HISTORY

HERALDRY

The House of Baux

The House of Chalons

The House of Nassau

The Department Vaucluse

Titulary Princes of Orange

The House of Orange-Nassau

The House of Hohenzollern

Titulary Princes of Orange

Frederick Henry in his will had provided for the succession of his daughter Louise Henriette (1627-’67) when no male descendants were available. For the son of Louise Henriette, the prussian king Frederick I for that reason it was quite clear that he would inherit the title when William III died without descendants.

William III however had provided in his will that his nephew John William Friso would be his heir and inherit Orange.  This was the cause of a long judicial struggle between the two pretenders who, in any case could not effectuate their claim on the principality. By the Treaty of Accomodation and Partition of 1732 the goods of William III in the Netherlands and in Germany were partitioned between the two would-be heirs who both were permitted to bear the title of Prince of Orange.

As the Hohenzollern pretender had given up his claims to the principality by the Treaty of Utrecht and the Nassau pretender did the same in 1732, the title was considered to be vacant by Louis XIV who then granted the title to Louis de Mailly whose descendants bear the title until the present day.  [1]

The arms with the bugle-horn were borne by both the titulary princes of Orange of the Houses of Hohenzollern and Orange-Nassau.

I The House of Orange-Nassau, Stadholders and Crown Princes in the Netherlands

John William Friso

*1686-†1711

1708-1711

As a heir of William III John William Friso changed the arms of his father Ernst Casimir II by replacing the arms of the Teutonic Order in nombril point by the arms of Orange and adding the arms of Meurs and Buren in chief and in base.

Arms of John William Friso

on his portrait by Pieter van Gunst

Achievement of John William Friso

Cassette Atlas van Blaeu, 1708. Provinciale Bibl. Leeuwarden [2]

Arms: 1/6: 1. Nassau, 2. Katzenellnbogen; 3. Vianden; 4. Dietz; 5. Argent a hart trippant Gules (Spiegelberg); 6. Argent, a fess Sable and two bunches of reed issuant Vert. (Liesveld). In nombril point: Châlons-Orange-Genève. In chief Meurs and in base Buren.

Crown:  Princely crown.

Supporters: Two lions reguardant.

Motto: JE MAINTIENDRAY.

Larger achievement of John William Friso with crests and mantle

Arms: 1/6: 1. Nassau, 2. Katzenellnbogen; 3. Vianden; 4. Dietz; 5. Argent a hart trippant Gules (Spiegelberg); 6. Argent, a fess Sable and two bunches of reed issuant Vert. (Liesveld). In nombril point: Châlons-Orange-Genève. In chief Meurs and in base Buren.

Crest:. Orange, Nassau, Katzenellnbogen, Vianden, Dietz, Spiegelberg

Supporters: Two lions princely crowned.

William IV Charles Henry Friso

*1711-†1751

1711-1751

K.G. n° 549, 1733

Stadholder1747-1751

Arms of William IV and his wife Anna of Hannover

Made by J. Loveringh in the year of their wedding (1734)

Arms of William V after his wedding in 1734

By F. Yver, 1748

Achievement of William IV as on his stadholders chair, 1747

By Pieter van Dyck, 1747. Coll. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.

Herald of Arms Mr. Wolfgang in coat of arms

From: Lijkstatie van Willem IV, 1752, plaat 18, Jan Punt, 1753

Coll Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/search/objecten?q=heraut&p=3&ps=12&ii=9#/RP-P-1886-A-10908R,21

Banner and arms of Orange

On the “Funeral Procession of William IV” pl. 18.

 By Jan Punt, 1753

For unknown reasons the arms of Orange are Argent, a bugle-horn Azure stringed Gules. Probably this reflects the fact that the arms could only be the arms of pretence of Orange.

William V

*1748-†1806

Prince of Orange 1751-1806

Stadholder 1751-1795

K.G n° 568 1752

Prince of  Fulda 1802

The arms of William V by Theodoor Koning, 1779

Great seal of William V

Achievement of William V as on his stadholders’ chair, 1766.

