Countess Anna of Nassau (5 November 1563 – 13 June 1588) was a daughter of William the Silent

William the Silent

William I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...

 and his second wife, Anna of Saxony

Anna of Saxony

Anna of Saxony was the only child and heiress of Maurice, Elector of Saxony, and Agnes, eldest daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. She was the second wife of William the Silent.Anna was born and died in Dresden...

. She was the wife of William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg

William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg

William Louis of Nassau-Dillenburg was Count of Nassau-Dillenburg from 1606 to 1620, and stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe. He was the eldest son of John VI, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg.William Louis served as a cavalry officer under William the Silent...

.

Biography

Anna and William Louis were married just after Anna's twenty fourth birthday on November 25, 1587. The marriage was however only a short one, Anna died only six months after the marriage; therefore, they had no children and William Louis never remarried. William Louis became Count

Count

A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...

 of Nassau- Dillenburg.

Family

Anna's mother, Anna of Saxony never had a happy marriage with Anna's father, William the Silent. Anna of Saxony was described as unstable and violent. She was unpopular with her family and the citizens.

Anna of Saxony took up with her lawyer, with whom she had an illegitimate daughter called Christina. After this incident, Anna and her siblings never saw their mother again. Anna of Saxony was sent to Beilstein castle with Christina, here her behavior became worse, until the servants were ordered to keep all knives away from her, lest she attack someone. Anna of Saxony began to suffer from hallucinations and violent outbursts. Christina was removed from her care and sent to be raised with her Anna and her siblings. William annulled their marriage, and remarried twice. Anna lived out the rest of her days in Dresden, until her death aged thirty-two in 1577.

Her father then married Charlotte of Bourbon

Charlotte of Bourbon

Charlotte of Bourbon , was the fourth daughter of Louis, Duke of Montpensier and Jacqueline de Longwy, Countess of Bar-sur-Seine...

, with whom he had six daughters. After her death in 1582, William married Louise de Coligny

Louise de Coligny

Louise de Coligny was the daughter of Gaspard de Coligny and Charlotte de Laval and the fourth and last spouse of William the Silent.-Biography:...

 who gave birth to a son, Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange

Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange

Frederick Henry, or Frederik Hendrik in Dutch , was the sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel from 1625 to 1647.-Early life:...

.

Amony Anna's siblings were Maurice, Prince of Orange

Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange

Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange was sovereign Prince of Orange from 1618, on the death of his eldest half brother, Philip William, Prince of Orange,...

 and Emilia of Nassau.

Ancestry

Countess Anna of Nassau: Ancestors in three generations

Countess Anna of Nassau	Father: Prince William I of Orange (The Silent) William the Silent William I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...   (1533–1584)	Grandfather: Count William I of Nassau-Dillenburg William I, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg William of Nassau was a count of Nassau-Dillenburg from the House of Nassau. He was called William the Rich....   (1487–1559)	Greatgrandfather: Count John V of Nassau-Dillenburg (1455–1516)
			Greatgrandmother: Landgravine Elisabeth of Hesse-Marburg (1466–1523)
		Grandmother: Countess Juliana of Stolberg-Wernigerode Juliana of Stolberg Juliana, Countess of Stolberg-Wernigerode was the mother of William the Silent, the leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish in the 16th century....   (1506–1580)	Greatgrandfather: Count Bodo VIII, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode Bodo VIII, Count of Stolberg-Wernigerode Count Bodo VIII of Stolberg-Wernigerode was Count of Stolberg and Hohnstein and Lord of Wernigerode from 1511 until his death.- Life :...  (1467–1538)
			Greatgrandmother: Anna of Epstein-Königstein (1482–1538)
	Mother: Anna of Saxony Anna of Saxony Anna of Saxony was the only child and heiress of Maurice, Elector of Saxony, and Agnes, eldest daughter of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. She was the second wife of William the Silent.Anna was born and died in Dresden...   (1544–1577)	Grandfather: Elector Maurice I of Saxony Maurice, Elector of Saxony Maurice was Duke and later Elector of Saxony. His clever manipulation of alliances and disputes gained the Albertine branch of the Wettin dynasty extensive lands and the electoral dignity....   (1521–1553)	Greatgrandfather: Duke Henry IV of Saxony Henry IV, Duke of Saxony Henry IV the Pious, Duke of Saxony was a Duke of Saxony from the House of Wettin.-Biography:Heinrich was the second son of Albert, Duke of Saxony and his wife Sidonie Podiebrad, princess of Bohemia...  (1473–1541)
			Greatgrandmother: Catherine of Mecklenburg Catherine of Mecklenburg Catherine of Mecklenburg , Duchess of Saxony, was the daughter of the Duke Magnus II of Mecklenburg and Sophie of Pomerania-Stettin. She married on 6 July 1512 in Freiberg Duke Henry the Pious of Saxony...  (1487–1561)
		Grandmother: Agnes of Hesse Agnes of Hesse Agnes of Hesse was a princess of Hesse by birth and by marriage Electress of Saxony.- Life :...  (1527–1555)	Greatgrandfather: Landgrave Philip I of Hesse Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse Philip I of Hesse, , nicknamed der Großmütige was a leading champion of the Protestant Reformation and one of the most important of the early Protestant rulers in Germany....  (1504–1567)
			Greatgrandmother: Christine of Saxony Christine of Saxony Christine of Saxony was a German noble, landgravine of Hesse. She was the regent of Hesse in 1547-1549.... (1505–1549)