When his parents married, both were only eighteen. His mother, Anna van Egmond, was a rich heiress belonging to one of Holland's oldest families; his father, William, Prince of Orange and Count of Nassau, had inherited extensive properties from a first cousin. After their marriage on 8 July 1551, they lived alternately in Castle Buren or at the castle near Breda. Their marriage was a happy one and Philips Willem was born on 19 December 1554. His first name was to honour King Philip II of Spain while the second was after his father. He also had a sister, Maria, who survived childhood but, on 24 March 1558, they lost their mother. As his mother's heir he received the title of Count of Buren; however, being only a child, his father and uncle, Count Ludwig von Nassau, were his guardians. Even though his father was heartbroken, he consorted with women of lower class and as a result Justinus van Nassau was born, his father's only illegitimate child. However, the Prince's family insisted upon a second marriage. His first choice was Ren‚e de Lorraine but apparently this came to nothing; Ren‚e wanted the assurance that for Philips Willem a religious career was intended and so assure the full inheritance for her future children. Prince William then settled for an orphan, Anna of Saxony, and they married on 25 August 1561 at Leipzig. After several children were born, Anna returned with them to Germany for safety. There she became involved with Jan Rubens, became pregnant and was divorced. His father then married Charlotte de Bourbon who became a good friend for his sister Maria. His first years were spent with his father until, in February 1566, he entered the Louvain University where he was an excellent student. There he lived in great state with many servants. On 20 August 1567, having arrived in The Netherlands for the first time, the Spanish Duke of Alba visited Philips Willem in Louvain. However, the situation in The Netherlands soon changed when Alba, the new governor of The Netherlands, arrested both Egmond and Hoorne. The Prince of Orange had fled to Germany accompanied by his daughter Maria. A few days before the Prince's departure, Philips Willem had visited his father and they were never to see each other again. It seems strange that Philips Willem was left behind but the Prince's departure had been under the pretext of visiting his old mother in Germany who wished to see her granddaughter. Philips Willem, only a schoolboy and befriended by Alba, was regarded as safe at Louvain's University. However, Cardinal Granvelle then suggested to King Philip II to remove Philips Willem, heir of The Netherlands' premier noble, to Spain. He was removed from the University on 14 February 1568, and taken to Spain ostensibly for his education as well as a hostage to restrict his father's behaviour. Arriving in Spain in the spring of 1568, his father's complaints to Alba and Emperor Maximilian II changed nothing. Together with a few of his own servants he was sent to study at the University of Alcal… de Henares. During this period he was unrestricted in his movements, being allowed to hunt, dance, study and, apparently, have mistresses. He learned to speak Spanish, Italian, French, German, Latin and Dutch. He also became a convinced if not devout Catholic as well as a sincere servant of the Spanish king. Although he was not allowed to communicate with his family in Germany, he did succeed in sending some letters which his father received. Even though removed so far from his family, he still had a high regard for his father. One day while playing cards with a captain of the guard, the latter angered him with derogatory remarks about his father and, grabbing him around the waist, Philips Willem threw him out the window, resulting in the captain's death. He remained at Alcal… till 1578 when he was twenty-four. Possibly because his secret correspondence had been discovered, he was then taken to Ar‚valo where he was allowed to hunt rabbits and hares while seated on a donkey and accompanied by armed guards. Only within the castle walls was he allowed to ride a horse. King Philip II allowed him to visit the Escurial. Philips Willem then lost one of his servants, Jhr. von Wiltperch, who became a courtier to Philip II. His place in Philips Willem's service was taken by Robert van Moens. In 1582 an assassination attack upon his father failed, but in 1584 Balthasar Gerards succeeded. However, Philips Willem still remained imprisoned. He was now the new Prince of Orange and from now on his sister Maria sent him 2,000 ducates each year, though this was still insufficient to cover his expenses. In June 1592 he was given permission to write to his sister Maria. However, distrusting Spanish motives, she consulted their half-brother Maurits who in turn consulted the Dutch government. Although they did not answer this letter, conditions for Philips Willem improved. In the summer of 1595 it was decided to allow Philips Willem to accompany Archduke Albrecht to The Netherlands. On 4 September 1595 he left his prison, the castle of Ar‚valo, and visited the Spanish Court. Travelling by ship, the Archduke first went to Genoa where he remained for a considerable time. He then sent Philips Willem on a mission to Pope Clement VIII, but he became ill on arrival in Rome. When he recovered he was given an honourable reception by the Pope and Cardinals.

Returning to the ship, Philips Willem then continued on his journey, entering Brussels on 11 February 1596 with the Archduke's retinue. His house in Brussels had been cleaned and prepared for his return but, even though he was regarded as free, he was still subject to the will of the Spanish Government. In The Netherlands it had been recognised that Philips Willem's release had been no more than a political ploy to cause arguments between Maria and Maurits. At first Maria had been in charge of all Philips Willem's possessions, but then Maurits forced her to release those which had belonged to their father. It appears that Philips Willem's return should have caused a rift, not only within the family but also in The Netherlands. Philips Willem then assisted Archduke Albrecht in his assault on Calais where he showed his courage. In 1596 he went to Cleves where he had asked his sister Maria to meet him. Coming without the knowledge of Maurits, their meeting was the first in twenty-eight years, so that they were so overcome by emotion they were at first unable to speak. In August 1598 in Paris he met Louise de Coligny, his father's widow, who seems to have weaned him from Spain and brought him closer to France. She also suggested a French marriage, to the annoyance of Archduke Albrecht who then returned to Spain, on 14 September 1598. Accompanying him was Philips Willem to ask the new King Felipe III to intercede for him in having his principality of Orange returned to him. On 7 March 1599 Philips Willem arrived at Avignon and on 11 March entered Orange. In September 1599 he was back in Brussels. In June 1600 Maurits defeated Archduke Albrecht at Nieuwpoort. Before the battle the Archduke had boasted that he would have Maurits and Frederik Hendrik, the youngest half-brother, bound and sent to Spain. Philips Willem, assuming that this would include him also, readied his horses to escape. However, he still remained in the service of the Archdukes. Meanwhile their father's inheritance still caused disharmony and, in 1601, he suggested making concessions to restore the peace in the family. Maurits, however, was jealous of Philips Willem being a sovereign prince, fearing Philips Willem would re-unite the catholics. It would take until 1609 before the French King Henri IV was able to reconcile the two brothers. In turn, Philips Willem then reconciled Maurits and their sister, Emilia, who had married a Portugese prince. He now assumed the role of head of the family, spending time at Orange in an endeavour to restore order. With King Henri IV he eventually achieved the restoration of his full sovereignty over Orange. On 1 July 1606 he wrote to Archduke Albrecht to announce his forthcoming marriage to Eleonore de Bourbon-Cond‚, only to have the Archduke write back on 25 August expressing his surprise that Philips Willem had taken such a decision without consulting the Archduke. Nevertheless, at Fontainebleau on 23 November 1606, he did marry Eleonore Charlotte de Bourbon, daughter of the Prince de Conde, yet she was still received at the court in Brussels. Though they remained childless, their marriage turned out a happy one. Presently they commuted frequently to Orange where Philips Willem began restoring the administration of his principality. While again in Brussels, Philips Willem died on 20 February 1618. In his will he left all his possessions to his half-brother, Maurits. 

Source: Leo van de Pas