Margaretha van Mechelen was a South Dutch

Southern Netherlands

Southern Netherlands were a part of the Low Countries controlled by Spain , Austria and annexed by France...

 noblewoman and (from c.1600 to c.1610) the mistress of Maurice of Nassau, 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,...

, with whom she had 3 sons:

• Willem of Nassau, lord of the Lek
• Louis of Nassau, lord of den Lek and Beverweerd
  Louis of Nassau, lord of den Lek and Beverweerd
  Louis of Nassau, Lord of De Lek and Beverweerd was a Dutch soldier. He was the illegitimate son of Margaretha van Mechelen and Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, and so a collateral member of the House of Orange-Nassau. He was a Lord of the heerlijkheid De Lek and Beverweerd...
  
  
• Maurice of Nassau

Though Maurice refused to marry her (probably because she was a Catholic and only from the minor nobility), he did state his intent to do so from his death bed (and to legitimise and marry off their children). This would threaten his half-brother Frederick Henry

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:...

's place in the succession and so Frederick Henry summoned Amalia of Solms-Braunfels

Amalia of Solms-Braunfels

Amalia of Solms-Braunfels , was a regent of Orange. She was the wife of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange. She was the daughter of John Albert I of Solms-Braunfels and Agnes of Sayn-Wittgenstein.-Childhood:...

and married her a few days before Maurice's death.

External links

• Portrait in the Digitaal Vrouwenlexicon