PRINCE FREDERICK OF THE NETHERLANDS (1797-1881)

 PRINCE FREDERICK OF THE NETHERLANDS (1797-1881)

Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau was the second son of William I of the Netherlands and his wife, Wilhelmine of Prussia. He was born in Berlin as his parents were banned from the Netherlands by the patriot movement.

The prince first entered the Netherlands in December 1813. In 1826 Frederick was appointed Commissioner-General of the Department of War.

As Commissioner, Frederick reorganized the army on the Prussian model, and re-equipped the army with modern weapons. He married his cousin Princess Louise of Prussia. His daughter became queen of Sweden and he became the great grandfather of King Christiaan x of Denmark and King Haakon VII of Norway. In 1829 Frederick was a candidate for the Greek throne, but he declined because he did not want to be king of a country whose language and traditions were foreign to him. He played a big role in the House of Orange family.

He was last seen in public at the baptism of his great cousin Wilhelmina in 1880. He was 84 when he died in 1881, then the longest living member of the House of Orange ever. This record was broken by Princess Juliana when she died aged 94.

Here are two item we have in our collection of Prince Frederick: