William the Silent

Prince of Orange from 1544. Leading a revolt against Spanish rule in the Netherlands from 1573, he briefly succeeded in uniting the Catholic south and Protestant northern provinces, but the former provinces submitted to Spain while the latter formed a federation in 1579 (Union of Utrecht) which repudiated Spanish suzerainty in 1581.

William, brought up at the court of Charles V, was appointed governor of Holland by Philip II of Spain in 1559, but joined the revolt of 1572 against Spain's oppressive rule and, as a Protestant from 1573, became the national leader and first stadholder (the chief magistrate of the United Provinces of the Netherlands). He was known as ‘the Silent’ because of his absolute discretion. He was assassinated by a Spanish agent.