Coll. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

William Frederick I  

*1772-†1843

Prince of  Fulda 1803-1806

1806-1815

Sovereign of the United Netherlands 1814-1815

K.G. n° 648 1814

King of the Netherlands 1815-1840

In the arms of William Frederick as a prince of Fulda the quarters of his territories are included together with his arms as a prince of Orange. The achievement was:

Achievement of William Frederick as a Prince of Fulda

Coll. Koninklijk Huisarchief, Den Haag.

Arms: ¼: 1. Argent a cross Sable (Fulda); 2. Per fess Or and Gules (Corvey); 3. Or, an eagle Sable billed and clawed Gules (Dort­mund); 4. Azure strewn with hearts Gules, a lion passant Or (Weing­ar­ten). Escutcheon: Chalons-Orange-Geneve.

Crown: A Royal Crown

Supporters: Two lions guardant proper, royally crowned..

This achievement was also on the stamp of William Frederick himself and on the stamp of his ministry of foreign affairs, the last with the legend: DEPARTEMENT VAN BUITENLANDSCHE ZAKEN. [3]

Stamp of the seal of William Frederick as a Prince of Fulda 1803-’06 (mirrored)

Æ 28 mm. Nationale Numismatische Collectie Amsterdam, inv. nr. 2015-00006

Arms: ¼: 1. Fulda; 2. Dortmund; 3. Weingarten; 4. Corvey. Escutcheon: Chalons-Orange-Geneve.

Crown: A princely crown

Supporters: Two lions guardant proper, princely crowned..

After the loss of the Principality of Fulda William Frederick returned to his arms as a prince of Orange.

Arms of William Frederick

as on his statement of November 1813

After his inauguration as a sovereign of the Netherlands he quartered the arms of Orange with the arms of the States General of the Netherlands with the arms of Nassau in nombril point:

These arms were adopted by decree of 14 January 1814.

Seal of the Ministry of the Navy, 1814

Achievement of William Frederick as a sovereign of the Netherlands, 1814

Coll. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

On this drawing the achievement is:

Arms: Quarterly: 1 &  4: The Netherlands; 2 & 3: Chalons-Orange-Geneve; In fess point: Nassau

Crown: A Princely Crown

Order: The strap of the Order of the Garter.

Supporters: Two lions proper, princely crowned

William Frederick was made a Knight of the Garter N° 648 in 1814.

Seal of William Frederick as a sovereign Prince of the Netherlands. [4]

On this seal the achievement is:

Arms: Quarterly: 1 &  4: The Netherlands; 2 & 3: Chalons-Orange-Geneve; In fess point: Nassau

Crown: A Princely Crown

Order: The cross and collar of the Order of the Black Eagle (Schwarzen Adler Orden) Prussia, 1701

Supporters: Two lions proper, princely crowned

Motto: IE MAINTIENDRAI

It is not known when William Frederick was made a knight of the Order of the Black Eagle.

Larger achievement of William Frederick as a sovereign Prince of the Netherlands

Wood, glass, wax; Æ 15,2 cm

Coll. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

On this board the achievement is:

Arms: Quarterly: 1 &  4: The Netherlands; 2 & 3: Châlons-Orange-Genève; in fess point: Nassau

Crown: A Princely Crown

Order: 1. The strap of the Order of the Garter; 2. The cross and collar of the Order of the Black Eagle (Schwarzen Adler Orden) Prussia, 1701

Supporters: Two lions proper, princely crowned

Motto: IE MAINTIENDRAI

Mantle: Purpure, fringed and tasseled Or, lined ermine and princely crowned

William II Frederick George Louis

*1792-†1849

1815-1840

King of the Netherlands 1840-1849

The first arms of William Frederick as a prince of Orange, Crown Prince of the Netherlands was the one of his father when a sovereign of the Netherlands, be it with minor (probably unintended) changes.

