William I (VIII) the Silent

*1533-†1584

1544-1584

Knight T.d’O. n°  226. Antwerpen, 1556

Stadholder of Holland 1559

By William the Silent the arms of Nassau, Katzenellnbogen, Vianden and Dietz were introduced on the arms of the Prince of Orange. These are:

Nassau:

Azure, strewn with billets a lion rampant Or, langued Gules

Katzenellnbogen:

Or, a lion rampant guardant Gules, langued and crowned Azure.

Vianden:

Gules a fess Argent.

Dietz:

Gules, two lions passant guardant Or, langued Azure.

Heraldic seal:

Arms: ¼ Nassau, Katzenellnbogen, Vianden, Dietz, esc. Châlons-Orange-Genève.

Crest: Orange: Gules and Or a pair of antlers Or; Nassau: Azure and Or, a pair of wings per fess Azure and Argent; Katzenellnbogen: Gules and Or, a pair of wings Sable charged with roundels Or, a lion guardant Gules crowned Azure.

Legend: ?.

Date: 1545.12.02. [1]

Stallplate of William the Silent painted for the 23rd capital in Gent,1559

Arms: ¼ Nassau, Katzenellnbogen, Vianden, Dietz met hart­schild Châlons-Orange-Genève.

Crest: Orange, Nassau en Katzenellnbogen.

Order: T. d’O..

Legend: Messire Guillaume de Nassau Prince Dorenges Seigneur de Breda. 

Hearth-plate, 1580

The crested arms of William the Silent with collar of the Fleece, between the arms of Holland (Or, a lion Gules), Zeeland (Per fess the chief Or, a lion issuant Gules, the base barry wavy Azure and Argent), Antwerp (Gules, a city-wall Argent and two open hands in chief Argent and a chief Or, a two-headed eagle Sable) and Flushing (Gules, a flask Argent).

Because of the role he played in the rebellion of the Netherlands against King Philip II he was expelled from the Order of the Fleece after the Acte van Verlatinghe (Act of Abjuration, 26 July 1581) on accusation of high treason. Since then, the collar of the order was removed from around his arms.

Arms on  his tomb in Delft (made 1615-’23).

By Hendrick de Keyser.

1584 + Arms:  The same but without collar.

The arms were also displayed in a version with a crown replacing the crests:

Heraldic seal:

Arms: ¼ Nassau, Katzenellnbogen, Vianden, Dietz, esc. Châlons-Orange-Genève.

Crown: Of seven leves

Order: Of the Fleece

Legend: ?.

Board with crowned arms of William the Silent

Leyden University Library.

1584 + Arms:  The same but without collar.

A third category shows the arms with supporters:

Great seal of William the Silent, 1562 [2]

Arms: ¼ Nassau-Katzenellnbogen-Vianden-Dietz and an escutcehon Cjalons-Oreange-Geneve.

Crest: Orange, Nassau- Katzenellnbogen

Order: Of the Fleece

Supporters: Two griffins.

Legend: (S) (GUILLEL)MI D G PR(INCIPIS) VR…. SSOV CATZENELLNBOGEN VIANDE ER DIETZ BA(RONIS) I(N) BREDA.

Date: 1562.08.25. [3]

Philip William

*1554-†1618

1584/1609-1618

Knight T.d’O. n° 293, 1599

Philip William who was taken as a hostage to Spainwas granted the membership ofthe Order of the Fleece in spite of the expulsion of his father from the order.

1609 Great seal of Philip William

Arms: ¼ Nassau, Katzenellnbogen, Vianden, Dietz met hart­schild Châlons-Orange-Genève.

Crest: Orange, Nassau and Katzenellnbogen

Legend: philip[pus] gvil[elmus] d g prin[ceps] avraicae com[es] nass[oviae] catsenel[nbogen] viand[en] bvr[en] leer[d]am &c bar[o] in breda diest arlay &c. [4])

According to a testamentary disposition of 1579 Philip William inherited Meurs which, after his death was inherited by his half-brother Maurice . 

Maurice

*1567-†1625

Stadholder of Holland and Zeeland 1585-1625

1618-1625

Knight of the Garter n° 408, 1613

By Maurice quarters for Saxony, Meurs and Buren were added.

As, because of the expulsion of his father from the Order of the Fleece, the order was not granted to his descendants, they were granted the Order of the Garter by the King of England instead.

Saxony

Meurs

Buren

His crested arms

In his career Maurice bore several arms on which the quarters of his father and mother and also the arms of Meurs and Buren were arranged in different ways. [5]

Heraldic seal 1586

Arms: ¼: 1&4: ¼ Châlons-Orange, esc. Genève; 2&3. ¼ Nassau-Katzenellnbogen-Vianden-Dietz. In nombril point Saxony.

