Stadtholders of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht

The stadtholdership of Holland and Zealand has always been combined. Since the office was instituted there in 1528, the stadtholder of Utrecht has been the same as the one of Holland, with one exception.

In 1572, William of Orange was elected as the stadtholder, although Philip II had appointed a different one.

• Hugo van Lannoy, 1433-1440
• Willem van Lalaing, 1440-1445
• Gozewijn de Wilde, 1445-1448
• Jan van Lannoy, 1448-1462
• Loys of Gruuthuse
  Lewis de Bruges
  Lewis de Bruges, lord of Gruuthuse, prince of Steenhuijs , also called Loys, Louis de/of Gruuthuse or Lodewijk van Gruuthuuse, was a Flemish, courtier, bibliophile, soldier and nobleman...
  
  , 1462-1477
• Wolfert VI van Borselen
  Wolfert VI van Borselen
  Wolfert VI of Borselen , was stadholder van Holland, Friesland and Zeeland and Admiral of the Netherlands outside Flanders....
  
  , 1477-1480
• Joost de Lalaing
  Joost de Lalaing
  Joost de Lalaing , lord of Montigny and of Santes, was a noble from Hainaut who filled several important posts in service of the Burgundian Dukes.-Life:Joost de Lalaing was the eldest son of Simon de Lalaing...
  
  , 1480-1483
• Jan III van Egmond, 1483-1515
• Henry III of Nassau-Breda
  Henry III of Nassau-Breda
  Count Henry III of Nassau-Dillenburg-Dietz , Lord of Breda, Lord of the Lek, of Diest, etc. was a count of the House of Nassau....
  
  , 1515-1521
• Antoon I van Lalaing, 1522-1540
• René of Châlon
  René of Châlon
  René of Châlon , also known as Renatus of Châlon, was a Prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht and Gelre....
  
  , 1540-1544
• Louis of Flanders
  Louis of Praet
  Louis of Praet, Louis of Flanders, Lord of Praet, or locally Lodewijk van Praet was a nobleman from the Low Countries and an important diplomat and statesman under the Emperor Charles V....
  
  , 1544-1546
• Maximilian II of Burgundy, 1547-1558
• William of Orange, 1559-1567
• Maximilian of Hennin
  Maximilien de Hénin-Liétard
  Maximilien de Hénin-Liétard, Count of Boussu was a soldier and statesman from the Habsburg Netherlands. During the Eighty Years' War he was the royalist stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht from 1567 until he was made a prisoner of war during the Battle on the Zuiderzee in 1573...
  
  , 1567-1573
• Philip of Noircarmes
  Philip of Noircarmes
  Philip of Noircarmes, whose full name was: Philippe René Nivelon Louis de Sainte-Aldegonde, Lord of Noircarmes was a statesman and soldier from the Habsburg Netherlands in the service of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and Philip II of Spain...
  
  , 1573-1574
• William of Orange, 1572-1584
• Adolf van Nieuwenaar
  Adolf van Nieuwenaar
  Adolf van Nieuwenaar, Count of Limburg and Meurs was a statesman and soldier, who was stadtholder of Gelderland and Utrecht for the States-General of the Netherlands during the initial stages of the Eighty Years' War.-Early life:Nieuwenaar was the son of Count Gumprecht II von...
  
  , 1584-1589 (only in Utrecht)
• Maurits of Nassau, 1585-1625
• Frederik Hendrik of Orange, 1625-1647
• William II, Prince of Orange
  William II, Prince of Orange
  William II, Prince of Orange was sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands from 14 March 1647 until his death three years later.-Biography:...
  
  , 1647-1650

First Stadtholderless Period

First Stadtholderless Period

The First Stadtholderless Period or Era is the period in the history of the Dutch Republic in which the office of a Stadtholder was absent in five of the seven Dutch provinces...

, 1650-1672

• William III of Orange
  William III of England
  William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
  
  , 1672-1702 (from 1674, in Utrecht)

Second Stadtholderless Period

Second Stadtholderless Period

The Second Stadtholderless Period or Era is the designation in Dutch historiography of the period between the death of stadtholder William III on March 19, 1702 and the appointment of William IV, Prince of Orange as stadtholder and captain general in all provinces of the Dutch Republic on May 2,...

