Madam, - In a report supplied by the Guardian Service (November 26th), John Mullan says: "Orange is the Dutch colour because of William of Orange, their 17th century nationalist (sic) leader." Wrong by a century.
The reporter was evidently thinking of King William III (1650-1702), who was Stathouder of Holland from 1672 and who shared with Mary the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1689.
He is the "Protestant hero" after (long after) whom Orangeism in Ireland was named.
However, Dutch Orangery goes back a century earlier, to William the Silent, Prince of Orange (1533-1584). While Stathouder of Holland from 1559 to 1567 and throughout the rest of his life (he was assassinated) he opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. He merits the title 16th century national leader of the Dutch.
This error by a century is less harmful than a mere five-year slip by Kevin Myers, who, in the same issues, linked Lord Edward Fitzgerald (died 1798) with the murder of Chief Justice Kilwarden (1803).
Fortunately, the dead can't be libelled, or we'd have your diarist bang to rights! - Yours, etc.,
MICHAEL DRURY,
Avenue Louise,
Brussels,
Belgium.