Royal descendants of John William Friso, Prince of Orange

The descendants of John William Friso, Prince of Orange currently occupy all the hereditary thrones of Europe, as well as some former ones. Unlike Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom (the Grandmother of Europe, with nine children) or King Christian IX of Denmark (a Father-in-law of Europe, with six children), John William Friso had only one daughter and one posthumously-born son, died at the age of twenty-four, and had no kings or queens descended from him for a century after his death. However, since then, every monarchy in Europe has seen his blood passed on into their royal house (or been abolished).

Royal descendants

John William Friso is the most recent common ancestor of today's European monarchs. The first king to be descended from him was William I of the Netherlands, who as King of the United Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1815 ruled all of present-day Benelux until Belgium's independence in 1839. All descent from him is partly through the female line, as the male-line House of Orange-Nassau died out with Wilhelmina of the Netherlands in 1962.

By the end of the Second World War most of Europe's remaining crowned heads were John William Friso's descendants. With the abolition of the monarchy in Hungary and Albania, all remaining ruling monarchs in Europe were descended from this Prince of Orange, a state that has remained constant since then.

Current monarchs

Belgium

The Kingdom of Belgium, which established its own monarch separate from the House of Orange-Nassau in 1839, has been ruled by its later descendants since 1909.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. Amalia of Orange-Nassau
3. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden
4. Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden
5. Charles, Grand Duke of Baden
6. Josephine of Baden
7. Marie of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
8. Albert I of Belgium
9. Leopold III of Belgium
10. Albert II of Belgium

Denmark

The Kingdom of Denmark saw King Frederick VIII marry Princess Lovisa of Sweden; their children and further descendants have ruled the country since 1912.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. William IV, Prince of Orange
3. William V, Prince of Orange
4. William I of the Netherlands
5. Prince Frederick of the Netherlands
6. Louise of the Netherlands
7. Louise of Sweden
8. Christian X of Denmark
9. Frederick IX of Denmark
10. Margrethe II of Denmark

Liechtenstein

The Principality of Liechtenstein descends from John William Friso through relatives of the rulers of the Austrian Empire, which was abolished in 1918 following World War I.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. Amalia of Orange-Nassau
3. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden
4. Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden
5. Karoline of Baden
6. Sophie of Bavaria
7. Archduke Charles Louis of Austria
8. Elisabeth Amalia of Austria
9. Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein
10. Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein

Luxembourg

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was in personal union with the Kingdom of the Netherlands from its creation at the Congress of Vienna until the accession of Wilhelmina as Queen of the Netherlands; she was unable to take the throne of Luxembourg because of its adherance to Salic Law. The throne passed to a cadet branch of the house, but Luxembourg remains one of two monarchies to be ruled by John William Friso's descendants since 1815.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. William IV, Prince of Orange
3. Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau
4. Frederick William, Duke of Nassau
5. William, Duke of Nassau
6. Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
7. William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
8. Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
9. Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
10. Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Henri is also descended from the House of Orange-Nassau through his mother Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, a sister of Albert II (see Belgium).

Monaco

The Principality of Monaco descends from John William Friso through a Scottish Princess of Monaco, who traces her ancestry to the House of Baden. Her descendants have ruled Monaco since 1922.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. Amalia of Orange-Nassau
3. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden
4. Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden
5. Charles, Grand Duke of Baden
6. Marie of Baden
7. Mary Victoria Hamilton
8. Louis II of Monaco
9. Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois
10. Rainier III, Prince of Monaco
11. Albert II, Prince of Monaco

Albert is the only current hereditary monarch without legitimate issue to inherit the throne on his death or abdication; however, next in line are his sisters and their children, who will continue the descent from Prince Rainier.