, 1702-1747

During the Stadtholderless Eras, the provinces of Holland, Zealand and Utrecht were governed by their States free from autocratic intervention. The Second Stadtholderless Era in Holland ended when the Frisian stadtholder became hereditary stadtholder for all provinces of the Dutch Republic.

Stadtholders of Friesland

• Floris van Egmond, Count of Buren, 1515-1518
• Willem van Roggendorff, 1518-1521
• Jancko Douwama
  Jancko Douwama
  Jancko Douwama was a Frisian nobleman who fought to free Friesland from foreign rule.He was born in 1482 into a Vetkoper 'hoofdelingen' or 'untitled noble' family near Oldeboorn, Friesland. He was the son of the chieftain Douwe Douwama and his wife Riem Eesckes...
  
  , 1522
• Georg Schenck van Tautenburg, 1521-1540
• Maximiliaan van Egmond
  Maximiliaan van Egmond
  Maximilian of Egmont was Count of Buren and Leerdam, and Stadtholder of Friesland from 1540 until 1548. He was the son of Floris van Egmont whom he succeeded as count after his father's death in 1539....
  
  , Count of Buren, 1540-1548
• Jean de Ligne
  Jean de Ligne, Duke of Aremberg
  Jean de Ligne, Duke of Arenberg was Baron of Barbançon, founder of the House of Arenberg and stadtholder of the Dutch provinces of Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe and Overijssel from 1549 until his death....
  
  , Count of Arenberg, 1559-1568
• Charles de Brimeu
  Charles de Brimeu
  Charles de Brimeu , was the last count of Megen, lord of Humbercourt, of Houdain and "Éperlecques, stadtholder of Gelderland and Order of the Golden Fleece, opposed the centralizing policy of Philip II of Spain.During the Dutch Revolt, however, he remained loyal to the crown of Spain, in June 1568...
  
  , Count of Megen, 1568-1572
• Gillis van Berlaymont
  Gillis van Berlaymont
  Gilles van Berlaymont was stadtholder for the Spanish Crown of Drenthe, Friesland, Groningen and Overijssel , stadtholder of Guelders , substitute stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht , stadtholder of Namur and Artois and baron of Hierges.He was the son of Charles de Berlaymont and Adriana...
  
  , Lord of Hierges, 1572-1574
• Caspar de Robles
  Caspar de Robles
  Caspar de Robles or Gaspard di Robles also known as Billy in Artois, was Stadholder of Friesland and Groningen at the beginning of the Eighty Years' War .-Family:...
  
  , 1574-1576 (according to some sources 1572-1576)
• George van Rennenberg
  George van Rennenberg
  George de Lalaing count Rennenberg , was stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe and Overijssel in the service of Philip II of Spain from 1577 to 1581. The Lalaing family came from Hainaut and had a tradition of governing...
  
  , 1576-1581 (in the service of Phillip II)
• Francisco Verdugo
  Francisco Verdugo
  Francisco Verdugo, Spanish military commander in the Dutch Revolt, born in 1537 in , became Maestre de Campo General, in the Spanish Netherlands....
  
  , 1581-1594 (in the service of Phillip II)
• William of Orange, 1580-1584
• Willem Lodewijk
  William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg
  William Louis of Nassau-Dillenburg was Count of Nassau-Dillenburg from 1606 to 1620, and stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe. He was the eldest son of John VI, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg.William Louis served as a cavalry officer under William the Silent...
  
  , 1584-1620
• Ernst Casimir
  Ernst Casimir
  Ernst Casimir I of Nassau-Dietz was count of Nassau-Dietz and Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe.-Biography:...
  
  , 1620-1632
• Hendrik Casimir I, 1632-1640
• Willem Frederik
  Willem Frederik of Nassau-Dietz
  Willem Frederik , Count of Nassau-Dietz, Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe.-Family Life:...
  
  , 1640-1664
• Hendrik Casimir II, 1664-1696
• Johan Willem Friso of Orange-Nassau, 1696-1711
• Willem IV of Nassau, 1711-1747 (subsequently became hereditary stadtholder for all provinces)

Stadtholders of Gelre (Guelders)

• Willem van Egmond, 1473-1475
• Willem van Egmond jr., 1475-1476
• Filips van Croy, 1474-1477
• Willem van Egmond jr., 1480-1481
• Adolf III of Nassau-Wiesbaden-Idstein, 1481-1492

• Jan V of Nassau-Vianden-Diez
  Jan V of Nassau-Vianden-Diez
  Johann V of Nassau-Vianden-Dietz was count of Nassau , Vianden and Diez, and Lord of Breda. He was the paternal grandfather of William the Silent....
  
