Countess Elisabeth of Nassau

Countess Elisabeth of Nassau

Countess Elisabeth of Nassau (Elisabeth Flandrika) (Middelburg, 26 April 1577 - Sedan, 3 September 1642) was the second daughter of prince William of Orange and his third spouse Charlotte of Bourbon. She was Duchess of Bouillon by marriage.

Biography

After her father was murdered in 1584, there was a shortage of money for Elisabeth, her siblings and her stepmother Louise de Coligny. In 1594 Louise took Elisabeth with her to France, where they met with several Protestant nobles. One of them, Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, of the Duchy of Bouillon and the Principality of Sedan, sent her a proposal of marriage that she accepted. The couple had nine children.

Henri tried to keep his Duchy Sedan Protestant, but had to deal with hostility emanating from his catholic French neighbors.

During his absences Louise acted as regent, and after his death in 1623 she became regent for their son Frédéric Maurice de la Marck. She kept in close contact with her stepmother and five sisters, two of whom also acted as regents at some point.

Issue

• Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne (August 1596 - November 1607) died in infancy;
• Marie de La Tour d'Auvergne (1599 - 24 May 1665) married Henri de La Trémoille, Duke of Thouars, Prince of Talmont and had issue;
• Unnamed son (April 1603)
• Juliane Catherine de La Tour d'Auvergne (8 October 1604 - 6 October 1637) married François de La Rochefoucauld, Count of Roucy, Baron of Pierrepont and had issue;
• Frédéric Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne (22 October 1605 – 9 August 1652) married Eleonora Catharina of the Bergh and had issue;
• Élisabeth de La Tour d'Auvergne (1606 - 1 December 1685) married Guy Aldonce de Durfort, mother of Guy Aldonce de Durfort de Lorges;
• Henriette Catherine de La Tour d'Auvergne (d.1677) married Amaury Gouyon, Marquis of La Moussaye, Count of Quintin and had issue;
• Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, known as the vicomte de Turenne (11 September 1611 - 27 July 1675) married Charlotte de Caumont daughter of Armand Nompar de Caumont; Armand Nompar was the uncle of the scheming Duke of Lauzun.

Ancestry

Countess Elisabeth's ancestors in three generations

Elisabeth of Nassau	Father: Prince William of Orange (1533–1584)	Paternal Grandfather: Count William I of Nassau-Dillenburg (1487–1559)	Paternal Great-grandfather: Count John V of Nassau-Dillenburg (1455–1516)
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Landgravine Elisabeth of Hesse-Marburg (1466–1523)
		Paternal Grandmother: Countess Juliana of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1506–1580)	Paternal Great-grandfather: Botho VIII of Stolberg-Wernigerode (1467–1538)
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Anna of Epstein-Königstein (1482–1538)
	Mother: Charlotte of Bourbon (1547–1582)	Maternal Grandfather: Louis de Bourbon-Montpensier (1513–1582)	Maternal Great-grandfather: Louis de Bourbon-Vendôme (1473–1520)
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Louise de Bourbon-Montpensier (1482–1561)
		Maternal Grandmother: Jacqueline de Longwy-Bar (before 1524-1561)	Maternal Great-grandfather: Jean IV de Longwy, Seigneur de Givry, Baron de Pagny et Mirebeau
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Jeanne d'Angoulême

References

• "Elisabeth van Nassau, Hertogin van Bouillon" last accessed April 1, 2007