Frederik of Egmond, nicknamed “Cross-Eyed”, was given the Buren estate in 1472 by his uncle, Arnold, Duke of Guelders, as ‘compensation for expenses paid’. In reward for his unconditional support of Emperor Maximilian of Austria, Frederik of Egmond was elevated to Count of Buren and Leerdam in 1498. Since 1551, the County of Buren has had close ties with the Dutch Royal House of Orange-Nassau.
Frederik of Egmond
Frederik was given the Buren estate as a reward for his political and financial support of his aging uncle Arnold, Duke of Guelders. Frederik was also a supporter of the Burgundian politics in the Low Countries, for which the Buren estate was promoted to county, and Frederik to the first Count of Buren in 1498. The origin of his nickname “Cross-Eyed” remains a mystery.
Anna of Egmond
Anna of Egmond, Countess of Buren, was Frederik’s wealthy great granddaughter. She married William of Orange in 1551, automatically making him the Count of Buren, and very wealthy to go with it. Anna benefited from the marriage too. She became a princess, and was addressed as la Princesse d’Orange on her husband´s insistence. Anna died in 1558, aged just 25. The couple’s only surviving child, their son Philip William, inherited the County of Buren in 1584.
The town of royalty
Since that time, Buren has been allowed to call itself a royal town. William of Orange was married there and many members of the Dutch royal family have lived there. The Dutch royals have also been known to adopt the Van Buren name when wanting to remain anonymous. Queen Wilhelmina and Queen Juliana for instance, were known to use the title Countess of Buren for restaurant reservations and when Prince Willem-Alexander (now King Willem-Alexander) competed in the Elfstedentocht or ‘Eleven Cities’ speed skating race in 1986, he used the name W. A. van Buren. Who W. A. van Buren really was only emerged during the race.