  , 1504-1505
• Philip of Burgundy
  Philip of Burgundy (bishop)
  Philip of Burgundy was Admiral of the Netherlands from 1498 to 1517 and bishop of Utrecht from 1517 to 1524....
  
  , 1505-1507
• Floris van Egmond, 1507-1511

• René of Châlon
  René of Châlon
  René of Châlon , also known as Renatus of Châlon, was a Prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht and Gelre....
  
  , 1543-1544
• Philip de Lalaing
  Philip de Lalaing
  Philip de Lalaing, 2nd count of Hoogstraten was stadtholder of Jülich and Guelders .-Life:A descendant from a noble family from Hainaut, Philip was the son of Charles I de Lalaing and Jacoba of Luxembourg. He inherited the title of count of Hoogstraten from his childless uncle Antoine de Lalaing...
  
  , 1544-1555
• Philip de Montmorency, Count of Hoorn
  Philip de Montmorency, Count of Hoorn
  Philip de Montmorency was also known as Count of Horn or Hoorne or Hoorn.-Biography:De Montmorency was born, between 1518 and 1526, possibly at the Ooidonk Castle, as the son of Jozef van Montmorency, Count of Nevele and Anna van Egmont...
  
  , 1555-1560
• Karel van Brimeu, 1560-1572
• Gillis van Berlaymont
  Gillis van Berlaymont
  Gilles van Berlaymont was stadtholder for the Spanish Crown of Drenthe, Friesland, Groningen and Overijssel , stadtholder of Guelders , substitute stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht , stadtholder of Namur and Artois and baron of Hierges.He was the son of Charles de Berlaymont and Adriana...
  
  , 1572-1577

• John I the Old of Nassau, 1578-1581. Under control of the Dutch Republic
  Dutch Republic
  The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
  
  
• Willem IV van den Bergh
  Willem IV van den Bergh
  Willem IV, Count van den Bergh was Stadtholder of Guelders and Zutphen from 1581 until his arrest for suspected treason in 1583.-Biography:...
  
  , 1581-1583
• Adolf van Nieuwenaar
  Adolf van Nieuwenaar
  Adolf van Nieuwenaar, Count of Limburg and Meurs was a statesman and soldier, who was stadtholder of Gelderland and Utrecht for the States-General of the Netherlands during the initial stages of the Eighty Years' War.-Early life:Nieuwenaar was the son of Count Gumprecht II von...
  
  , 1584-1589
• Maurice of Nassau, 1590-1625
• Frederick Henry of Orange
  Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
  Frederick Henry, or Frederik Hendrik in Dutch , was the sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel from 1625 to 1647.-Early life:...
  
  , 1625-1647
• William II of Orange, 1647-1650

First Stadtholderless Era, 1650-1675 (this lasted longer than in Holland and Zeeland)

• William III of Orange
  William III of England
  William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
  
  , 1675-1702

Second Stadtholderless Era, 1702-1722

• William IV of Orange, 1722-1747 (subsequently became hereditary stadtholder for all provinces)

Stadtholders of Upper Guelders

Upper Guelders

Upper Guelders or Spanish Guelders was one of the four quarters in the Imperial Duchy of Guelders. In the Dutch Revolt, it was the only quarter that did not secede from the Habsburg Monarchy to become part of the Seven United Netherlands, but remained under Spanish rule during the Eighty Years'...

 

• 1502-1522: Reinier of Guelders
• 1522-1543: Occupation by the Habsburgs
• 1543-1579: No stadtholder
• 1579-1589: Jan van Argenteau
• 1589-1592: Marcus de Rye de la Palud
• 1592-1593: Charles of Ligne
• 1593-1611: Herman van den Bergh
  Herman van den Bergh (stadhouder)
  Herman, Count van den Bergh was a Dutch soldier in the Eighty Years' War, knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece and stadtholder of Spanish Guelders.-Life:...
  
  
• 1611-1618: Frederik van den Bergh
• 1618-1632: Hendrik van den Bergh
  Hendrik van den Bergh (count)
  Hendrik, count van den Bergh , lord of Stevensweert, was a Dutch soldier in Spanish service during the Eighty Years' War and stadhouder of Spanish Upper Guelders.-Life:...
  
