William, Duke of Nassau

Wilhelm (Given names: Georg Wilhelm August Heinrich Belgicus; 14 June 1792, Kirchheimbolanden – 20/30 August 1839, Bad Kissingen) was joint sovereign Duke of Nassau, along with his father's cousin Frederick Augustus, reigning from 1816 until 1839. He was also sovereign Prince of Nassau-Weilburg from 1816 until its incorporation into the duchy of Nassau.

William
William
Duke of Nassau
Reign24 March 1816 – 20 August 1839
PredecessorFrederick Augustus
SuccessorAdolf
Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
Reign9 January 1816 – 24 March 1816
PredecessorFrederick William
SuccessorNone. Incorporated into the Duchy of Nassau
Born(1792-06-14)14 June 1792
Kirchheimbolanden, Principality of Nassau-Weilburg
Died20 August 1839(1839-08-20) (aged 47)
Kissingen, Kingdom of Bavaria
Burial
Schlosskirche, Weilburg
Spouse
(m. 1813; died 1825)
IssuePrincess Auguste
Therese, Duchess Peter Georgievich of Oldenburg
Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Prince Wilhelm Karl
Prince Moritz
Princess Marie Wilhelmine
Prince Wilhelm
Marie, Princess of Wied
Helena, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont
Prince Nikolaus Wilhelm
Sophia, Queen of Sweden and Norway
Names
Georg Wilhelm August Heinrich Belgicus
HouseNassau-Weilburg
FatherFrederick William, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
MotherBurgravine Louise Isabelle of Kirchberg
ReligionCalvinism

Frederick Augustus died on 24 March 1816 and Wilhelm inherited the Usingen territories and became sole sovereign of the Duchy of Nassau.

He is the father of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Queen Sophia of Sweden and Norway, consort of King Oscar II and a 3rd cousin of William III of the Netherlands, who left a surviving daughter to rule his main realm, but the crown of Luxembourg went through the male line, looking to 17 generations back, to pass to the Duke of Nassau and then his descendants.

Biography

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Wilhelm was the eldest son of Frederick William, Duke of Nassau, and his wife, Burgravine Louise Isabelle of Kirchberg. With the Nassau troops, he was involved on the Seventh Coalition's side in the Battle of Waterloo against Napoleon.

Duke of Nassau

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On 9 January 1816, he succeeded his father, Duke Frederick William, as the Prince of Nassau-Weilburg and joint Duke of Nassau with his cousin, Frederick Augustus, of the Nassau-Usingen branch of his family. When his cousin and co-Duke died on 24 March 1816, Wilhelm inherited the Usingen territories and became sole ruler of the Duchy of Nassau. He kept the title of Duke of Nassau for the rest of his reign.

Marriages and children

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On 24 June 1813 in Weilburg, Wilhelm married his first wife, Princess Louise of Saxe-Altenburg (28 January 1794 Hildburghausen, Thüringen – 6 April 1825, Biebrich or Weilburg). She was a daughter of Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (who, until 1826, had been the last Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen) and his wife, Duchess Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. They had eight children:

Wilhelm married, as his second wife, his first wife's niece, Princess Pauline of Württemberg (Stuttgart, 25 February 1810 – Wiesbaden, 7 July 1856) on 23 April 1829 in Stuttgart. Pauline was a daughter of Prince Paul of Württemberg and his wife Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen.

Wilhelm and Pauline had four children:

Ancestry

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References

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  • Marek, Miroslav. "A listing of descendants of the House of Nassau-Weilburg". Genealogy.EU.[self-published source][better source needed]
William, Duke of Nassau
Cadet branch of the House of Nassau
Born: June 14 1792 Died: August 20 1839
Regnal titles
Preceded by Prince of Nassau-Weilburg
1816
Succeeded by
None
Incorporated into the Duchy of Nassau
Preceded by Duke of Nassau
1816–1839
Succeeded by