The section about these arms are in the Royal Decree about the arms of the Kingdom dated 24 August 1815. The section reads:

K.B. van 24.08.1815

Art. 2.

De Prinsen van Oranje, Kroonprinsen der Nederlanden, zullen het Rijkswapen voeren, gevierendeeld met de wapenen van het Prinsdom Oranje, zoodanig als Wij die tot dusverre gevoerd hebben; terwijl de oudste Zoon van den Prins van Oranje hetzelfde wapen als zijn vader zal voeren, doch gebroken met een barensteel van keel met drie stukken of pendants.

(...as we have borne until now; &c)

This was interpreted as follows:

Arms of William Frederick as a prince of Orange, 1815 [5]

Arms: Quarterly, of the States General of the United Netherlands and Orange and an escutcheon in nombril point of Nassau.

Crown: Of three square crosses and two pearls.

When, however, the arms of the King and the kingdom were modified in 1816 by changing the position of the billets and making the lion of explicit male gender, the arms of the crown prince were changed by making it a quarterly of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the arms quarterly of Orange. As follows:

“Het wapen van Zijne Koninklijke Hoogheid den Prins van Oranje, Kroonprins der Nederlande”

(The arms of his Royal Highnes the Prince of Orange, Crown prince of the Netherlands)

Armorial of the High Council of  Nobility, The Hague. 1816.

Arms: ¼: 1 & 4: Nederland; 2&3: Chalon-Orange-Geneve.

Crown: A royal crown.

Supporters: Two lions guardant, royally crowned, proper.

Motto: JE MAINTIENDRAI.

William III Alexander Paul Frederick

*1817-†1890

1840-1849

King of the Netherlands 1849-1890

Achievement of William III by life of his grandfather (1817-’40).

Coll Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

As a son of the then Prince of Orange he added a label of three, Gules. This is according art 2. of the decree of 24 August 1815. This was removed when he succeeded his father.

William Nicholas Alexander Frederick Charles Henry

*1840-†1879

1849-1879

Son of preceding.

We may suppose that William bore the arms with the label by life of his grandfather William II and the arms quarterly unbroken when a prince of Orange.

William Alexander Charles Henry Frederick

*1851-†1884

1879-1884

Brother of preceding.

At first William Alexander bore a coat of arms derived from the arms of the Sovereign of the United Provinces as by decree of 14 January 1814, the escutcheon of the Netherlands instead of Nassau:

Arms of  Prince William Alexander as on his coach, 1870

Coll. Rijtuigmuseum, Leek

These are the arms of prince William Alexander as a third son of King William III by life of his brother (1851-’79).

Later however he bore the arms of the king differenced with a label of three Gules, charged with an arrow Or. This is in accordance with Art. 3 of the decree of 24 August 1815:

3. De tweede Zoon des Konings zal het Rijkswapen voeren, gebroken en chef met een barensteel van keel in drie stukken en een gouden pijl op dezelve.

When he succeeded his brother as a Prince of Orange he bore the arms quarterly unbroken.

Arms of the Prince of Orange [6]

Arms: Quarterly of The Netherlad and Orange.

Crown: A royal crown

Supporters: Two lions guardant royally crowned proper.

Motto: JE MAINTIENDRAI

Mantle:  Purpure lined ermine fringed and tasseled Or and royally crowned.

Anticipating the birth of a son of Queen Wilhelmina the arms were confirmed by Royal Decree of 10 July 1907. The decree reads:

KB. 10. 07. 1907 n°  181.

Art. 2.

De Prins van Oranje, vermoedelijk erfgenaam van de Kroon, zal dit wapen voeren, gevierendeeld met het navolgende: gevierendeeld, I en IV in keel een schuinbalk van goud (Châlons), II en III in goud een jachthoorn van azuur, gesnoerd en geopend van keel, beslagen van zilver (Oranje), en op het snijpunt dezer kwartieren een hartschild geschaakt van negen vakken, vijf van goud en vier van azuur (Genève).