Crown: 3 leaves & 2 pearls

Legend: s. mavritii comitis nass z marchionis ver  et .....

In about 1600 the arms were augmented with a quarter for Meurs which was placed on an escutcheon  in the 1st and 4th quarters.

From about 1601 Maurice had the motto je maintiendrai

Heraldic seal. 1615.

Arms: ¼: 1&4: ¼ Nassau-Katzenellnbogen-Vianden-Dietz esc. Meurs; 2&3.: ¼ Châlons-Orange esc. Genève; in nombril point: Saxony.

Crest: Orange, Nassau Katzenellnbogen.

Legend: s. mavritii comitis nassav et moers et marchionis ver  et vliss.....

His crowned arms:

After he had been honoured with the Order of the Garter in 1613 he surrounded his arms with the garter.

Wooden sculpture of the arms of Maurice, 1615-1618

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam inv. nr. NG-NM-10152

When he succeeded his brother Philip William in 1618 he replaced the arms of his mother Anne of Saxony by the arms of Buren of which he had become a count at the same time. These arms he bore until his death in 1625.

Arms: ¼: 1&4: ¼ Nassau-Katzenellnbogen-Vianden-Dietz, esc. Meurs; 2&3.: ¼ Châlons-Orange, esc. Genève; in nombril point: Saxony.

Crown: 3 leaves & 2 pearls

Order: Of the Garter

Legend: s. mavritii comitis nassav et moers et marchionis ver  et vliss.....

Medal with the arms of Maurice, 1618.

By Adriaen Rottermont [6]

Arms: ¼: 1&4: ¼ Nassau-Katzenellnbogen-Vianden-Dietz esc. Meurs; 2&3.: ¼ Châlons-Orange esc. Genève; in nombril point: Buren

Crown: 3 leaves and 2 leaflets

Legend: SIG * MAVRITII * DEI . GRATIA * PRINCIP * AVRAICÆ * COMIT * A * NAS.CATZ * VIAND . MOERS * Z.

Arms of Maurice in a manuscript dedicated to him

(K.B. Den Haag)

His achievement:

Achievement of Maurice, 1600

Crowned arms of the first type and two lions armed with swords for supporters.1600. [7]

Achievement of Maurice, 1613

On “The investiture of Maurice with the Order of the Garter”, 1613,

By Simon Frisius, 1613. Coll. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

The arms of the first type (omitting the arms of Meurs), are very a-typically supported by an eagle.

No supported arms of the second and third type have been found until now.

Achievement of Maurice on a plaque in Edam.

Arms of the first type, crown of a marquess and lions for supporters. The arms of Maurice are found on many places in Holland.

Frederick Henry

*1584-†1647

Stadholder and Prince of Orange 1625-1647

Knight of the Garter n° 42, 1627

Frederick Henry introduced the arms of his mother Louise de Coligny (1555-1620) in his arms for difference

Sandstone plaque from the Arsenal of the Admiralty of Rotterdam

Coll. Historisch Museum Rotterdam

Arms: ¼: 1&4: ¼ Châlons-Orange, esc. Genève; 2&3. ¼ Nassau- Katzenellnbogen-Vianden-Dietz, esc. Meurs. In nombril point: Gules, an eagle Argent, crowned, billed and clawed Azure (Coligny).

Arms: ¼: 1&4: ¼ Châlons-Orange, esc. Genève; 2&3. ¼ Nassau- Katzenellnbogen-Vianden-Dietz, esc. Meurs. In nombril point: Azure, an eagle Argent, crowned, billed and clawed Or (Coligny). Crest: Orange, Nassau, Katzenellnbogen.

Motto: ie maintiendray.  [8]

Medal of honour

Presented by Frederick Henry to Piet Hein, 1629

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

The medal shows the simplified arms of Frederick Henry adopted after he had succeeded his brother in 1625.

Arms: ¼ Nassau, Katzenellnbogen, Vianden, Dietz; in nombril point: ¼ Chalons-Orange, esc. Genève. In chief Meurs and in base Buren.

Crown: Of three leaves and two pearls

Achievement of Frederick Henry, 1632

On the façade of the Assembly of West-Frisia and the Northern Quarter

Arms: ¼ Nassau, Katzenellnbogen, Vianden, Dietz; in nombril point: ¼ Chalons-Orange, esc. Genève. In chief Meurs and in base Buren.

Crown: Of three leaves and two earls

Order: Of the Garter

Supporters: Two warriors

Around the achievement are the arms of the seven voiced cities of the north: Alkmaar. Hoorn, Enkhuizen, Edam, Monnikendam, Medemblik and Purmerend.

Coat of arms of Orange-Nassau

used by the Herald of Arms at the funeral of Frederick Henry.

