Background

Hendrik Casimir I (1612–1640), count of Nassau-Dietz, was the eldest son of Sophia Hedwig. Following the death of his father Ernst Casimir in 1632, he became stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe.

Of the 151 letters currently in Sophia Hedwig's catalogue, twenty letters were written by her son Hendrik Casimir, who reported frequently to his mother on both his wellbeing and the military actions of what became known as the Eighty Years War in which he was heavily involved. On 4 July 1640, in the battle of Hulst, Hendrik Casimir was gravely injured. Although it seemed as if he would recover, he died just four days later on 8 July. In these last days he wrote two comforting and optimistic letters to his mother, the last one of which is presented here. It is not clear precisely when Sophia Hedwig heard of the terrible news, but she received this letter just twenty-three days after his death. In her own hand she scribbled on top of the letter that it was the last letter she had received from her beloved son, and that he had written it three days before his death.