However no son was born but a daughter. According to the constitution she could not bear the title of Prince of Orange even when she was the successor to the crown when no other children of Queen Wilhelmina and Henry of Mecklenburg were born.

The same happened when no male children of princess Juliana and Bernhard von Lippe-Biesterfeld were born. 

For that reason there was an interim between the death of William Alexander in 1884 and the birth of another William Alexander in 1967.

The Arms of the Princesses of Orange-Nassau, Queens of the Netherlands

Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina

*1909-†2004

Princess of Orange-Nassau, Duchess of Mecklenburg

Queen of the Netherlands 1948-1980

Granddaughter of  King William III

When princess Juliana was born her achievement was adopted by Royal Decree of 13 July 1909. In the arms the quarters for Orange were simplified by removing Chalon and Geneve. On an escutcheon in nombril point came the arms of her father Henry of Mecklenburg, being Or, a bulls’ head caboshed Sable, horned Argent and langued Gules. Also one of the lion supporters was abandoned to the benefit of the Mecklenburg supporter of a griffin. The achievement is:

Design H. van der Laars

Arms: Quarterly of The Netherlands and Orange and in nombril point Or, a bulls’head caboshed Sable, langued Gules, horned Argent and crowned with a crown of three leaves Or (Mecklenburg).

Crown: A royal Crown

Supporters: D.: A lion Or, langued and unguled Gules; S.: A griffin Or, langued Gules.

The Royal Decree reads:

K.B. van 13 juli 1909 Staatsblad No. 271

Art. 5.

De Kinderen en verdere mannelijke en vrouwelijke nakomelingen in de mannelijke lijn uit Ons huwelijk met zijne Koninklijke Hoogheid den Prins der Nederlanden, Hertog van Mecklenburg, behalve de zoodanige, op wie de bepalingen van de artikelen 1 en 2 van toepassing zijn, zullen voeren: gevierendeeld, I en IV het in artikel 1 omschreven wapen (Nassau Nederland), II en III in goud een jachthoorn van azuur, gesnoerd en geopend van keel, beslagen van zilver (Oranje), en op het snijpunt dezer kwartieren in goud een aanziende stierenkop met afgerukt halsvel van sabel, gehoornd van zilver, getongd van keel en gekroond met eene driebladige kroon van goud. (Mecklenburg).

Art. 6.

Aan het in het voorafgaand artikel omschreven wapen kunnen de navolgende uitwendige versierselen worden toegevoegd: a. Tot dekking van het wapenschild de Koninklijke Kroon, gelijkvormig aan die bedoeld in artikel 3, sub a; b. Als schildhouders: rechts een heraldische leeuw en profil van goud, ongekroond, getongd en genageld van keel; links een griffioen en profil van goud, ongekroond, getongd van keel en genageld van goud.

Not in the decree is a mantle surrounding the achievement:

Achievement of Princess Juliana with mantle

(design J.E. van Leeuwen)

Design Tiete van der Laars, 1926

Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard

*1938 –

Princess of Orange-Nassau 1938-1980

Queen of the Netherlands 1980-2013

Daughter of preceding and Bernhard von Lippe-Biesterfeld.

The achievement of Princess Beatrix was adopted by Royal Decree of 18 February 1938.  In the arms the arms of Mecklenburg are replaced by the arms of Lippe being Argent, a rose Gules, leafed and buttoned Or. Also the Mecklenburg griffin is replaced by another lion. In the Royal Decree a mantle surrounding the achievement is included.

Design Otto Hupp

Wapen van H.K.H. Prinses Beatrix der Nederlanden,

Prinses van Oranje-Nassau, Prinses vna Lippe-Biesterfeld,

Vastgesteld bij Kon. Besluit van 18 Februari 1938.

Arms: Quarterly of The Netherlands and Orange and in nombril point Or, a bulls’head caboshed Sable, langued Gules, horned Argent and crowned with a crown of three leaves Or (Mecklenburg).

