Christiane was born on 5 June 1596 as the daughter of Count George III of Erbach (15 July 1548 – 26 February 1605) and Countess Mary of Barby and Mühlingen (8 April 1563 – 29 December 1619).

[8] After the end of the Twelve Years' Truce in 1621, William entered the service of the Dutch States Army,[2][9][10] where he was appointed colonel of the infantry on 24 July 1622.

[2][3] On 17 June 1638 he suffered a considerable loss of 2,000 men, including his son Maurice Frederick, in the Battle of Calloo.

[6][17][18] As field marshal of the Dutch States Army, he was succeeded by his brother-in-law Johan Wolfert van Brederode [nl].

[16][19] Count William Frederick of Nassau-Diez, the stadtholder of Friesland, noted in June 1645 in his diary that Christiane's youngest daughter, sixteen-year-old Wilhelmine Christine, was the favourite girlfriend of Prince William II of Orange, "die hij zoo dicwils custe als hij woude, alleen sijnde, en de borstjes tastede" ("whom he kissed as much as he wished, being alone, and touching the breasts").