Assassination of William the Silent (July 10, 1584, Delft)

Timeline

1. 1580Spanish Empire · Iberian PeninsulaKing Philip II of Spain issued a ban in 1580, declaring William of Orange a traitor, offering 25,000 gold crowns for his head, and promising the assassin a noble title. This public bounty directly inspired several subsequent assassination attempts, including Gérard's.
2. 1584Delft · NetherlandsBalthasar Gérard bought two wheel-lock pistols on credit from William's attendants, claiming he needed to purchase a soldier's outfit, then lurked near the Prinsenhof in Delft awaiting a chance to approach William. Gérard later claimed his act was driven by religious zeal and desire for the Spanish bounty.
3. 1584Prinsenhof, Delft · NetherlandsOn the afternoon of July 10, 1584, William of Orange was shot at close range by Balthasar Gérard on a stair landing of the Prinsenhof residence, struck three times and dying of his wounds minutes later. William thus became the first head of state in European history to be killed by a pistol. Gérard was immediately arrested and executed by a gruesome method days later. The bullet holes are still preserved on the walls of the Prinsenhof museum.