Religion Dutch Reformed | Name Princess of | |
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Tenure 5 March 1760 - 6 May 1787 Born 28 February 1743 ( 1743-02-28 ) Issue George Wilhelm, Hereditary Prince of Nassau-WeilburgWilhelm Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Nassau-WeilburgPrincess MariaLuise, Princess Heinrich XIII Reuss of GreizFrederick William, Prince of Nassau-WeilburgKaroline, Princess of WiedPrince Karl LudwigAmalie, Princess of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-HoymHenriette, Duchess Louis of WurttembergPrince Karl Children Frederick William, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg, Princess Henriette of Nassau-Weilburg, Amelia of Nassau-Weilburg Parents William IV, Prince of Orange, Anne, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange Similar People |
Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau (Wilhelmine Carolina; 28 February 1743, Leeuwarden – 6 May 1787, Kirchheimbolanden) was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands, and Anne, Princess Royal.
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Regent
Princess Carolina was born in Leeuwarden. In 1747, it was declared that the position of Stadtholder could be inherited by females, thus making the young Princess Carolina the heiress presumptive to the position of Stadtholder. However, in 1748, a male heir, Willem, was born to her parents, thus displacing her and putting her second in line to the position.
Princess Carolina's father died in 1751, making her three-year-old brother Willem V of Orange. At that point, her mother was appointed Princess-Regent. However, in 1759, her mother died, and Willem V was still just ten years old. Then, Princess Carolina's paternal grandmother, Princess Marie-Luise, was made Princess-Regent. Princess Marie-Luise was regent until 1765, when she died. Willem V was now seventeen, but that was still not old enough to rule on his own. So, Princess Carolina was made regent. She ruled until 1766, when Willem V turned eighteen.
Marriage and children
On 5 March 1760 in The Hague, during the regency of her grandmother Princess Marie Luise, Princess Carolina married Karl Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg. They had fifteen children, seven of whom survived to adulthood: