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The Netherlands / Low Countries / Holland
The oldest traces of the Frisian population (proto-Frisians) in
the Low Countries date back to the end of the Bronze Age in 700 BC, which makes the
Frisians one of the oldest still-surviving tribes in Europe. Their origin in
circa 1000 BC probably lies in southern Scandinavia, along with the other
Germanic peoples.
The coastal area around Friesland (Zwin, near Sluis in
Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, and Weser, Bremen) was initially ruled after the
collapse of the Roman Empire
by local Frisian leaders. During this turmoil smaller tribes in the Low Countries,
like the Canninifates and the Batavians, merged with the bigger tribe of the Frisians,
while some communities joined the Jutish/Saxon migration to southern Britain.
(King lists and detailed additional notes from AD 839 onwards by Dirk van Duijvenbode.)
EXTERNAL LINK:
List of Dutch Sovereigns |
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Pre-Roman Frisia
This region comprised the coastal area around the upper Netherlands, eastwards to the mouth of the Weser. The western half, which became known as West Frisia, emerged as a
distinct region during the feuds of the thirteenth century AD, and evolved
into the modern Netherlands. The remainder was then distinguished as East
Frisia and was essentially German in character. The list is legendary
until the advent of the Roman Empire (names backed in lilac). Before
Charlemagne's rule, it remains uncertain.
It was from this coastal strip that the combined
Saxon and Frisian settlers
headed for the southern shores of
Britain in the fifth and sixth centuries.
The language of the remaining population is still very closely linked to
modern English. |
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? - 2194 BC |
Frya |
Traditional founder of the Frisian Commonwealth. |
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Frisian Folk Mothers |
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2194 - 2145? BC |
Fasta |
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Medea |
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Thiania |
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Hellenia |
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c.2013 BC |
Minna |
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1631 - ? BC |
Rosamond |
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c.1621 BC |
Hellicht |
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? - 590 BC |
Frana |
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590 - 559 BC |
Adela |
De facto ruler. |
590 - 306 BC |
After
Frana, the authority of the folk mothers collapses. A period of division
follows, with no clear Frisian rulers apparent. |
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306 - c.270 BC |
Gosa |
Eventually ruled jointly with the first king of Frisia. |
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Kings of Frisia (Friso) |
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304 - 264 BC |
Adel I Friso |
De facto king. |
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264 - ? BC |
Adel II Atharik |
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? - 70 BC |
Adel III Ubbo |
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70 BC - AD 11 |
Adel IV Asinga Ascon |
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c.60 BC |
Prontlik |
Folk Mother appointed by Adel IV. |
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AD 11 - 15 |
Diocarus Segon |
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15 - 28 |
Dibbald Segon |
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28 |
The Frisii on the Lower Rhine are driven to revolt against the
Roman Empire
by excessively zealous tax collection. |
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28 - 47 |
Tabbo |
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47 |
Frisia
is appended to the
Roman Empire.
It is classified as a client state. |
47 - 58 |
Asconius |
Client king. |
47 - 58 |
Adelbold |
Client king. |
58 |
Titus Boiocalus |
Anti-Roman usurper. |
58 |
Frisia
is re-classified as an allied state of the
Roman Empire. |
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Kings of Frisia (Ubbo) |
58 - 70 |
Ubbo |
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70 - ? |
Haron Ubbo |
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Odilbald |
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? - 286 |
Udolph Haron |
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Kings of Frisia / Friesland (Offo)
The Frisians were bordered to the north-east by the
Saxon tribes which began
forming a state of their own after the departure of the Romans. Many Saxon
groups were accompanied by Frisians when they emigrated to
Britain in the
fifth to early seventh centuries. |
286 - ? |
Richold I Offo |
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Odilbold |
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Richold II |
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Beroald |
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Folcwald |
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? - c.448 |
Finn |
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c.448 |
Hnæf of the Danes
is killed at the Fight at Finnesburg in Frisia, as is Finn's eldest son.
