(1584–1647), prince of Orange and stadtholder (chief executive and military commander) of the Dutch Republic (1625– 47), son of William I, The Silent, born in Delft. He was given strict military training by his brother, Maurice of Nassau (1567–1625), whom he succeeded as stadtholder of five of the seven provinces of the United Provinces of the Netherlands in 1625. As stadtholder he prosecuted the war against Spain, making alliances successively with Denmark, Sweden, and France. Under his generalship many cities were taken from the Spanish, among them ’s Hertogenbosch (1629), Maastricht (1632), Breda (1637), and Hulst (1645). Finally, in 1646, he started peace negotiations with Spain. The resulting treaty, concluded in 1648 after his death, accorded the United Provinces all the advantages for which they had been fighting during the preceding 80 years.

Frederick Henry reigned during the Golden Age of the Dutch Republic. The republic was at the height of its powers and suffered little political or religious conflict. Culture flourished, and such painters as Rembrandt and Frans Hals emerged. Amsterdam was the financial center of Europe, and commerce expanded with the establishment of colonies in the Far East and the conquest of territory in South America.