William’s posthumous child would no doubt have…
December 1650 CE
William’s posthumous child would no doubt have been acclaimed stadtholder automatically were the Dutch Republic a monarchy, or the office of stadtholder hereditary, and a Regency would have been put into place.
This is the proposal of the Orangist faction in the Republic, especially Willem Frederik, who proposes himself in the role of Lieutenant-Stadtholder in the five provinces in which he is not already stadtholder in his own right, until baby William would come of age.
This proposal elicits little enthusiasm, however, from the Holland regents, who still vividly remember his role in the recent coup.
On the other hand, if the office of stadtholder is indispensable, the States of the five provinces with a vacancy can and will appoint a successor, though not necessarily someone from the Nassau families, but the Holland regents feel no pressing need to appoint anyone, especially in view of recent events.
They act very quickly to undo the effects of William's coup, freeing the captive regents and reinstating them in their offices.
The Gecommitteerde Raden (executive committee) of the States of Holland moves immediately to reassert their authority over the army and convenes a plenary session of the States.
Next Holland proposes in the States General that a so-called Great Assembly (a kind of constitutional convention) should be convened at short notice, to amend the Union of Utrecht.
The States of Holland do not await this Assembly, however, but for their own province immediately start to make constitutional alterations.
The States on December 8, 1650, formally take over their Stadtholders' powers.
The eighteen voting towns in the States are given the option to apply for a charter that enables them to henceforth elect their own vroedschap members and magistrates, under ultimate supervision of the States, but otherwise without the usual drawing up of double lists, for outsiders to choose from.
This does not apply to the nonvoting towns, however, that still have to present double lists, but now to the States, instead of the Stadtholder.
The States also assume the power to appoint magistrates in the unincorporated countryside.
This does imply a significant change in the power structure in the province.
The position of the city regents is improved, while the ridderschap (the oligarchical representative body of the nobility in the States, that has one vote, equal to one city) loses influence, especially in the countryside.
The change also diminishes the power of the representative bodies of the guilds in the cities, that have often acted as a check on the power of the vroedschap with the help of the stadtholder.
The change therefore does not go unopposed, and causes some rioting by the groups being disenfranchised.
Holland meanwhile encourages other provinces to follow its example.
Subjects
Regions
West Europe
View →Subregions