  
• 1632-1637: Occupation by the Dutch Republic
• 1637-1640: -
• 1640-1646: Willem Bette
• 1646-1652: Jan Koenraard van Aubremont
• 1652-1680: Filips Balthasar van Gendt
• 1680-1699: Johan Frans Desideratus of Nassau-Siegen
• 1699-1702: Philippe Emanuel, Prince of Hornes

Stadtholders of Groningen

From 1584 to 1594, there were two stadtholders: one appointed by the King of Spain, whose authority was only recognized in the city of Groningen, and one on the side of the United Provinces

Dutch Republic

The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...

.

• Cristoffel van Meurs, 1519-1522
• Jasper van Marwijck, 1522-1530
• Karel van Gelre, 1530-1536
• Ludolf Coenders, 1536
• Georg Schenck van Toutenburg
  Georg Schenck van Toutenburg
  Georg Schenck van Toutenburg was Stadhouder of Friesland , succeeding Wilhelm van Roggendorf. Later he was also Stadholder of Overijssel, Drenthe and Groningen...
  
  , 1536-1540
• Maximiliaan van Egmond
  Maximiliaan van Egmond
  Maximilian of Egmont was Count of Buren and Leerdam, and Stadtholder of Friesland from 1540 until 1548. He was the son of Floris van Egmont whom he succeeded as count after his father's death in 1539....
  
  , count of Buren, 1540-1548
• Jean de Ligne, Duke of Aremberg
  Jean de Ligne, Duke of Aremberg
  Jean de Ligne, Duke of Arenberg was Baron of Barbançon, founder of the House of Arenberg and stadtholder of the Dutch provinces of Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe and Overijssel from 1549 until his death....
  
  , 1549-1568
• Charles de Brimeu
  Charles de Brimeu
  Charles de Brimeu , was the last count of Megen, lord of Humbercourt, of Houdain and "Éperlecques, stadtholder of Gelderland and Order of the Golden Fleece, opposed the centralizing policy of Philip II of Spain.During the Dutch Revolt, however, he remained loyal to the crown of Spain, in June 1568...
  
  , count of Megen, 1568-1572
• Gillis van Berlaymont
  Gillis van Berlaymont
  Gilles van Berlaymont was stadtholder for the Spanish Crown of Drenthe, Friesland, Groningen and Overijssel , stadtholder of Guelders , substitute stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht , stadtholder of Namur and Artois and baron of Hierges.He was the son of Charles de Berlaymont and Adriana...
  
  , heer van Hierges, 1572-1574
• Caspar de Robles
  Caspar de Robles
  Caspar de Robles or Gaspard di Robles also known as Billy in Artois, was Stadholder of Friesland and Groningen at the beginning of the Eighty Years' War .-Family:...
  
  , 1574-1576
• Georges van Lalaing, count of Rennenberg 1576-1581
• Francisco Verdugo
  Francisco Verdugo
  Francisco Verdugo, Spanish military commander in the Dutch Revolt, born in 1537 in , became Maestre de Campo General, in the Spanish Netherlands....
  
  , 1581-1594 (from 1584 only recognized in the city of Groningen)
• Willem Lodewijk
  William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg
  William Louis of Nassau-Dillenburg was Count of Nassau-Dillenburg from 1606 to 1620, and stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe. He was the eldest son of John VI, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg.William Louis served as a cavalry officer under William the Silent...
  
  , 1584-1620 (until 1594 only recognized in the province of Groningen; from 1594 also in the city of Groningen)
• Maurice of Nassau, 1620-1625
• Ernst Casimir
  Ernst Casimir
  Ernst Casimir I of Nassau-Dietz was count of Nassau-Dietz and Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe.-Biography:...
  
  , 1625-1632
• Hendrik Casimir I, 1632-1640
• Frederick Henry
  Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
  Frederick Henry, or Frederik Hendrik in Dutch , was the sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel from 1625 to 1647.-Early life:...
  
  , 1640-1647
• William II
  William II, Prince of Orange
  William II, Prince of Orange was sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands from 14 March 1647 until his death three years later.-Biography:...
  
  , 1647-1650
• Willem Frederik
  Willem Frederik of Nassau-Dietz
  Willem Frederik , Count of Nassau-Dietz, Stadtholder of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe.-Family Life:...
  
