I should really say Wife 2, but the lady had a name!
After Anna van Egmond’s passing, William asked Anna van Saksen (Anna of Saxony) to be his bride in 1561. Anna’s uncle, Elector August van Saksen, was a powerful and rich monarch in the German kingdom and William attempted to create a strong position for himself by marrying Anna.
Anna was 16 years old when she married William of Orange in 1561, who was her senior by eleven years. She was his second wife and later, she was also the only one he divorced, which was highly unusual for the 16th century.
Anna and William had 2 sons and 3 daughters. Their first daughter Anna, born 31 October 1562, died shortly after birth and their son Maurits August Filips (1564-1566) died after 18 months. The other three children did survive, a second daughter named Anna (1563-1588), future stadtholder Maurits (1567-1625), and Emilia (1569-1629).
William wasn’t very fond of his second bride. He thought she was stubborn and demanding. It was not easy for Anna to adapt to the part of being a wife, and she thought she deserved more attention than her travelling husband was giving her. She demanded respect and had decided not to keep quiet about that. Her foster mother, Anne of Denmark, had mentioned more often than not that she was a headstrong girl. But then, most 16 year olds think the world revolves around them. I can’t say she should be blamed!
She in turn was angry at him for spending too much time with his many mistresses. Well….
After 1570, Anna began an affair with Jan Rubens, a lawyer and father of painter Peter Paul Rubens. In 1571, they had an illigitimate daughter, Christine . William then began divorce proceedings.
Accused of adultery, Anna’s youngest daughter Christine (by Jan Rubens) was taken away from her and Anna was locked up in a bricked up room in Dresden. Food and drink were ‘served’ through a small square in the door. She died in agony on 18 December 1577. Anna van Saksen is buried in Meissen, in an almost unmarked grave.
And now to a few examples their letters!
The first one I have for you here is a letter dated December 1569, in which William utters disbelief in her refusal to meet him and orders her to stick to her wifely duties.
In April 1570 the princess writes that she again refuses to see him and is sorry he will not send money.
This is so much better than As The World Turns!
A tiny comparison. William and Anna van Saksen were married for 10 years. He wrote her only 6 times; she writes him a lot more but he hardly replied. When William was married to his first wife Anna van Egmond (for 7 years) he wrote 40 letters to her!
Sources:
1) K.W. Böttiger, ‘Wilhelms von Oranien Ehe mit Anna von Sachsen’, Historisches Taschenbuch 7 (1836) 82-174.
2) Anna van Saksen. Verstoten bruid van Willem van Oranje, Atlas Contact Amsterdam, ISBN 9789045042312.
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