Portrait of William III, Prince of Orange and Stadholder
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Description
This portrait of William III represents the interesting government which developed in the Dutch Republic following its independence from Spain. William III served as stadtholder of the Seven Provinces of the Netherlands from 1672-1702. The stadholder was an administrator who was appointed by the States General, which was the national assembly of the provinces. The role of stadtholder was distinct from that of monarch, although stadtholders were generally descendants of William the Silent (Wiesner-Hanks 344-345). The absence of a monarch in the Netherlands in an age of increasing absolutism had notable economic and social implications for the republic (Wiesner-Hanks 346).
William III also connects the Netherlands to a wider world of politics, as he and his wife Mary became monarchs of England, Scotland, and Ireland, in 1688 with parliamentary support. The ascension of these monarchs led to a greater constitutional basis of government in the British Isles, and the eventual formation of Great Britain under their successor, Queen Anne (Wiesner Hanks 343). Thus despite the lack of a monarch in the Netherlands, the region continued to have an influence on dynastic and monarchical politics in western Europe through figures such as William. In a period of increasing absolutism, the Netherlands both resisted the control of monarchs and was involved in other constitutional and governmental changes abroad.
Works Cited:
Wiesner-Hanks, Merry E. “Politics and power, 1600-1789” In Early Modern Europe, 1450-1789, 316-361. Cambridge University Press, 2013.