Netherlands

The Kingdom of the Netherlands was created after the deposition of Napoléon Bonaparte by William VI, Prince of Orange (John William Friso's great-grandson), who became the first king in 1815. His senior living heir, Queen Beatrix, is the heir of John William Friso following male-preference primogeniture.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. William IV, Prince of Orange
3. William V, Prince of Orange
4. William I of the Netherlands
5. William II of the Netherlands
6. William III of the Netherlands
7. Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
8. Juliana of the Netherlands
9. Beatrix of the Netherlands

Norway

The Kingdom of Norway has been ruled separately from any other Scandinavian nation since 1905; its first king was the grandson of the king of Denmark; thus his father and later his brother ruled Denmark. Haakon VII was the first Scandinavian ruler to be descended from John William Friso.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. William IV, Prince of Orange
3. William V, Prince of Orange
4. William I of the Netherlands
5. Prince Frederick of the Netherlands
6. Louise of the Netherlands
7. Louise of Sweden
8. Haakon VII of Norway
9. Olav V of Norway
10. Harald V of Norway

Spain

The Kingdom of Spain was ruled a descendant of the House of Orange-Nassau (through the House of Habsburg-Lorraine) from 1886 until 1931, when the monarchy was abolished. After the death of Francisco Franco in 1975, however, a grandson of the last king was restored to the throne.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. William IV, Prince of Orange
3. Carolina of Orange-Nassau
4. Frederick William, Duke of Nassau
5. Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg
6. Archduke Charles Ferdinand of Austria
7. Maria Christina of Austria
8. Alfonso XIII of Spain
9. Juan de Borbón, Count of Barcelona
10. Juan Carlos I of Spain

Sweden

The Kingdom of Sweden's first royal consort of the House of Orange-Nassau, Louise of the Netherlands, had no sons to inherit her husband's throne; however, the throne passed to another branch, descended from Sofia of Nassau, of the cadet branch of Nassau-Weilburg, who have ruled Sweden since 1907.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. William IV, Prince of Orange
3. Carolina of Orange-Nassau
4. Frederick William, Duke of Nassau
5. William, Duke of Nassau
6. Sophia of Nassau
7. Gustav V of Sweden
8. Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden
9. Prince Gustav Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten
10. Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been ruled by John William Friso's descendants since 1936, being descended from Queen Mary through the Dukes of Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. William IV, Prince of Orange
3. Carolina of Orange-Nassau
4. Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg
5. Duke Alexander of Württemberg
6. Francis, Duke of Teck
7. Mary of Teck
8. George VI of the United Kingdom (younger brother of Edward VIII of the United Kingdom)
9. Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Former monarchies

Austria

The last two emperors of Austria, reigning from 1848 until 1918, were descended from John William Friso.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. Amalia of Nassau-Dietz
3. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden
4. Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden
5. Caroline of Baden
6. Sophie of Bavaria
7. Archduke Charles Louis of Austria (younger brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I)
8. Archduke Otto Francis of Austria
9. Charles I of Austria

Baden

The last grand duke of Baden, reigning until 1918, was descended from John William Friso.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. Amalia of Orange-Nassau
3. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden
4. Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden (uncle of Grand Duke Charles and younger brother of Grand Duke Louis I)
5. Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden (younger brother of Grand Duke Louis II)
6. Frederick II, Grand Duke of Baden

Bulgaria

Simeon II of Bulgaria was head of state as the Tsar of Bulgaria from 1943 to 1946 when the monarchy was abolished. He served as Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 2001 until August 2005.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. William IV, Prince of Orange
3. Carolina of Orange-Nassau
4. Frederick William, Duke of Nassau
5. Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg
6. Maria Theresa of Austria
7. Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies
8. Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma
9. Boris III of Bulgaria
10. Simeon II of Bulgaria

Greece

The Kingdom of Greece was abolished in 1974, but its members retain the title Prince(ss) of Denmark as male-line descendants of Christian IX of Denmark. It is their lineage through the royals of Württemberg, however, that links them to Orange-Nassau.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. William IV, Prince of Orange
3. Carolina of Orange-Nassau
4. Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg
5. Amelia of Württemberg
6. Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg
7. Olga Konstantinovna of Russia
8. Constantine I of Greece
9. Paul I of Greece
10. Constantine II of Greece

