Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau

Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau, Princess of Nassau-Weilburg (February 28, 1743, Leeuwarden – May 6, 1787, Kirchheimbolanden) was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands, and HRH Anne, the Princess Royal.

Her maternal grandparents were George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach.

Regent

Princess Carolina was born in Leeuwarden. In 1747, it was declared that the position of Stadtholder could be inherited by females, thus making the young Princess Carolina the heiress presumptive to the position of Stadtholder. However, in 1748, a male heir, Willem, was born to her parents, thus displacing her and putting her second in line to the position.

Princess Carolina's father died in 1751, making her three-year-old brother Willem V of Orange. At that point, her mother was appointed Princess-Regent. However, in 1759, her mother died, and Willem V was still just ten years old. Then, Princess Carolina's paternal grandmother, Princess Marie Luise, was made Princess-Regent. Princess Marie-Luise was regent until 1765, when she died. Willem V was now seventeen, but that was still not old enough to rule on his own. So, Princess Carolina was made Princess-Regent. She ruled until 1766, when Willem V turned eighteen.

Marriage and children

On 5 March, 1760, during the regency of Princess Marie Luise, Princess Carolina married HSH Duke Karl Christian of Nassau-Weilburg. They had fifteen children:

*George Wilhelm Belgicus of Nassau-Weilburg (18 December/19 December, 1760 - 27 May, 1762).
*Wilhelm Ludwig Karl Flemand of Nassau-Weilburg (12 December, 1761 - 16 April/26 April, 1770).
*Augusta Maria Carolina of Nassau-Weilburg (5 February, 1764 - 20 January, 1802). A nun in Quedlinburg en Herford.
*Wilhelmine Louise of Nassau-Weilburg (28 September, 1765 - 10 October, 1837). Married Heinrich XIII, Princes Reuss.
*Stillborn Daughter (21 October 1767)
*Frederick William, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg (25 October, 1768, The Hague - 9 January, 1816).
*Karoline Luise Friederike of Nassau-Weilburg (14 February, 1770 - 8 July, 1828). Married Karl Ludwig, Prince of Wied
*Karl Ludwig of Nassau-Weilburg (19 July - 27 July, 1772).
*Karl Friedrich Wilhelm of Nassau-Weilburg (1 May, 1775 - 11 May, 1807).
*Amalie Charlotte Wilhelmine Louise of Nassau-Weilburg (7 August, 1776 - 19 February, 1841). Married Victor II, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym.
*Stillborn Child (1778)
*Stillborn Child (1779)
*Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg (22 April, 1780 - 2 January, 1857). Married Duke Louis of Württemberg, second son of Friedrich II Eugen, Duke of Württemberg.
*Karl of Nassau-Weilburg (born and deceased in 1784).
*Stillborn Child (1785)

External links

* [http://genealogy.euweb.cz/nassau/nassau6.html#HAF A listing of descedants of the House of Nassau-Weilburg, including her children]