This page shows the coats of arms, heraldic achievements, and heraldic flags of the House of Nassau.
Also included in the royal family section are the flags of the Dutch royal family. While not strictly a heraldic flag or a banner of arms, they are heavily influenced by heraldry. Flags of those born into the royal family feature a Nassau-blue cross on an orange field, while the colors are reversed for those who marry into the family. The males have near-square flags while those of females are swallowtailed. Elements of an individual's family coat of arms are also incorporated into the flags.
Overview of Nassau arms
Background and origins The ancestral coat of arms of the Ottonian line of the house of Nassau is shown below. Their distant cousins of the Walramian line added a red coronet to distinguish them. There is no documentation on how and why these arms came to be. As a symbol of nobility, the lion was always a popular in western culture going all the way back to Hercules. Using the heraldic insignia of a dominant power was a way, and still is a way, to show loyalty to that power. Not using that insignia is a way to show independence. The Netherlands, as territories bordering on the Holy Roman Empire with its Roman eagle and France with its Fleur-de-lis, had many examples of this. The lion was so heavily used in the Netherlands for various provinces and families (see Leo Belgicus) that it became the national arms of the Dutch Republic, its successor states the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Blue, because of its nearness to purple, which in the northern climes tended to fade (red was the other choice), was also a popular color for those with royal aspirations. The billets could have been anything from blocks of wood to abstractions of the reinforcements holding the shield together. The fact that these were arms were very similar to those of the counts of Burgundy (Franche-Comté) did not seem to cause too much confusion. It also held with one of the basic tenets of heraldry, that arms could not be repeated within a kingdom, but Nassau was considered to be in the Kingdom of Germany, while Franche-Comté was in the kingdom of Burgundy (see also Scrope v Grosvenor).D. Endean Ivall, Cornish Heraldry and Symbolism, 1988. (Source: Misc. Rolls of Chanc. Nos 311 and 312.)
Coats of arms of sovereignty also show the territories that the dynasty claims to rule over. The principle ones are depicted below, i.e.
The Principality of Orange, which gave them their major title and claim to equal status with all the other sovereign rulers of the world, Prince of Orange.
Then, The Lordship of Chalons and Arlay, a large set of lands in the Franche-Comté The County of Geneva
And in Germany, County of Katzenelnbogen a large set of lands near the County of Nassau The County of Dietz, also near the County of Nassau County of Meurs, bordering on the northeastern Netherlands
Finally, in the Netherlands, the real base of their wealth and power: County of Vianden, in the southern Netherlands along the river Meuse. Marquisate of Vlissingen (Flushing) and KampenVeere, which sat along the mouth of the Rhine and the trade routes across the North Sea and the world beyond. County of Buren, also long the delta of the Rhine, but further inland.
Arms of dynastic foundersOttonian (Younger) LineWalramian (Elder) Line Arms of the dominionsPrince of OrangeLords of Chalons and ArlayCounts of GenevaCounts of KatzenelnbogenCounty of DietzCounts of ViandenMarquis of Vlissingen (Flushing) and KampenVeereCount of BurenCount of Meurs
Arms of branches Arms of the Grand Dukes of LuxembourgArms of Adolf of Nassau, King of Germany/King of the Romans (1292–1298)Arms of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1890–1898)Arms of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1898–2000)Arms of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (2000–present)Personal Arms of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (2000–present)
Arms of the Princes of OrangeArms of René of Chalon and Nassau as Prince of Orange 1530–1544Arms of the Prince of Orange 1544–1582, 1584–1618Arms of the Prince of Orange 1582–1584, 1625–1702Alternate arms of the Prince of OrangeArms of William III as King of England, Scotland and Ireland, 1688–1702
Arms of the Kings of the NetherlandsArms of the King of the Netherlands 1815–1907Arms of the Queens and King of the Netherlands 1907–presentArms of the Prince of Orange/Crown Prince of the Netherlands, 1980–2013Arms of the Princess of Orange/Crown Princess of the Netherlands, 2013–present
Counts of Nassau
Arms Name and blazon Dudo ( † 1117), Count of Laurenbourg approx. 1093 to 1117.
