Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau
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Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau (14 June 1792, Kirchheimbolanden - 20 August/30 August 1839, Bad Kissingen) was the father of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
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[edit] Family
Wilhelm was the eldest son of Frederick William, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg and his wife Louise Isabelle of Kirchberg.
Frederick William was the eldest surviving son of Karl Christian of Nassau-Weilburg and Princess Wilhelmine Carolina of Orange-Nassau.
Wilhelmine Carolina was a daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange and Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange. Anne was in turn the eldest daughter of George II of Great Britain and Caroline of Ansbach.
[edit] Duke of Nassau
He was the heir to his father since the time of his birth. Frederick William died on 9 January 1816 and Wilhelm succeeded him as Prince of Nassau-Weilburg and Duke of Nassau. Nassau-Weilburg ceased to exist as a separate state later that same year. He kept the title of Duke of Nassau for the rest of his reign.
[edit] Marriages and children
On 24 June 1816, Wilhelm married his first wife Charlotte Louise of Saxe-Altenburg. She was a daughter of Frederick, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (who, until 1826, had been the last Duke of Saxe-Hildburghausen) and his wife Charlotte Georgine of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. They had eight children:
- Auguste Luise Friederike Maximiliane Wilhelmine of Nassau-Weilburg (12 April - 3 October 1814).
- Therese of Nassau-Weilburg (17 April 1815 - 8 December 1871). Married Peter of Oldenburg. Their grandson was the Tsarist General Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich of Russia.
- Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (24 July 1817 - 17 November 1905).
- Wilhelm Karl Heinrich Friedrich of Nassau-Weilburg (8 September 1819 - 22 April 1823).
- Moritz of Nassau-Weilburg (21 November 1820 - 23 March 1850).
- Marie Wilhelmine Luise Friederike Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg (5 April 1822 - 3 April 1824).
- Wilhelm Karl August Friedrich of Nassau-Weilburg (12 August 1823 - 28 December 1828).
- Marie Wilhelmine Friederike Elisabeth of Nassau-Weilburg (29 January 1825 - 24 March 1902). Married Hermann, Prince of Wied. Their daughter Elisabeth married King Carol I of Romania.
On 6 April 1825, Charlotte died. Wilhelm married his second wife, Pauline of Württemberg on 23 April 1829. Pauline was a daughter of Prince Paul of Württemberg and his wife Charlotte of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
Her paternal grandparents were Frederick I of Württemberg and his wife Duchess Augusta of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Augusta was the eldest daughter of Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg and Princess Augusta Charlotte of Wales.
Wilhelm and Pauline had four children:
- An unnamed daughter 27 April - 28 April 1830).
- Helene of Nassau-Weilburg (12 April 1831 - 27 October 1880. She married Georg Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and had issue:
- Friedrich, last reigning prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont.
- Emma, who married King William III of the Netherlands. The present Dutch royal family descends from this marriage.
- Helena who married British prince Leopold, Duke of Albany. Amongst her children was Charles Edward, last reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
- Nikolaus Wilhelm of Nassau-Weilburg (20 September 1832 - 17 September 1905). Married, morganatically, Natalia Alexandrovna Pushkina, Countess of Merenberg. She was a daughter of Alexander Pushkin and his wife Natalya Goncharova.
- Sofia of Nassau (9 July 1836 - 30 December 1913). Married King Oscar II of Sweden. The present Swedish royal family descends from this marriage.
| Preceded by Frederick William |
Prince of Nassau-Weilburg 1816 |
Succeeded by incorporated to the Duchy of Nassau |
| Preceded by Frederick William |
Duke of Nassau 9 January 1816 - 20 August/30 August 1839 |
Succeeded by Adolphe |
