Princess Wilhelmine Carolina of Orange-Nassau
| Princess Carolina | |
|---|---|
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| Princess consort of Nassau-Weilburg | |
| Tenure | 5 March 1760 - 6 May 1787 |
| Born | 28 February 1743 |
| Died | 6 May 1787 (aged 44) |
| Spouse | Charles Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg |
| Issue | George Wilhelm, Hereditary Prince of Nassau-Weilburg Wilhelm Ludwig, Hereditary Prince of Nassau-Weilburg Princess Maria Luise, Princess Reuss-Greiz Frederick William, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg Karoline, Princess of Wied Prince Karl Ludwig Prince Karl Wilhelm Amalie, Princess of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym Henriette, Duchess Louis of Württemberg Prince Karl |
| House | Orange-Nassau |
| Father | William IV, Prince of Orange |
| Mother | Anne, Princess Royal |
| Religion | Dutch Reformed |
Princess Carolina of Orange-Nassau (Wilhelmine Carolina; 28 February 1743, Leeuwarden – 6 May 1787, Kirchheimbolanden) was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands, and Anne, Princess Royal.
Princess Carolina was born in Leeuwarden. In 1747, it was declared that the position of Stadtholder could be inherited by females, thus making the young Princess Carolina the heiress presumptive to the position of Stadtholder. However, in 1748, a male heir, Willem, was born to her parents, thus displacing her and putting her second in line to the position.
Princess Carolina's father died in 1751, making her three-year-old brother Willem V of Orange. At that point, her mother was appointed Princess-Regent. However, in 1759, her mother died, and Willem V was still just ten years old. Then, Princess Carolina's paternal grandmother, Princess Marie-Luise, was made Princess-Regent. Princess Marie-Luise was regent until 1765, when she died. Willem V was now seventeen, but that was still not old enough to rule on his own. So, Princess Carolina was made regent. She ruled until 1766, when Willem V turned eighteen.
On 5 March 1760 in The Hague, during the regency of her grandmother Princess Marie Luise, Princess Carolina married Karl Christian, Prince of Nassau-Weilburg. They had fifteen children, seven of whom survived to adulthood:
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