Being Nassau : Nassau family histories and Dutch national discourse from 1541 to 1616
William I of Nassau, Prince of Orange, and his sons Maurice and Frederick Henry were seen in their own time as the protectors of the new Dutch nation. As such, they play a significant role in the formation of a Dutch national identity. This essay addresses the question in what measure this sentiment was returned: did the Nassaus feel Dutch? An analysis of dynastic arguments used in the Apology (15