 Attributed to Johan Pietersz Smout, 1647.

Coll. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.[9]

William II (X)

*1626-†1650

Stadholder and Prince of Orange 1647-1650

Knight of the Garter n° 440, 1645

His crested arms

Arms: ¼ Nassau, Katzenellnbogen, Vianden, Dietz; in nombril point: ¼ Chalons-Orange, esc. Genève. In chief Meurs and in base Buren.

Crest.: Orange, Nasaau, Katzenellnbogen.

Motto.: ie maintiendray nassav [10]

The authenticity of these arms is not free from doubt.

His crowned arms

Arms of the Prince of Orange

Prinsenhof, Delft.

His achievement

Arms ¼ Nassau, Katzenellnbogen, Vianden, Dietz; in nombril point Chalons, Orange, Genève. In chief Meurs and in base Buren.

Crest: Orange, Nassau, Katzenellnbogen.

Order: Of the Garter.

Supporters: Two crowned lions  [11]

William III

*1650-†1702

1650-1702

Stadholder 1672-1702

¥ Mary II Stuart 1677

Knight of the Garter n° 456 1661

King of Engeland and Scotland 1689-1702

Lord High Admiral 1689

The first or smaller arms of William III was a quarterly of Orange and Nassau (?). It is on a coin of him dated 1667:

Orange (principauté). Guillaume III d'Orange-Nassau (Guillaume III, Roi d'Angleterre, d'Écosse et d'Irlande). 1650-1702. AR Douzième d’Écu (20mm, 2.02 g, 6h). Orange mint. Dated 1667. GVIL · HNR · D G · PRI · AVR, bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust right; 3R in exergue / SOLI · DEO · HONOR · ET · GLO I 6 6 7, crowned coat-of-arms; crowned G to left and right of shield. CL 312; V&W 126. VF, toned, light marks in obverse fields.

From the Joseph R Lasser Collection for the benefit of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Ex Harald Salvesen Collection (Spink Zurich 28, 24 October 1988), lot 148.

Photo H.d.V.

Arms of William III, 1669

In the N.H. church in Biervliet (Zeeland)

The arms with crown, garter and motto, around the shield branches of the orange tree fructed.

Great Banner of William III when sailing to England 11.11.1688

The achievement is parted per pale of Orange-Nassau (since 1629) and England and Scotland (since 1603) being quarterly of England, Scotland and Ireland. The arms are crowned with a princely crown and supported by the lion of England and the unicorn of  Scotland. The motto is the JE MAINTIENDRAI of the princes of Orange.

Above is the motto:  FOR THE PROTESTANT RELIGION AND THE LIBERTY OF ENGLAND.

François Louis de Bourbon

Prince of Conti 30.04.1664-†09.02.1709

pretender 1702-1709

After the death of William III the Prince of Conti, heir of the House of Longueville and as such related to the House of Chalons, for that reason laid claim to the principality. Louis XIV, king of France declared in March 1702 the principality fallen to the Crown and accepted Conti as a pretender. De Conti ceded his claim to Louis XIV who then occupied the principality.

The Parliament of Paris then decided that the principality of Orange under french soverignty was allotted to the prince de Conti, which was ratified at the peace of Utrecht (1713).

Curriculum vitæ of François Louis de Bourbon-Conti (1664-1709)

Below his portrait by Nicholas de Larmessin

Arms of François Louis de Bourbon-Conti (1664-1709)

Below his portrait by Nicholas de Larmessin

Arms: Azure, three fleurs de lys 2&1 Or, a ribbon and a bordure Gules.

Crown: Of a Son of France

Order:. De St. Michel. Du St. Esprit

For this Principality of Orange a coat of arms was used without any external ornaments

Arms of Orange on a french map, 1721

Arms: Or, a bugle horn Azure, stringed and tasseled Gules.

In 1793 a departement was composed from the principality of Orange and the county of Venaissin. It was named after the village of Vaucluse, since  1946 called Fontaine-de-Vaucluse for difference.

For this departement the emblems of the Republic, the kingdom and the Empire were used. On  a map from 1852 however the arms of Avignon are used for the Department:

Header of the map of Vaucluse by Combette, ed.. Paris, 1852

In 1971 a coat of arms was adopted and in the 21st century a logo. The arms are:

Arms: Quarterly : 1. Gules, two keys in saltire, the first Or the second Argent (County of Venaissan) 2. Azure, a fleur-de-lys Or (Provence) 3. Azure, a branch of Orange Vert fructed Or and a chief Or, a bugle horn Azure stringed Gules. (Orange City) ; 4. Gules, three keys per fess Or (Avignon)

Adopted by the Assemblée Departmental 4 June 1971  [12]

Titulary Princes of Orange

Æ Part 3