Hesse

The last grand duke of Hesse and by Rhine, reigning until 1918, was descended from John William Friso.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. Amalia of Orange-Nassau
3. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden
4. Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden
5. Wilhelmina of Baden
6. Prince Karl of Hesse and by Rhine
7. Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse
8. Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse

Italy

The Kingdom of Italy was superseded by the Italian Republic () after a referendum was held in 1946. It is their lineage through the royals of Saxony that links them to Orange-Nassau.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. Amalia of Nassau-Dietz
3. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden
4. Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden
5. Karoline of Baden
6. Amalie Auguste of Bavaria
7. Elizabeth of Saxony
8. Margherita of Savoy
9. Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
10. Umberto II of Italy

Mexico

The Second Mexican Empire was the name of Mexico under the regime established from 1864 to 1867.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. Amalia of Nassau-Dietz
3. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden
4. Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden
5. Karoline of Baden
6. Sophie of Bavaria
7. Maximilian I of Mexico

Romania

Michael I ruled Romania from 1940 until forced to abdicate by the Romanian Communist Party on December 30, 1947.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. Amalia of Orange-Nassau
3. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden
4. Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden
5. Charles, Grand Duke of Baden
6. Josephine of Baden
7. Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern
8. Ferdinand I of Romania
9. Carol II of Romania
10. Michael I of Romania

Russia

The Russian Empire was abolished during the Russian Revolution of 1917.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. Amalia of Orange-Nassau
3. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden
4. Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden
5. Wilhelmina of Baden
6. Marie of Hesse
7. Alexander III of Russia
8. Nicholas II of Russia

Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

The last grand duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, reigning until 1918, was descended from John William Friso; through him the royal house of Wettin traces the same ancestry.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. William IV, Prince of Orange
3. William V, Prince of Orange
4. William I of the Netherlands
5. William II of the Netherlands
6. Sophie of the Netherlands
7. Charles Augustus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
8. William Ernest, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

Saxony

The last king of Saxony, reigning until 1918, was descended from John William Friso; through him the royal house of Wettin traces the same ancestry.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. Amalia of Orange-Nassau
3. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden
4. Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden
5. Karoline of Baden
6. Amalie Auguste of Bavaria
7. George I of Saxony
8. Frederick Augustus III of Saxony

Württemberg

The Kingdom of Württemberg was abolished during the German Revolution following the end of World War I.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. William IV, Prince of Orange
3. Carolina of Orange-Nassau
4. Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg
5. Pauline of Württemberg
6. Catherine of Württemberg
7. William II of Württemberg

Yugoslavia

The last king of Yugoslavia, reigning until 1945, was descended from John William Friso and through the royal house of Russia which traces the same ancestry.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. Amalia of Orange-Nassau
3. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden
4. Charles Louis, Hereditary Prince of Baden
5. Wilhelmina of Baden
6. Marie of Hesse
7. Maria Alexandrovna of Russia
8. Marie of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
9. Maria of Romania
10. Peter II of Yugoslavia

Royal consorts

Spain

Queen Sofía of Spain, wife of Juan Carlos I of Spain, as a sister of the last King of the Hellenes (Greece), is also descended from John William Friso.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. William IV, Prince of Orange
3. Carolina of Orange-Nassau
4. Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg
5. Amelia of Württemberg
6. Marie of Saxe-Altenburg
7. Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover
8. Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick
9. Frederica of Hanover
10. Queen Sofía of Spain

United Kingdom

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, is a Prince of Greece and Denmark by birth, making him another descendant of the House of Orange-Nassau.

1. John William Friso, Prince of Orange
2. William IV, Prince of Orange
3. Carolina of Orange-Nassau
4. Henrietta of Nassau-Weilburg
5. Amelia of Württemberg
6. Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg
7. Olga Konstantinovna of Russia
8. Prince Andrew of Greece
9. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

See also

• Royal descendants of Queen Victoria and King Christian IX

References

Some of John William Friso's royal descendants