D'azur semé de billettes d'or, au lion du même, armé et lampassé de gueules, brochant sur le tout.
or
Azure billetty Or, a lion rampant of the last armed and langued gules.
Arms subsequently borne by: Rupert/Robert I, Count of Laurenburg, died before 1154, Walram Ier of Laurenburg and Nassau, Co-count of Nassau from 1152 to 1190, count of Nassau from 1190 to 1198, Henry II, Count of Nassau, Co-count of Nassau from 1198 to 1239, count of Nassau from 1239 to 1249.
Walramian line Comtes de Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein
Achievement Arms Name and blazon Walram II, Count of Nassau, Co-count of Nassau from 1249 to 1255, count of Nassau-Wiesbaden, count of Nassau-Idstein from 1255 to 1276,
D'azur, semé de billettes d'or, au lion couronné du second, armé, lampassé de gueules.
or
Azure billetty Or, a lion rampant crowned of the last armed and langued gules. Adolf, King of the Romans (v. 1255- 2 July 1298), king of Germany (formally king of the Romans) from 1292 to 1298, count of Nassau-Wiesbaden, count of Nassau-Weilburg, count of Nassau-Idstein from 1276 to 1298.
D'or, à l'aigle monocéphale de sable, membrée, becquée et liée de gueules; sur le tout d'azur, semé de billettes, au lion coiffé d'une couronne fermée, le tout d'or, armé et lampassé de gueules.
or
Or, and single-headed eagle sable, talons, beak and tongue gules; overall sur le tout Azure billetty Or, a lion rampant crowned of the last armed and langued gules (Nassau).
Counts of Nassau-Weilburg
Branches of Nassau-Weilburg
Achievement Arms Name and blazon John Ist of Nassau-Weilburg, co-count of Nassau-Weilburg (1355–1371), count of Nassau-Weilburg (1309 à 1371),
Party per fess of 2, the two quarter on the chief divided into two forming 7 quarters: I: azure semeé of cross crosslets argent with a lion rampant of the same crowned or overlying the field (Saarbrücken); II sable a two headed eagle argent armed and beaked or and langued gueules (Sarrewerden); III or a fess sable (Moers); IV Gules two lions passant guardant Or, armed and langued azure (Dietz); V vert a saltire d'or cantoned between four cross crosslets of the same (Merenberg); VI or a fess gueules (Lahr); VII or a lion sable armed and langued gueules (Mahlberg); overall at the fess point an inescutcheon Azure billetty Or, a lion rampant crowned of the last armed and langued gules (Nassau). Philip Ist of Nassau-Weilburg, Co-count of Nassau, count of Nassau-Wiesbaden, count of Nassau-Idstein, count of Nassau-Saarbrücken, count of Nassau-Neuweilnau,
Quarterly: I and IV Azure billetty Or, a lion rampant crowned of the last armed and langued gules (Nassau); II and III azure semeé of cross crosslets argent with a lion rampant of the same crowned or overlying the field (Saarbrücken). Helm: a lion seated or, between two wings displayed and a mantle azure billetty or.
Arms also borne by: John II of Nassau-Saarbrücken (1423- 1472), count of Nassau-Saarbrücken, William Louis, Count of Nassau-Saarbrücken (1590- 1640), count of Nassau-Saarbrücken, count of Nassau-Ottweiler 1629 to 1640,
Quarterly: I Azure billetty Or, a lion rampant crowned of the last armed and langued gules (Nassau); II or a fess sable (Moers); III sable a two headed eagle argent armed and beaked or and langued gueules (Sarrewerden); IV azure semeé of cross crosslets argent with a lion rampant of the same crowned or overlying the field (Saarbrücken); overall at the fess point, per pale 1 or a fess gueules (Lahr); 2 or a lion sable armed and langued gueules (Mahlberg).
