St Dizier Champagne-Ardenne France

Gonzaga besieges Saint-Dizier on July 8; Charles and the second Imperial army soon join him.

Twenty-five year old René of Châlon, born in Breda as the only son of Count Henry III of Nassau-Breda and Claudia of Châlon, had inherited the Princedom of Orange in 1530 at the death of Claudia's brother, Philibert of Châlon, the last Prince of Orange from the house of Châlon, on condition that he use the name and coat of arms of the Châlon-Orange family.

History knows him therefore as René of Châlon instead of as "René of Nassau-Breda."

René of Châlon had married Anna of Lorraine (1522-1568) on August 20, 1540 at Bar-le-Duc.

They had only one child, a daughter named Maria, who lived only three weeks and was buried in the "Grote Kerk" in Breda.

René is mortally wounded in battle while taking part in the siege of St. Dizier, and dies on July 15 with the Emperor attending at his bedside.

René's eleven-year-old cousin William of Nassau-Dillenburg (better known as "William the Silent"), the eldest son of Count Willem the Rich of Nassau-Dillenburg, inherits all of René’s vast possessions, the combined wealth of the houses of Nassau-Breda in the Low Countries and of the Provençal principality of Orange.

William adds the name of Orange to his own paternal dignities and and thus becomes the founder of the House of Orange-Nassau.

...the defenders of Saint-Dizier, running low on supplies, finally seek terms on August 8.

The French capitulate on August 17 and are permitted by the Emperor to leave the city with banners flying; their resistance for forty-one days has broken the Imperial offensive.

Some of Charles's advisers suggest withdrawing, but ...