The House of Nassau-Weilburg, a branch of the House of Nassau, ruled a division of the County of Nassau, which was a state in what is now Germany, then part of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1344 to 1806. On July 17, 1806, on the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the counties of Nassau-Usingen and Nassau-Weilburg both joined the Confederation of the Rhine. Under pressure from Napoleon, both counties merged to become the Duchy of Nassau on August 30, 1806, under the joint rule of Prince Frederick August of Nassau-Usingen and his younger cousin, Prince Frederick William of Nassau-Weilburg. As Frederick August had no heirs, he agreed that Frederick William should become the sole ruler after his death. However, Frederick William died from a fall on the stairs at Schloss Weilburg on January 9, 1816, and it was his son William who later became duke of a unified Nassau. The sovereigns of this house afterwards governed the Duchy of Nassau until 1866. Since 1890, they have governed the nation of Luxembourg. The House of Nassau-Weilburg became extinct in the male line with the death of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg in 1985. The reigning house of Luxembourg retained the name of Nassau-Weilburg as its official name. Since the death of Grand Duchess Charlotte, the House of Nassau-Weilburg is a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon-Parma.
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