William the Silent
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William the Silent or William the Taciturn, more commonly known in the Netherlands as William of Orange and in the Dutch national anthem as William of Nassau, was the leader of the Dutch revolt agains
Portrait by Adriaen Thomasz. Key, c. 1570–1584
Philip II of Spain berating William the Silent by Cornelis Kruseman
The triumphal entry of the Prince of Orange in Brussels. Print from The Wars of Nassau by Frans Hogenberg.
William the Silent by Willem Jacobsz Delff (1623)
Balthasar Gérard
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Balthazar Gérard was the assassin of the Dutch revolt's leader, William the Silent of the House of Orange.
William the Silent
…rebels, he led the Dutch to several successes in the fight against the Spanish. Declared an outlaw by the Spanish king in 1580, he was assassinated by Balthasar Gérard in Delft in 1584. In modern Dutch society, William is widely considered a heroic figure and the principal founding father of the Netherlands. He is…
The bullet holes are still visible at the Museum Het Prinsenhof in Delft
Reward letter of King Philip II of Spain to the family of Balthazar Gérard, 1590
Gérard shooting William the Silent