Frederick of Nassau, Lord of Zuylestein (1624–1672) was an illegitimate son of
Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, by Margaretha Catharina Bruyns,
Life
Frederick was born in 1624 out of wedlock to
Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange (1584 – 1647) and Margaretha Catharina Bruyns (1595–1625), who was the daughter of Ludolph Bruyns, mayor of
Emmerich.
On 15 March 1640, Frederick's father gave him
Castle Zuylestein (also spelled Zuylenstein) - situated about twenty miles east of the city of
Utrecht, and with it he also gave him the title Lord of Zuylestein (in Dutch: Heer van Zuylestein). Furthermore, he made Frederick captain of infantry for the state.
In 1659, Frederick was made governor of the household of his nephew,
William III of Orange. Through lobbying by
Johan de Wit, William III became the state's ward in 1666, and Frederick was dismissed. His dismissal was because he was married to an Englishwoman and was under suspicion of pro-English leanings. In April 1672 (the
rampjaar) he became general of the infantry and in August he became involved in the murders of Johan and
Cornelis de Wit.
Hendrik van Nassau-Zuylestein, Heer van Leersum (ca 1650 – 13 November 1673). He died in the siege of
Bonn when the troops of the Republic, under the leadership of his cousin William III, conquered Bonn, which resulted in the French supply lines to the troops in the Republic being cut off.
Frederick was an illegitimate son of
Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, born to him before he married. Frederick had nine legitimate half-siblings with whom he shared his father. Their mother was his father's wife
Amalia of Solms-Braunfels.
^Rietstap, Johannes Baptist (1861). Armorial général, contenant la description des armoiries des familles nobles et patriciennes de l'Europe: précédé d'un dictionnaire des termes du blason. G.B. van Goor. p. 746.