| Frederick Nassau de Zuylestein | |
| Native Name: | Frederik van Nassau-Zuylestein |
| Birth Date: | 1624 |
| Death Date: | 12 October 1672 |
| Death Place: | Woerden, Dutch Republic |
| Spouse: | Mary Killegrew |
| Children: | William Nassau de Zuylestein, 1st Earl of RochfordHendrik van Nassau-Zuylestein |
Frederick of Nassau, Lord of Zuylestein (1624–1672) was an illegitimate son of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, by Margaretha Catharina Bruyns,
Frederick was born in 1624 out of wedlock to Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange (1584 – 1647) and Margaretha Catharina Bruyns (1595–1625), who was the daughter of Ludolph Bruyns, mayor of Emmerich.
On 15 March 1640, Frederick's father gave him Castle Zuylestein (also spelled Zuylenstein) - situated about twenty miles east of the city of Utrecht, and with it he also gave him the title Lord of Zuylestein (in Dutch: Heer van Zuylestein). Furthermore, he made Frederick captain of infantry for the state.
In 1659, Frederick was made governor of the household of his nephew, William III of Orange. Through lobbying by Johan de Wit, William III became the state's ward in 1666, and Frederick was dismissed. His dismissal was because he was married to an Englishwoman and was under suspicion of pro-English leanings. In April 1672 (the rampjaar) he became general of the infantry and in August he became involved in the murders of Johan and Cornelis de Wit.
On 16 October 1648, Frederick married Mary Killigrew (born 1627) in The Hague. She was a daughter of William Killigrew (1606–1695) (a favourite of Charles I and Charles II of England) and Mary Hill, of Honilay. She was a first cousin of Charles II's illegitimate daughter, the Countess of Yarmouth. She had moved to the Netherlands in February 1644, aged barely seventeen, as a maid of honour to Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange.
Frederick and Mary had three children:
In October 1672 Frederick died near Woerden in a battle with the French known as the Battle of Kruipin.[1]
Frederick was an illegitimate son of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange, born to him before he married. Frederick had nine legitimate half-siblings with whom he shared his father. Their mother was his father's wife Amalia of Solms-Braunfels.
Frederick and his descendants used the arms below.