Crown: A royal Crown

Supporters: Two lions Or, langued and unguled Gules.

Mantle: Purpure, lined ermine, fringed and tasseled Or, royally crowned

The Royal Decree reads:

Koninklijk Besluit van 18 Februari 1938 betreffende vaststelling van het wapen van de mannelijke en vrouwelijke nakomelingen in de mannelijke lijn uit het huwelijk van H.K.H. Prinses Juliana der Nederlanden met Z.K.H. Prins Bernhard der Nederlanden. [7]

Wij Wilhelmina enz. enz. enz.

hebben goedgevonden en verstaan:

aan de mannelijke en vrouwelijke nakomelingen in de mannelijke lijn uit het huwelijk van Onze Beminde Dochter met Zijne Koninklijke Hoogheid Prins Bernhard der Nederlanden, Prins van Lippe-Biesterfeld te verleenen het navolgende wapen:

gevierendeeld:

       I en IV in azuur, bezaaid met staande blokjes van goud, een klimmende rechtsgewende leeuw van goud, gekroond met een kroon van drie bladen en twee parelpunten van hetzelfde, getongd en genageld van keel, in den rechter voorklauw opgeheven houdende in schuinlinkschen stand een ontbloot Romeinsch zwaard van zilver, met gevest van goud, en in den linker een bundel van zeven pijlen van zilver, met punten van goud, de punten omhoog, en de pijlen te zamen gebonden met een lint van goud.

       II en III in goud een jachthoorn van azuur, gesnoerd en geopend van keel, beslagen van zilver, een hartschild van zilver met een roos van keel, geknopt en gepunt van goud.

       Het schild gedekt, voor de mannelijke afstammelingen, met twee helmen:

       De eerste getralied en gesierd van goud, gevoerd van keel, met dekkleden van goud en azuur, en gekroond met een kroon van drie bladen en twee parelpunten van goud en azuur, gekroond met een kroon van drie bladen en twee parelpunten van goud, Helmteeken: een vlucht van sabel, beladen met een gewelfden schuinbalk van zilver, waarop drie lindebladen van sinopel, met de stelen omhoog.

       De tweede getralied en gesierd van goud, gevoerd van keel, met dekkleeden van zilver en keel, en gekroond met een kroon van drie bladen en twee parelpunten van goud, tusschen een vlucht van zilver.

       Voor de vrouwelijke afstammelingen, gedekt met de koninklijke kroon, gelijkvormig aan die, bedoeld in artikel 4, sub a van Ons besluit van 10 Juli 1907 (Staatsblad no. 181), zooals dit is gewijzigd bij Ons besluit van 13 Juli 1909 (Staatsblad no. 271). Schildhouders: Twee Leeuwen van goud, getongd en genageld van keel.

       Alles geplaatst op een mantel van purper, geboord van goud, gevoerd met hermelijn, opgebonden met koorden, eindigende in kwasten, beide van goud, en gedekt met de boven-genoemde Koninklijke kroon.

       Onze Minister van Algemeene Zaken is belast met de uitvoering van dit besluit, dat in de Staatscourant en in het Staatsblad zal worden geplaatst

SOESTDIJK, den 18den Februari 1938.

WILHELMINA.

De Minister van Staat,

Minister van Algemeene Zaken,

H.COLIJN.

Uitgegeven den drie en twintigsten Februari 1938.

De Minister van Justitie,

C. GOSELING. 

The eldest son of Beatrix resumed the line of the titulary princes of Orange

William Alexander Claus George Ferdinand

*1967-

1980-2013

King of the Netherlands 2013-present

Son of preceding and Claus von Amsberg.

An achievement for William Alexander was adopted by Royal Decree of 26 April 1966. In the arms quarterly of the Netherlands and Orange the arms of Amsberg, being Vert, a three-towered castle Argent on a mountain Or, are on an escutcheon in nombril point.

The shield is crested with two helmets the dexter lambrequined Or and Azure, a pair of wings Sable, a fess Argent charged with three leaves of  lime Vert (Nassau) and the sinister lambrequined Vert and Argent, a lion issuant Or.

