In 1702, after the Glorious Revolution saw Prince William of Orange become King of England, the county was merged with others to form the new, larger, Principality of Orange-Nassau.
Nassau-Diez was created in 1386 when the former County of Diez was dissolved and taken over by the House of Nassau, though it was ruled by the Counts of Nassau-Dillenburg until 1606 when it became independent.
This line included not just the counts, but also served as Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe through the senior House of Orange-Nassau.
His eldest son Wilhelm "den Schweiger", who was originally a Lutheran, raised as a Roman Catholic from the age of 11, had inherited the county.
[1][3][4] The counties of Nassau-Dietz and Spiegelberg along with the Frisian governorship were then successively taken over by his sons Heinrich Casimir I and Wilhelm Friedrich.