An interesting exercise attracted a great deal of media attention yesterday -a new investigation into the death of Willem van Oranje in 1584. There is no doubt that Willem, known as The Silent, was shot dead by Balthasar Gerards, a fervent supporter of Philip II of Spain who had offered a reward of 25,000 crowns to anyone who killed him.

Nevertheless, Delft city council, the local Prinsenhof museum and the private forensic science firm Delft Forensics thought it would be a good idea to launch a Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) style investigation into the murder.
The tv show – sorry media presentation – was complete with white-coated officials, including local police officers using luminol lights to check for blood. A cast was even made of the bullet hole in the wall of the Prinsenhof where Willem was staying when he was shot.
The reconstruction of the murder is set to cost at least €100,000, according to the appropriately named Willem van Spanje who owns Delft Forensics. So who is paying the bill? Van Spanje tells ANP news service that there is no external financing and he is doing the research because it is fun.
Nothing then to do with the fact that the final report will be used as the basis of a tv documentary, a book will be published in time for Christmas and there is a computer game on the way…