Background
He was the third, but eldest surviving son of the Count Philip IV (1493-1574) and his first wife, Margaret of East Frisia (1500-1537).
He was the third, but eldest surviving son of the Count Philip IV (1493-1574) and his first wife, Margaret of East Frisia (1500-1537).
However, he resigned from this position soon afterwards and joined the French army. On 4 April 1567 he was a pallbearer at the funeral of Landgrave Philip I of Hesse. Probably at this funeral, he met Philip"s daughter Barbara (1536-1597), the widow of Count George I of Württemberg-Mömpelgard (1498-1558).
Their combined coat of arms can still be found in the stair tower of Waldeck Castle.
The marriage remained childless. After his father"s death, in 1574, he inherited Waldeck Castle and the half the district of Waldeck, as well as the City and District of and Naumburg.
Daniel died on 7 June 1577 and was buried in the family crypt in Marienthal Abbey in Netze (now part of Waldeck).