Anna van Egmont facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anna van Egmont
A portrait of Anna van Egmont, possibly a copy after Antonis Mor (Dutch Royal Collections). Inscription, below: PRINCESSA D, ORANGE
Princess consort of Orange
Tenure	6 July 1551 – 24 March 1558
Countess of Buren Countess of Leerdam Countess of Lingen Lady of Egmond
Tenure	24 December 1548 – 24 March 1558
Predecessor	Maximiliaan van Egmond
Successor	William the Silent
Born	March 1533 Grave, Duchy of Brabant
Died	24 March 1558 (aged 25) Breda, Duchy of Brabant
Spouse	William I, Prince of Orange
Issue	Countess Maria Philip William, Prince of Orange Maria, Countess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
House	Egmond
Father	Maximiliaan van Egmond
Mother	Françoise de Lannoy

Anna van Egmont (born March 1533 – died 24 March 1558) was a very important Dutch heiress. She is also known as Anna van Buren. She became the first wife of William the Silent, who was a famous Prince of Orange.

Anna's Early Life

Anna was born in a town called Grave in the Netherlands in March 1533. She was the only child of Maximiliaan van Egmond and Françoise de Lannoy.

Because she was the only child, Anna inherited many titles and lands. She became the Countess of Buren and Lady of Egmond. She was also Countess of Lingen and Leerdam. Plus, she was Lady of many other places like IJsselstein and Grave.

Her parents were from very important noble families. Her father, Maximiliaan, was a military commander for Charles V. Charles V was the powerful emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and king of Spain. Maximiliaan also helped govern parts of the Netherlands.

Anna's father often visited the court in Brussels. This was where Charles V and his sister, Mary of Hungary, lived. Mary was the governor of the Netherlands at that time. Anna and her mother usually stayed at their family castle in Buren.

Anna grew up in a noble world. She learned French, which was the language spoken at court. She also knew Dutch. She would later write letters to William of Orange in French.

Marriage to William the Silent

Anna's father died suddenly in 1548. He arranged for Anna to marry William of Nassau, who was also known as William, Prince of Orange. William was a very important young nobleman, and he was the same age as Anna.

Anna was only fifteen years old when her father died. She became one of the most desired brides in Europe because of her wealth and titles. Both Charles V and Mary of Hungary supported her marriage to William.

Anna married William the Silent on 8 July 1551 in Buren. After their marriage, William gained the titles Lord of Egmond and Count of Buren. The couple lived in William's family castle in Breda. However, Anna was often there alone with their children. This was because William was frequently away. He was often at court or leading armies in wars against France.

Anna van Egmont and William the Silent had three children:

• Countess Maria of Nassau (born 22 November 1553 – died after 23 July 1555). She was named after Mary of Hungary. Maria died when she was a baby.
• Philip William, Prince of Orange (born 19 December 1554 – died 20 February 1618). He was named after King Philip II of Spain and William's father. Philip William later married Eleonora of Bourbon-Condé, but they did not have any children.
• Countess Maria of Nassau (born 7 February 1556 – died 10 October 1616). She was named after her older sister who had passed away. Maria married Count Philip of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein, and they also did not have children.

William wrote 47 letters to Anna that we still have today. Sadly, Anna's letters to him are lost. Their letters show that they had a loving relationship. William often thanked Anna for managing their affairs while he was away.

Anna rarely traveled with her husband. Only once, in 1555, did William ask her to join him in Brussels. This was when Philip II was becoming the new ruler.

Anna's Later Life and Legacy

We don't have a lot of direct information about Anna van Egmont's daily life. However, as the Countess of Buren and especially as the Princess of Orange, she must have been a very important person. She lived during a time when William was still serving the ruler, before the big conflicts began.

Anna was only 25 years old when she died. Her children did not play a major role in history later on. This was partly because her son, Philip William, was taken to Spain as a hostage.

In early 1558, Anna was supposed to travel with William, but she became ill. She died from her illness in March of that year.

William was very sad about her death. He also became ill shortly after she passed away. Many important people, including Philip II, sent their condolences to him. Anna van Egmont was buried in a chapel in the Grote Kerk (Great Church) in Breda.

Her son, Philip William, inherited the County of Buren. He later gave it to his half-brother Maurits. This made it part of the important heritage of the House of Orange-Nassau.

What Did Anna Look Like?

There are several portraits that show Anna van Egmont. The only painting of her in the Royal Collections of the Netherlands is thought to be a copy of a lost painting by Antonis Mor.

Another portrait, called Portrait of a Noble Young Lady, was painted by Pieter Pourbus. It was shown in exhibitions in 2017 and 2018.

Portraits Possibly Copied from Antonis Mor

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  1. This large portrait is in the Ducal Palace of Mantua, Italy. It is the only one that shows her hands. She holds a beautiful fan with colorful feathers.

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  2. This portrait is in the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, England.

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  3. This portrait is in the Museum of the Chartreuse de Douai, France. It has an inscription that says "CONT/A DI BUREN".

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  4. This portrait is in a private collection in Brussels, Belgium. It shows the coat of arms of Lichtervelde.

These portraits are all different sizes. They also show small changes in her dress or jewelry. However, they all seem to copy the same face, scarf (a type of shawl), and the way her scarf is placed. Her coif (a close-fitting cap) is always a French hood, which is a type of headwear. It looks the same in all four copies, but with different details or added jewels.

One version of the portrait, from a collection in France, shows even more differences. In this one, Anna wears large, oval earrings. The caption on this portrait says "Prin = d, Orange".

Two other possible portraits have also been identified and mentioned in an article called "The Klabin portrait".

Images for kids

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  Anna van Egmont in the Recueil d'Arras

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  Statue of Anna, William, Maria and Philip William in Buren

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  Anna van Buren's grave in Breda

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  Portrait of a young noblewoman, 41.3 x 31.2cm, signed and dated 1554, private collection

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  William of Orange in Armour (1555) by Mor, 115 x 82cm, Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel

See also

In Spanish: Ana de Egmond para niños