Finn is subsequently killed by Hengist, Hnæf's Anglian comrade in arms,
and his Danish wife, Hildeburh, is returned to her people. Soon afterwards,
Hengist leads his people to Britain where he begins the conquest of
Kent. |
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? - 677 |
Eadgils I |
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679 - 689 |
Redbad / Radboud |
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689 - 719 |
Friesland
is conquered by the Frankish Merovingian
Empire. Redbad continues to resist until his death. The Franks
partition the area into three regions: Eastern Friesland (between the
rivers Lauwers and Weser - later part of
Germany); Middle Friesland (between Vlie and Lauwers);
and West Friesland (everything west of the Vlie (the important sea arm,
essentially for trading places like Dorestad) - the modern Netherlands). |
719 - 734 |
Eadgils II (or Poppo) |
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734 |
The
Merovingian
Empire takes full control. The final two kings are either puppets or
Merovingian administrators. |
734 - 777 |
Gundebold (or Poppo) |
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777 - 806 |
Radbold II (or Dirk) |
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800 |
The
East Francian section of the empire
inherits Frisia. Frisia remains officially attached to Germany until the
Peace of Westphalia in 1648. The ruling house is demoted to the rank of
count. |
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Counts of Friesland (House of Fries) |
839 - 856 |
Gerulf I |
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885 - 889 |
Gerulf II |
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Counts of West-Frisia (House of Holland)
Ruled locally in the name of the Archbishop of Utrecht, himself governing the
area on behalf of the Holy Roman Emperor.
Frisia was at this time the whole coastal area from
Flanders to the
Danish
border, including Utrecht. Count Dirk's territory corresponds roughly with
the present day provinces of South and North Holland. |
916 - 928 |
Dirk I |
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928 - 988 |
Dirk II |
m.Hildegard of
Flanders. First Count of West-Frisia (964). |
988 - 993 |
Arnhulf / Aernhoud of Ghent |
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993 - 1039 |
Dirk III Hierosolymitas |
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1039 - 1049 |
Dirk IV |
Son of Dirk III. |
1049 - 1061 |
Floris I |
Son of Dirk III. |
1061 - 1076 |
When
Floris I dies, his widow, Gertrude, governs West-Frisia as regent, until Dirk V can accede
to the title of Count of Holland. |
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Counts of Holland (House of Holland)
The name 'Holland' only came in use around the year 1100. Before that the region
was recognised universally as Western Frisia. |
1061 - 1091 |
Dirk V |
Son of Floris I
of West-Frisia & Gertrude of
Saxony. |
1061 - 1064 |
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Geertruida / Geertrui of Saxony |
Countess / Gravin.
Wife of Floris I. m.Robert of
Flanders. |
1064 - 1074 |
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Robert of Flanders / Robrecht de Fries |
m.Gertrude. Count of
Flanders (1071-1093). |
1074 - 1076 |
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Govert met de Bult |
House of
Lotharingia. |
1091 - 1121 |
Floris II de Vette (Fat) |
Son. |
c.1100 |
The old line of counts had by now become extinct, and internecine feuding
erupts, and continues until the region is invaded by
Spanish imperial troops
at the end of the fifteenth century. |
1122 - 1157 |
Dirk VI |
Son. |
1157 - 1190 |
Floris III |
Son. |
1190 - 1203 |
Dirk VII |
Son. |
1203 |
Ada |
Countess / Gravin. Dau. |
1203 - 1222 |
William I |
Son of Floris III. |
1222 - 1234 |
Floris IV |
Son. |
1234 - 1256 |
William II |
Son. Rival for the
Holy Roman Empire (1247-1256). |
1256 - 1296 |
Floris V |
Son. |
1277 |
The
separation of East Frisia from West Frisia had been de facto during the
internecine feuding of the thirteenth century. The division becomes
permanent when the Dollart Estuary, at the mouth of the Elms, is flooded. A
line of independent counts is established there by 1400. |
1296 - 1299 |
Jan / John I |
Son. No heir. |
1299 |
Aleid,
younger sister of William II, marries Jan of Avesnes, Count of Hainaut, in 1246. Their son
becomes Jan II of Holland. |
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Counts of Holland-Hennegau (House of Avesnes) |
1299 - 1304 |
Jan II of Avesnes |
Count of Hennegau (1280).
Grandson of Margaret I of Flanders. |
1304 - 1337 |
William III de Goede |
Son. |
1337 - 1345 |
William IV |
Son. |
1345 - 1349 |
Margaret / Margaratha of Beieren |
Countess / Gravin.
