20. Prince William II 27 May 1626 14 March 1647 6 November 1650 Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders and Overijssel; Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen; Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Buren, Leerdam, Katzenelnbogen, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Aggeris, Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Daesburg, Eindhoven, City of Grave, Lek, IJsselstein, Diest, Grimbergen, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Bentheim-Lingen, Moers, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Lord of Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Turnhout, Willemstad, Zevenbergen, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon. Mary, Princess Royal 21. William III 14 November 1650 14 November 1650 8 March 1702 King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, Stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel; Marquis of Veere and Vlissingen; Count of Nassau-Dillenburg, Buren, Leerdam, Katzenelnbogen, and Vianden; Viscount of Antwerp; Baron of Aggeris, Breda, Cranendonck, Lands of Cuijk, Daesburg, Eindhoven, City of Grave, Lek, IJsselstein, Diest, Grimbergen, Herstal, Warneton, Beilstein, Bentheim-Lingen, Moers, Arlay, and Nozeroy; Lord of Baarn, Bredevoort, Dasburg, Geertruidenberg, Hooge en Lage Zwaluwe, Klundert, 't Loo, Montfort, Naaldwijk, Niervaart, Polanen, Steenbergen, Sint-Maartensdijk, Soest, Ter Eem, Turnhout, Willemstad, Zevenbergen, Bütgenbach, Sankt Vith, and Besançon. Queen Mary II of England
Titular princes of Orange + No. Name Picture Arms Birth Became Prince of Orange Ceased to be Prince of Orange Death 1 John William FrisoJohan Willem Friso 14 August 1687 8 March 1702 14 July 1711 2 William IVWillem Karel Hendrik Friso 1 September 1711 14 July 1711 22 October 1751 3 William VWillem Batavus 8 March 1748 22 October 1751 9 April 1806 4 William VIWillem Frederik 24 August 1772 9 April 1806 16 March 1815 7 October 1840
Monarchy of the Netherlands
Heirs apparent + Portrait Name Tenure Life details Monarch William (II)Willem Frederik George Lodewijk 16 March 1815 – 7 October 1840 6 December 1792 – 17 March 1849XXX William I William (III)Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk 7 October 1840 – 17 March 1849 19 February 1817 – 23 November 1890XXX William II WilliamWillem Nicolaas Alexander Frederik Karel Hendrik 17 March 1849 – 11 June 1879 4 September 1840 – 11 June 1879XXX William III AlexanderWillem Alexander Karel Hendrik Frederik 11 June 1879 – 21 June 1884 25 August 1851 – 21 June 1884XXX Willem-AlexanderWillem-Alexander Claus George Ferdinand 30 April 1980 – 30 April 2013 27 April 1967Eldest son of Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus, Willem-Alexander alexander became heir apparent following his mother's ascent to the throne. Following Beatrix's abdication, he assumed the position of King. Beatrix Catharina-AmaliaCatharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria 30 April 2013 – present 7 December 2003Eldest daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, Catharine-Amalia assumed the title Princess of Orange upon her father's ascent to the throne. A 1983 constitutional change altered the succession law to follow absolute primogeniture, ensuring the eldest child would be the heir apparent even if female. Willem-Alexander
References