Orange (Oranje), the royal house ruling in the Netherlands. The following members of the house of Orange had previously been stadholders of Holland and Zeeland in the Netherlands: William I, 1572-1584, Maurice, 1584-1625, Frederick Henry, 1625-1647, William II, 1647-1650, and William III, 1672-1702, while a side branch of the house of Orange ruled in Friesland. William IV, 1747-1751 and William V, 1766-1795 were stadholders of all the Netherlands provinces. All of them, but particularly William I, Maurice, and William III, were favorable to the Mennonites.

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 72. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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