Editing William the Silent (section)

==Early life and education==
William was born on 24 April 1533 at [[Dillenburg Castle]] in the County of [[Nassau-Dillenburg]], in the [[Holy Roman Empire]] (now in [[Hesse]], [[German Federal Republic]]). He was the eldest son of Count [[William I, Count of Nassau-Siegen|William I of Nassau-Siegen]] and his second wife, Countess [[Juliana of Stolberg]]. William's father had one surviving daughter by his previous marriage to [[Walburga of Egmont]], and his mother had four surviving children by her previous marriage to [[Philipp II, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg]]. His parents had twelve children together, of whom William was the eldest; he had four younger brothers and seven younger sisters. The family was religiously devout and William was raised a [[Lutheran]].{{sfn|Edmundson|1911|p=672}}

In 1544, William's [[agnatic]] first cousin, [[René of Chalon]], [[Prince of Orange]], died in the [[Siege of Saint-Dizier|siege of St Dizier]], childless. In his testament, René of Chalon named William the heir to all his estates and titles, including that of Prince of Orange, on the condition that he receive a Roman Catholic education.{{sfn|Edmundson|1911|p=672}} William's father acquiesced to this condition on behalf of his 11-year-old son, and this was the founding of the [[House of Orange-Nassau]]. Besides the Principality of Orange (located today in France) and significant lands in Germany, William also inherited vast estates in the Low Countries (present-day Netherlands and Belgium) from his cousin. Because of William's young age, [[Emperor Charles V]], who was the overlord of most of these estates, served no one.

William received his Catholic education in the [[Low Countries]], first at his family's estate in [[Breda]] and later in [[Brussels]] under the supervision of the Emperor's sister [[Mary of Hungary (governor of the Netherlands)|Mary of Hungary]], [[governor of the Habsburg Netherlands]] ([[Seventeen Provinces]]). In Brussels, he was taught foreign languages and received a military and diplomatic education<ref>Wedgwood (1944) p. 29.</ref> under the direction of [[Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle#Succession|Jérôme Perrenot de Champagney]], brother of [[Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle|Cardinal de Granvelle]].

On 6 July 1551, William married [[Anna of Egmont|Anna]], daughter and heir of [[Maximiliaan van Egmond]], an important Dutch nobleman, a match that had been secured by Charles V.{{sfn|Edmundson|1911|p=672}} Anna's father had died in 1548, and therefore William became Lord of Egmond and Count of [[Buren]] upon his wedding day. The marriage was a happy one and produced three children, one of whom died in infancy. Anna died on 24 March 1558, aged 25, leaving William much grieved.