Margaretha van Mechelen

Who was Margaretha van Mechelen?

Margaretha van Mechelen was a South Dutch noblewoman and the mistress of Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, with whom she had 3 sons:

Willem of Nassau, lord of the Lek

Louis of Nassau, lord of den Lek and Beverweerd

Maurice of Nassau

Though Maurice refused to marry her, he did state his intent to do so from his death bed. This would threaten his half-brother Frederick Henry's place in the succession and so Frederick Henry summoned Amalia of Solms-Braunfels and married her a few days before Maurice's death.