Privy Council of the Habsburg Netherlands

Guillaume de Steenhuys in the funeral cortege of Archduke Albert

The Privy Council or Secret Council (Dutch: Geheime Raad, French: Conseil Privé) was one of the three "collateral councils" (along with the Council of Finance and Council of State) that together formed the highest government institutions of the Habsburg Netherlands.^[1] Based in Brussels, it was particularly charged with legal and administrative questions.^[2]

History

The Council was founded on 1 October 1531 by Emperor Charles V.^[3] He prescribed a president, eight councillors, and a secretary.

Philip V of Spain abolished the council in 1702, but it was later restored by the archduchess-governess Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen and finally abolished by the Brabant Revolution.

Personnel

Presidents

1531-1540: Jean Carondelet.
1531-1540: Pieter Tayspil
1540-1548: Lodewijk van Schore
1549-1569:
Viglius van Aytta
1569-1573: Charles de Tisnacq
1573-1575:
Viglius van Aytta
1575-1583: Arnoud Sasbout
1587-1592: Willem van Pamele
1592-1595: Jan van der Burch
1597–1609: Jean Richardot
1614–1630: Engelbert Maes
1632–1653: Pieter Roose
1653–1671: Charles de Hovyne
1672–1684: Léon-Jean de Paepe
1684-1694: Pieter Frans Blondel
1694-1702: Albert de Coxie, baron of Moorsele.
1725-1732: Christophe-Ernest, 1st Count of Baillet
1733-1739: Jean Alphonse, 1st Count de Coloma
1739-1758: Gilles-Augustin de Steenhault

Councillors

Secretary

References

^ Paul F. State, Historical Dictionary of Brussels (2015), p. 393.
^ Georges Martyn, "How 'Sovereign' were the Southern Netherlands under the Archdukes?", in The Twelve Years Truce (1609): Peace, Truce, War and Law in the Low Countries at the Turn of the 17th Century, edited by Randall Lesaffer (Leiden and Boston, 2014), p. 201.
^ Geheime Raad (1531-1578), Huygens Institute for the History of the Netherlands. Accessed 3 April 2017.

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[1] Paul F. State, Historical Dictionary of Brussels (2015), p. 393.

[2] Georges Martyn, "How 'Sovereign' were the Southern Netherlands under the Archdukes?", in The Twelve Years Truce (1609): Peace, Truce, War and Law in the Low Countries at the Turn of the 17th Century, edited by Randall Lesaffer (Leiden and Boston, 2014), p. 201.

[3] Geheime Raad (1531-1578), Huygens Institute for the History of the Netherlands. Accessed 3 April 2017.

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