his eldest son william the silent inherited the principality of orange in southern france from his cousin rené of chalon, as well as the vast properties of the house of nassau-dillenburg in the netherlands from his father, which engelbert i of nassau had received by marriage in 1403. the early house of orange-nassau descends from william i., the silent, while the later house of orange-nassau (and the dutch royal family) descends in the male line from his younger brother john, count of nassau-dillenburg, and from the latter's fifth son, count ernst casimir of nassau-dietz, however in the female line also from william of orange.