Justinus van Nassau [SEP] father
Justinus van Nassau
Justinus van Nassau (1559–1631) was the only extramarital child of William the Silent. He was a Dutch army commander known for unsuccessfully defending Breda against the Spanish, and the depiction of his surrender in the painting by Diego Velázquez, "The Surrender of Breda".
His mother was Eva Elincx, William's mistress between his first and second marriages. William of Orange recognized Justinus and raised him with his other children.
Justinus studied in Leiden and became Lieutenant-Colonel on May 17, 1583
aged 18 and the wealthy heiress to the lands of her father. William thus gained the titles Lord of Egmond and Count of Buren. The couple had a happy marriage and became the parents of three children together. Anna died on 24 March 1558, leaving William much grieved.
A couple of years after Anna's death, William had a brief relationship with Eva Elincx, a commoner, leading to the birth of an illegitimate son, Justinus van Nassau: William officially recognised Justinus as his son and took responsibility for his