John William Friso, Prince of Orange
John William Friso (Dutch: Johan Willem Friso; 14 August 1687 – 14 July 1711) became the (titular) Prince of Orange in 1702. He was the Stadtholder of Friesland and Groningen in the Dutch Republic until his death by accidental drowning in the Hollands Diep in 1711. Friso and his wife, Marie Louise, are the most recent common ancestors of all European monarchs occupying the throne today.
| John William Friso | |
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_by_Lancelot_Volders.jpg) John William Friso, Prince of Orange (1710) by Lancelot Volders | |
| Prince of Orange | |
| Period | 19 March 1702 – 14 July 1711 |
| Predecessor | William III |
| Successor | William IV |
| Prince of Nassau-Dietz | |
| Reign | 25 March 1696 – ca. 1702 |
| Predecessor | Henry Casimir II |
| Prince of Orange-Nassau | |
| Reign | ca. 1702 – 14 July 1711 |
| Successor | William IV |
| Stadtholder of Friesland and Groningen | |
| Reign | 25 March 1696 – 14 July 1711 |
| Predecessor | Henry Casimir II |
| Successor | William IV |
| Born | 14 August 1687 Dessau, Anhalt |
| Died | 14 July 1711 (aged 23) Hollands Diep, between Dordrecht and Moerdijk |
| Burial | 25 February 1712 Grote of Jacobijnerkerk in Leeuwarden |
| Spouse | Landgravine Marie Louise of Hesse-Kassel |
| Issue | Amalia, Hereditary Princess of Baden-Durlach William IV, Prince of Orange |
| House | Orange-Nassau |
| Father | Henry Casimir II, Prince of Nassau-Dietz |
| Mother | Henriëtte Amalia of Anhalt-Dessau |
Background
He was the son of Henry Casimir II, Prince of Nassau-Dietz, and Princess Henriëtte Amalia of Anhalt-Dessau who were both first cousins of William III. As such, he was a member of the House of Nassau (the branch of Nassau-Dietz), and through the testamentary dispositions of William III became the progenitor of the new line of the House of Orange-Nassau.[1]
Succession
With the death of William III, Prince of Orange, the legitimate male line of William the Silent (the second House of Orange) became extinct. John William Friso, the senior agnatic descendant of William the Silent's brother and a cognatic descendant of Frederick Henry, grandfather of William III, claimed the succession as stadtholder in all provinces held by William III. This was denied to him by the republican faction in the Netherlands.[2]
The five provinces over which William III ruled – Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland and Overijssel – all suspended the office of Stadtholder after William III's death. The remaining two provinces – Friesland and Groningen – were never governed by William III, and continued to retain a separate Stadtholder, John William Friso. He established the third House of Orange, which became extinct in the male line in 1890. His son William IV, Prince of Orange, however, later became stadtholder of all seven provinces.[3]
John William Friso's position as William III's heir general was opposed by King Frederick I of Prussia, who also claimed (and occupied) part of the inheritance (for example Lingen). Under William III's will, Friso stood to inherit the Principality of Orange. However, the Prussian King Frederick I also claimed the Principality of Orange in the Rhône Valley, of which he later ceded the territory to France.[4]
Military career and death
On coming of age in 1707, John William Friso became a general of the Dutch troops during the War of Spanish Succession, under the command of the Duke of Marlborough, and turned out to be a competent officer. He commanded Dutch infantry at the Battle of Oudenarde, the Siege of Lille, and the Battle of Malplaquet. The prestige that he acquired from his military service should have favored his eventual elevation as stadtholder in the remaining five provinces. However, in 1711, when traveling from the front in Flanders to meet the King of Prussia in The Hague in connection with his suit in the succession dispute, he drowned on 14 July when the ferry boat on the Moerdyk was overturned in heavy weather. His son was born six weeks after his death.[5]
Marriage and issue
On 26 April 1709, he married Princess Maria Louise of Hesse-Kassel (1688–1765), daughter of Charles I, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, and granddaughter of Jacob Kettler, Duke of Courland. They had two children.
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Charlotte Amalia | 1710 | 1777 | married Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Baden-Durlach; had issue, including Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden |
| William IV, Prince of Orange | 1711 | 1751 | married Anne, Princess Royal; had issue, including William V, Prince of Orange |
John William Friso and his wife are the most recent common ancestors to all currently reigning European monarchs. This is a distinction he has held since 1938, when Franz Joseph II (a descendant of John William Friso) succeeded Franz I (who was not his descendant) as Prince of Liechtenstein.[6]
Legacy
- A monument in Moerdijk commemorates the drowning of Johan Willem Friso.
- Central Royal Military Band of the Netherlands Army "Johan Willem Friso" is named in his honour.
Ancestry
References
- John William Friso. (2014). Encyclopædia Britannica
- State, P. F. (2008). A Brief History of the Netherlands. New York: Facts On File.
- State, P. F. (2008). A Brief History of the Netherlands. New York: Facts On File.
- John William Friso. (2014). Encyclopædia Britannica
- State, P. F. (2008). A Brief History of the Netherlands. New York: Facts On File.
- John William Friso. (2014). Encyclopædia Britannica
- Pieter Lodewijk Muller (1881), "Johann Wilhelm Friso", Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB) (in German), 14, Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 275–276
John William Friso, Prince of Orange House of Orange-Nassau (second creation) Cadet branch of the House of Nassau Born: 14 August 1687 Died: 14 July 1711 | ||
| Dutch nobility | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William III |
Prince of Orange 1702–1711 |
Vacant Title next held by William IV |
| Regnal titles | ||
| Preceded by Henry Casimir II |
Prince of Nassau-Dietz 1696–1702 |
Title obsolete merged into German principality of Orange-Nassau |
| New title | Prince of Orange-Nassau 1702–1711 |
Succeeded by William IV |
| Preceded by William III |
Baron of Breda 1702–1711 | |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Henry Casimir II |
Stadtholder of Friesland and Groningen 1696–1711 |
Succeeded by William IV |
Authority control  |
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