Achievement of  Prince William Alexander adopted 26.04.1966.

Arms: Quarterly of The Netherlands and Orange and in nombril point Vert, a three-towered castle Argent on a mountain Or (Amsberg).

Crest: D.: lambrequined Or and Azure, a pair of wings Sable, a fess Argent charged with three leaves of  lime Vert (Nassau). S.: lambrequined Vert and Argent, a lion issuant Or (Amsberg).

Supporters: Two lions Or, langued and unguled Gules.

Mantle: Purpure, lined ermine, fringed and tasseled Or, royally crowned.

In 1983 the Constitution was changed so that all eldest male and female children of the king could bear the title of Prince of Orange.

Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria

*07.12.2003-

Princess of Orange 30.04-2013-present

Daughter of preceding and Máxima Zorreguieta

Achievement of the children of William Alexander and Maxima Zorreguieta, 2002

Arms: Quarterly of The Netherlands and Orange and in nombril point Or, a three towered castle Gules rising from a base wavy Azure, between two cypresses proper their trunks charged with wolves passant respecting Sable. (Zorreguieta).

Crown: A royal crown

Supporters: Two lions Or, langued and unguled Gules.

Mantle: Purpure, lined ermine, fringed and tasseled Or, royally crowned.

II House of Hohenzollern, Kings of Prussia

Arms of Orange on the larger prussian arms of state of 1703 [8]

Arms of the Legacy of Orange [9]

In the larger Prussian achievement of State and in the royal title the shield of Genevois-Orange-Châlon was included by letter of 31 March 1703.

In 1708 a heraldic blunder of the first order was committed  when the arms with the chevrons of Neuchatel were placed in the fourth quarter instead of the arms of Châlons thus inlcuding the arms of a vassal (Neuchatel) in the arms of its feudal lord, and neglecting the ancient rule that the arms of the vassal are always represented enough by the arms of his feudal lord.

This arms quarterly of Châlons-Orange- Neuchâtel with Genevois in nombril point, crowned with an open crown was placed as an escutcheon in base of the main shield of the Prussian larger royal arms. [10]

The escutcheon for Orange on the larger prussian arms of 1708

In 1744 the crowned complete princely arms of Eastern Frisia was included into the larger Prussian arms of state and the shield for Orange moved to the nombril point. There it remained until 1817 when, the arms for Eastern Frisia being removed and replaced by the arms per fesse of Zollern and Nürnberg, the quarters for Orange were placed on the shield itself, after Niederlausitz.

By Supreme decree of the Cabinet of 11 January 1864 the quarters for Châlons and Genevois were removed, the blason for Orange remaining on its place so that the Orange Legacy was only reperesented by a parted per fess of Orange and Neuchatel.

The quarter for Orange on the larger prussian arms of state of 1864

The Supreme decree of the Cabinet of 16 August 1873 has also removed the quarter for Neuchâtel so that only the arms of Orange are still represented in the larger prussian arms of state.

The quarter for Orange on the the larger Prussian arms of state of 1873

As far as we know no emblem for Orange is borne by the present titulary princes of Orange from the House of Hohenzollern.

A reconstruction of the crested arms of Orange, 1894.

“For  the Principality of Orange. In a golden field a blue bugle-horn to the left with golden rings and red string.

The complete arms, as borne by the Princes of Orange were on the contrary a quartered shield with an escutcheon chequy of blue and gold (Genevois). In the first and fourth field of the main shield  a golden bend on a red field  (the Chalon Family). In the second and third in Gold a blue bugle-horn to the right with a red string and silver garnishing (Orange). On the shield a crown of leaves or two helmets with red and golden lambrequines, on the one on the right the crest of Orange: a golden pair of  antlers and on the left one the one of Chalons: a pair of wings parted of red and gold.” [11]

Æ See also coloured illustration by Godschalk in the head of this essay.