In the beginning of the 1500s, the Netherlands, also known as the Low Countries, were a lose collection of lands ruled by the Habsburg Emperor Charles V. Through marriages with wealthy Dutch heiresses, the House of Nassau had gained considerable and lucrative holdings in the Low Countries and the Principality of Orange. When Prince Renatus of Orange died childless in 1544, he left his considerable territorial holdings and wealth to his young German cousin William.
Prince William I (1533–1584)
When William inherited this land, he became the most powerful nobleman in the Netherlands. When Emperor Charles’s son and successor, the strictly Catholic Philip II, imposed harsh policies and heavy taxes against the increasingly Protestant Netherlands, William used his own fortune to help finance a rebellion. In gratitude, the Dutch hailed him as the “Father of the Fatherland.” He was assassinated in 1584, possibly at the instigation of King Philip.
Stadholderate
The Dutch Revolt divided the Low Countries into the Southern Netherlands, which remained under the Catholic Habsburg emperors, and seven northern provinces that, in 1788, formed the independent federation of the Republic of the United Netherlands. The title “Stadholder,” which means “in stead of the sovereign,” originally designated the monarch’s representative in the province and a member House of Nassau had held this title. Now that the Republic needed a leader, the Stadholder was appointed by the provincial assembly and in theory was a “servant to the States.” But since the House of Nassau-Orange had ancient rights and prestige, the Stadholder became in effect above the state and gradually grew in power to the point of becoming royal.
Prince Maurice (1567–1625)
William I’s son Maurice was a brilliant military strategist. His biggest political threat was Van Oldenbarneveldt, the senior political officer of the State of Holland, the most important Dutch province; Maurice eventually had him executed for treason.
Prince Frederick Henry (1584–1647)
Maurice’s brother Frederick Henry was very concerned with the international prestige of his dynasty. In 1637, the people began addressing the Stadholder as “Your Highness,” thus effectively elevating him to the status of royalty.
Prince William II (1626–1650)
Frederick Henry’s son William II had a short reign of only three years, and his only son was born after he died.
Prince William III (1650–1702)
After William II died, the “Regents,” the political class, abolished the Stadholderate, but it was reinstated in 1672, the “Year of Disasters,” when the Republic was attacked by neighboring countries. In 1677, William III married the English Princess Mary and in the “Glorious Revolution” they were crowned joint sovereigns of England. When the couple died childless, Mary’s sister Anne inherited England and the Netherlands was left to William’s distant relative John William Friso.
Prince John William Friso (1687–1711)
Although he was a great-grandson of Frederick Henry, not all provinces recognized John William Friso as Stadholder and his time in office was plagued by disputes with rival claimants to the throne.
Prince William IV (1711–1751)
In 1747, threat of war provoked the Dutch to appoint John William Friso’s son William as Stadholder. Under William IV, the Stadholderate was made “universal” rather than just provincial and also made hereditary through the male line. Thus, the Stadholderate effectively became a monarchy.
Prince William V (1748–1806)
William IV’s son William V was a weak politician and too conservative to implement the changes the Republic’s political system needed. When the French invaded in 1795, they ended the Stadholderate in the Netherlands.
Source:
Van Cruyningen, Arnout. The Dutch Royal Family. Wijchen, The Netherlands: A.J.P.H. van Cruyningen, 2007.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