  , 1650-1664

Albertine Agnes of Nassau

Albertine Agnes of Nassau

Albertine Agnes , was a regent of Friesland, Groningen and Drenthe. She was the fifth daughter of stadtholder Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange and Amalia of Solms-Braunfels.-Family:...

, regentess for Hendrick Casimir II, 1664-1673

• Hendrik Casimir II, 1664-1696

Henriette Amalia von Anhalt, regentess for Johan Willem Friso, 1696-1707

• Johan Willem Friso of Orange-Nassau, 1696-1711

Marie Louise von Hessen-Kassel, regentess for William IV, 1711-1729

• William IV of Orange, 1711-1747 (subsequently became hereditary stadtholder for all provinces)

Stadtholders of Overijssel

• Adolf van Nieuwenaar
  Adolf van Nieuwenaar
  Adolf van Nieuwenaar, Count of Limburg and Meurs was a statesman and soldier, who was stadtholder of Gelderland and Utrecht for the States-General of the Netherlands during the initial stages of the Eighty Years' War.-Early life:Nieuwenaar was the son of Count Gumprecht II von...
  
    1584 - 1589
• Maurice, Prince of Orange 1590 - 1625
• Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
  Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
  Frederick Henry, or Frederik Hendrik in Dutch , was the sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel from 1625 to 1647.-Early life:...
  
   1625 - 1647
• William II, Prince of Orange
  William II, Prince of Orange
  William II, Prince of Orange was sovereign Prince of Orange and stadtholder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands from 14 March 1647 until his death three years later.-Biography:...
  
   (1647 - 1650)

First Stadtholderless Period

First Stadtholderless Period

The First Stadtholderless Period or Era is the period in the history of the Dutch Republic in which the office of a Stadtholder was absent in five of the seven Dutch provinces...

 (1650 - 1675, this lasted longer than in Holland and Zeeland

Zeeland

Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about...

)

• William III, Prince of Orange
  William III of England
  William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
  
    1675-1702

Second Stadtholderless Period

Second Stadtholderless Period

The Second Stadtholderless Period or Era is the designation in Dutch historiography of the period between the death of stadtholder William III on March 19, 1702 and the appointment of William IV, Prince of Orange as stadtholder and captain general in all provinces of the Dutch Republic on May 2,...

 (1702-1747)

• William IV, Prince of Orange
  William IV, Prince of Orange
  William IV, Prince of Orange-Nassau , born Willem Karel Hendrik Friso, was the first hereditary stadtholder of the Netherlands.-Early life:...
  
    1747-1751
• William V, Prince of Orange
  William V, Prince of Orange
  William V , Prince of Orange-Nassau was the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and between 1795 and 1806 he led the Government of the Dutch Republic in Exile in London. He was succeeded by his son William I...
  
   1751-1795

(General) Hereditary Stadtholders of the United Provinces

The style was changed from 22 November 1747, when the office was enacted as hereditary in every province, to Stadhouder-generaal [Hereditary] 'General Stadholder'

• William IV of Orange, 1747-1751 (had been Stadtholder for all provinces except Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht for some time)

Anne, Princess Royal, regentess for William V, 1751-1759

Marie Louise von Hessen-Kassel, regentess for William V, 1759-1765

Carolina of Orange-Nassau

Carolina of Orange-Nassau

Princess Carolina of Orange and Nassau-Dietz, Princess of Nassau-Weilburg was the daughter of William IV, Prince of Orange, Stadtholder of the Netherlands, and Anne, Princess Royal.Her maternal grandparents were King George II of Great Britain and Queen Caroline.-Regent:Princess Carolina was born in...

, regentess for William V, 1765-1766

• William V of Orange, 1751-1795

On 16 February 1795, office of stadholder was abolished by the Staten-Generaal (now styled Algemene Staten, a Dutch purism, also translating as 'General Estates').

See also

• Deputy (disambiguation)
• Stadtholder
  Stadtholder
  A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
  
  
• Orangism (Netherlands)
  Orangism (Netherlands)
  Orangism is a monarchist political support for the House of Orange-Nassau as monarchy of the Netherlands. It played a significant role in the political history of the Netherlands since the Dutch revolt...
  
  
• Queen's Commissioner
  Queen's Commissioner
  The Queen's Commissioner is the head of a province in the Netherlands, who is chairman of both the Provinciale Staten and the Gedeputeerde Staten , but only has a right to vote in the latter...
  
  (modern name)