Dau of William III. m.Louis IV the
Bavarian. |
1349 |
William,
son of Margaret and Louis IV of
Bavaria,
becomes William V of Holland. Hennegau
ceases to be used in the title. |
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Counts of Holland (House of Beiers)
The Beiers ruled in West Frisia only. An independent line of counts became established in
East Frisia which had been divided from the west since the flooding of the
Dollart Estuary in 1277, and the region eventually became part of Germany. |
1349 - 1389 |
William V |
Son of Margaret. |
1389 - 1404 |
Albert / Albrecht |
Son of Margaret. |
1404 - 1417 |
William VI |
Son. m.Margaret of Burgundy (1385). |
1417 - 1433 |
Jacoba / Jacqueline |
Countess / Gravin. Dau. No heir. d.1436. |
1417 - 1424 |
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William |
John IV, Duke of Brabant (1415-1427). m.Jacoba. |
1433 |
With
the remarriage of Jacoba to the
English Henry of Gloucester, the
title passes to the dukes of
Burgundy. |
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Counts of Holland (House of Burgundy) |
1433 - 1467 |
Philip I the Good |
Duke of
Burgundy. |
1467 - 1477 |
Charles I the Bold (Karel I de Stoute) |
Duke of
Burgundy. |
1477 - 1482 |
Mary of Burgundy (Maria de Rijke) |
Duchess of
Burgundy. |
1482 |
Mary
of Burgundy marries Maximilian of
Habsburg in 1477. The County of Holland
passes to the Habsburg counts. |
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Counts of Holland (House of Habsburg) |
1482 - 1494 |
Maximilian of Habsburg |
Became
HRE Emperor (1493). Passed Holland
to his son. |
1494 - 1506 |
Philip II de Schone |
Became
King Philip I of Castille (1504). |
1506 - 1515 |
Maximilian |
Regent for Charles II.
HRE (1493-1519). |
1515 - 1555 |
Charles II / Karel II |
Grandson
of Maximilian. Charles I of Spain
(1516-1556). |
1555 - 1581 |
Philip III |
Philip II of
Spain (1556-1598). Deposed by the Dutch. |
1555 - 1581 |
While
the Habsburgs rule Holland from Spain, the
House of Orange rises to prominence in
Holland itself as Stadhouders (viceroys), holding the title of prince. The
absent Habsburgs are eventually thrown out during a Dutch revolt. |
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Stadhouder Princes of Holland (House of Orange) |
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1463 - 1475 |
William VII of Chalon |
Prince of Orange. |
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1475 - 1502 |
Jean II of Chalon |
Prince of Orange. |
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1502 - 1515 |
Claudia of Chalon & Orange |
Dau. m.Hendrik III of
Nassau (1515). |
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1515 - 1538 |
Hendrik of Nassau |
Count of
Nassau. Prince of Orange. |
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1538 - 1544 |
René of Chalon |
Son. Count of
Nassau. Prince of Orange. |
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1544 - 1555 |
William the Silent of Chalon |
Nephew. Count of
Nassau. Prince of Orange. |
1555 |
The
Princes of Orange play no part in Dutch history until this year. William I,
Count of
Nassau, Prince of Orange (born in Nassau), is officially proclaimed Stadhouder of
the counties of Holland and Zeeland & the diocese of Utrecht by Charles V,
Holy Roman Emperor.