Branche cadette de Nassau-Weilburg
Achievement Arms Name and blazon John Ernst, Count of Nassau-Weilburg, count 1675 to 1719,
Party per fess of 2, the two quarter on the chief divided into two forming 7 quarters: I: azure semeé of cross crosslets argent with a lion rampant of the same crowned or overlying the field (Saarbrücken); II sable a two headed eagle argent armed and beaked or and langued gueules (Sarrewerden); III or a fess sable (Moers); IV Gules two lions passant guardant Or, armed and langued azure (Dietz); V vert a saltire d'or cantoned between four cross crosslets of the same (Merenberg); VI or a fess gueules (Lahr); VII or a lion sable armed and langued gueules (Mahlberg); overall at the fess point an inescutcheon Azure billetty Or, a lion rampant crowned of the last armed and langued gules (Nassau).
Princes of Nassau-Weilburg
In 1816, the princes of Nassau-Weilburg had inherited all the other Walramian Nassau territories by the family compact and by the Congress of Vienna became dukes of Nassau.
Dukes of Nassau
Achievement Arms Name and blazon William, Duke of Nassau, (1792–1839) duke of Nassau 1816 à 1839,
Per pale three party per fesse in three,: I or a lion sable armed and languled gueules; II Gules two lions passant guardant Or, armed and langued azure (Dietz); III, or, two lions passant guardant gueules armed and langued azure; IV Or a lion rampant guardant Gules crowned Azure (Katzenelnbogen); V azure three mallets argent; VI (formed as an inescutcheon at the fess point with VII, X and XI) argent a cross gueules, VII sable lion or, armed, languled and crowned gueules (Palatine Lion), VIII gueules lion passant guardant or, armed and langued azure, tail forked and crossed in saltire (Sayn); XI argent a cross sable (Fulda); XII azure a fess a fess chequy argent and gueules with six billettes aligned horizontally or, three in the chief, three in the base; XIII argent three chevrons gueules (Ravensburg); XIV argent three palets sable (Wittgenstein); XV gueules a castle with a roof argent, windows and portal sable; XVI sable a bar argent charged with three wild boar's heads couped (cut off straight line), sable, langued de gueules; overall at the fess point an inescutcheon Azure billetty Or, a lion rampant crowned of the last armed and langued gules (Nassau).
Arms borne also by: Adolphe Ier of Luxembourg, duke of Nassau 1839 – 1866 (duchy conquered by Prussia and incorporated into the province of Hesse-Nassau), son of the preceding,
House of Nassau-Weilburg, Grand Dukes of Luxembourg
Achievement Arms Name and blazon Adolphe Ier of Luxembourg, duke of Nassau 1839 à 1866, grand-duke of Luxembourg (1890–1905),
Arms at his accession (1890) Barry of ten Argent and Azure, a Lion rampant queue forchée Gules crowned, armed and langued Or (Luxembourg), on the shoulder of the lion gules an inescutcheon Azure billetty Or, a lion rampant crowned of the last armed and langued gules (Nassau). Above the shield a grand-ducal crown with a bonnet purple, the whole surrounded by the ribbon and cross of the Order of the Oak Crown, supported by two lions crowned or and impasse gules, the whole in a mantle of purple with ermine and fringed with gold.
Les armoiries prises en 1898:
Quarterly, I and IV Azure billetty Or, a lion rampant crowned of the last armed and langued gules (Nassau); II and III Barry of ten Argent and Azure, a Lion rampant queue forchée Gules crowned, armed and langued Or (Luxembourg). Supporters, two lions reguardant queue forchée crowned Or, armed and langued Gules. On the greater arms only, the supporters are holding a lance Or, flying the flag of Luxembourg. The whole resting on a Mantle Gules lined Ermine, fringed and tasseled Or, surmounted with the Grand-Ducal Crown.
Lesser Arms The same, with a grand-ducal crown without a bonnet.
Middle Arms