- René of Châlon
Infobox Military Person
name=René of Châlon, Prince of Orange
lived=5 February 1519 –15 July 1544
caption=René of Châlon
placeofbirth=Breda ,Duchy of Brabant
placeofdeath=Saint-Dizier ,France
allegiance=Habsburg dynasty
battles=Italian War of 1542 René of Châlon (
February 5 1519 –July 15 1544 ), also known as Renatus of Châlon, was aPrince of Orange andstadtholder ofHolland ,Zeeland , Utrecht andGelre .He was the only son of Count
Henry III of Nassau-Breda andClaudia of Châlon . Her brother,Philibert of Châlon , was the last Prince of Orange from thehouse of Châlon . When he died in 1530, René inherited the Princedom on condition that he used the name and coat of arms of the Châlon - Orange family. History knows him therefore as René of Châlon instead of "of Nassau-Breda".René of Châlon married, on
20 August 1540 , atBar-le-Duc withAnna of Lorraine (1522-1568). They had a daughter, Maria, who lived only 3 weeks and was buried in the "Grote Kerk",Breda .While in the service of Charles V he was killed during the siege of Saint-Dizier in 1544. The Emperor was at his deathbed. René of Châlon was buried in the Grote Kerk at Breda. In the church of Saint Etienne at Bar-le-Duc is a cenotaph for him.
His cousin William of Nassau-Dillenburg inherited all of René’s lands. This, William I of Orange, (in English better known as
William the Silent ) became the founder of the House ofOrange-Nassau .
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