The Princes of Orange now rule in the name of the absent Spanish
Count of Holland, Philip
III (King Phillip II of Spain). |
1555 - 1584 |
William I the Silent (de Zwijger) |
Led revolt against Spanish
Habsburgs. Assassinated 10 July. |
1568 - 1648 |
The War
of Liberation against the Spanish Habsburgs
ends with the Münster
(Westphalia) peace treaty. Europe recognises the independence of the Netherlands. |
1581 |
The
Habsburgs are thrown out of the Netherlands. William, who remains
Stadhouder, now governs Holland along with the Staten Generaal (the
representatives of the seven provinces). The Netherlands is officially
declared a republic. The Staten-Generaal continues to select members of
the House of Orange to govern the Netherlands as Stadhouder (even though
there is no longer any monarch). They are kings in all but name. |
1585 - 1625 |
Maurits / Maurice |
Son. |
1625 - 1647 |
Frederick Henry |
Son of William I. |
1641 |
The Dutch become allied to the African
Congo
Kingdom as the latter attempt to dislodge the
Portuguese slave
traders. |
1647 - 1650 |
William II |
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1650 - 1672 |
Eerste
Stadhouderloze Tijdperk (The First Stadhouderless Era). William III is
born eight days after his father's death. As William
III is too young to rule, and there is no other Orange to select, the
Staten-Generaal do not select a stadhouder at all. In 1672, several
nations declare war on the Netherlands and the people plead for an Orange
to lead them. |
1672 - 1702 |
William III |
Son. William III of
England
(1689-1702). No heir. |
1702 - 1747 |
Tweede
Stadhouderloze Tijdperk (The Second Stadhouderless Era). No Stadhouder is
elected by the Staten-Generaal. In 1747, the
French invade and again, the
Staten-Generaal popularly elect an Orange to lead the country. A remote
cousin of William III's, William of Nassau, Stadhouder of Friesland, is
elected to the post. In honour of his predecessors he takes the name
"Orange-Nassau" (the Principality of Orange had been returned to
France with the Peace of Utrecht in 1713, but the title had stayed with
the Dutch). |
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Stadhouder Princes of Holland (House of Orange-Nassau)
The elected title of stadhouder was changed to erfstadhouder (hereditary
stadhouder: "erf" or "erven" = "inherit").
The Netherlands remained a republic until the French conquest of 1795. |
1747 - 1751 |
William IV Friso |
Stadhouder
of Friesland (now one of the seven provinces). |
1751 - 1795 |
William V the Batavian |
Declared
war on France (1793). Fled to
England (1795). |
1795 - 1806 |
The
country is conquered
by the French Republic
and is renamed
the Batavian Republic (Baatafsche Republiek), modelled on the French system. |
1806 - 1810 |
The French-controlled
Kingdom of Holland
is created. |
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Kingdom of Holland (Bonaparte)
The
French-controlled Kingdom of Holland
is created by Napoleon Bonaparte. He places one of his brothers on the
throne. |
1806 - 1810 |
Louis Bonaparte |
Brother of Napoleon. |
1810 |
Napoleon
throws his brother out of office and draws Holland directly into the
French Empire. |
1810 - 1813 |
Napoleon Bonaparte |
Emperor of
France. |
1813 |
Napoleon
is forced out of Germany and greatly weakened in Holland. William I raises
Dutch forces as part of the
British-led Allied Army. |
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Kingdom of the Netherlands (House of Orange-Nassau) |
1813 - 1840 |
William I |
Son of Prince William V.
Sovereign of Holland 1813-1815. |
1815 |
By
the power of the Congress of Vienna, William is elevated to the status
of king to rule the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, incorporating
Holland and Belgium. He is
also made Grand Duke of
Luxembourg. |
1830 |
Belgium
splits from Dutch rule and the following year proclaims its own kingdom.
The country shortens its name to Kingdom of the Netherlands. |
1840 |
William abdicates and three years later dies in Berlin. |
1840 - 1848 |
William II |
Son. Nicknamed Little
Frog by
British in the Peninsula War. |
1849 - 1890 |
William III |
Son. His own sons predeceased him. |
1890 |
Under
Salic Law, The Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg
cannot be ruled by a woman, so it is granted to a distant relative of
William III's. |
1890 - 1948 |
Wilhelmina |
Queen.
Dau. m.Prince Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. |
1940 - 1945 |
Wilhelmina
and the Dutch Government flee to London to escape the Nazi clutches, and
proclaim a Dutch Government in Exile. |
1948 |
Wilhelmina
abdicates to make way for her daughter, Juliana. |
1948 - 1980 |
Juliana |
Queen. Dau. m.Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. |
1948 - 2004 |
Juliana becomes
known as the Bicycling Queen, due to her fondness for cycling alone in
public in the days before heavy personal security. Juliana abdicates in 1980
in favour of her daughter and remains Princess Juliana until her death on
19 March 2004 from pneumonia. |
1980 - Present |
Beatrix |
Queen. Dau. m.Claus von Amsberg. |
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Alexander / William-Alexander / William IV |
Heir.
m.Argentinean Máxima Zorreguieta on 2 Feb 2002. |
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