Privy Council of the Habsburg Netherlands

(Redirected from Brussels Privy Council)

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]

Privy Councillors Engelbert Maes, Guillaume de Grysperre, Ferdinand de Boisschot, Jean Grivel and Guillaume de Steenhuys in the funeral cortege of Archduke Albert (1622)

History

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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

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Presidents

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Councillors

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Secretary

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See also

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References

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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.