This is a list of stadtholders (, ) or governors () in the Low Countries, or historical Netherlands region. This includes all the territories in the Low Countries that were acquired by the House of Habsburg in the 15th and 16th century and were politically united as the Habsburg Netherlands, then known as the "Seventeen Provinces". It also includes non-Habsburg territories, such as the Prince-Bishopric of Liège (until 1794), the Princely Abbey of Stavelot-Malmedy (until 1794), the Prince-Bishopric of Cambrésis and the Imperial City of Cambray (until 1678), the Principality of Sedan (until 1651), the Duchy of Bouillon (until 1795), and the Duchy of Jülich (until 1795).
Background
The stadtholders or governors were appointed from the ranks of the high nobility, and acted as deputies of a monarch, such as the dukes of Burgundy, Saxony and Guelders, the kings of Spain, or the archdukes of Austria. During the Eighty Years' War, the States(-General) of provinces which rebelled against the Spanish crown started appointing their own stadtholders, establishing a symbiotic relationship between States and stadtholders in what would become the Dutch Republic. Throughout the war, some areas had two stadtholders: those appointed by the Habsburgs, and those appointed by the States in revolt.
By county, duchy, and lordship
County of Artois
The County of Artois () was a province of France, held by the Dukes of Burgundy from 1384 until 1477/82, and a state of the Holy Roman Empire from 1493 until 1659. Through the Burgundian treaty of 1548, it was made part of the Habsburg Netherlands (Seventeen Provinces) until 1659, when it was reincorportated into France.
In Habsburg service: 1500–1504: Engelbert II of Nassau, count of Nassau-Breda 1506–1513: James II of Luxemburg-Fiennes, lord of Fiennes 15??–1524: Ferry of Croÿ, lord van Roeulx 1524–1553: Adrian of Croÿ, count of Roeulx 1553–1558: Pontus of Lalaing, lord of Bugnicourt 1559–1568: Lamoral, Count of Egmont, prince of Gavre 1568–1571: none (?) 1571–1578?: Ferdinand of Lannoy, duke of Bojano 1578–1579: Gilles van Berlaymont, lord of Hierges 1579–1597?: Florent de Berlaymont, count of Lalaing and Berlaymont 1597–1610: Charles III de Croÿ, prince of Chimay 1610–1624: Lamoral, Prince of Ligne
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant had no stadtholder, since the governor-general administered this region directly from Brussels. William of Orange once proposed to appoint a kind of stadtholder (he called it superintendent) to be able to persuade the States of Brabant to obey, because without the stadtholder the States could act too independently. He implied that he himself would be a good candidate for the office. However, his proposal was rejected by Granvelle. At the Entry of William of Orange to Brussels in September 1577, Orange did receive the medieval title of ruwaard from the hands of the States of Brabant, which came down to a stadtholdership, but mainly had symbolic value.
Prince-Bishopric of Cambrai
Although the Prince-Bishopric of Cambrai () or Cambrésis was not formally part of the Habsburg Netherlands but was sovereign and directly under the emperor, the emperor was also always from the House of Habsburg, and the city of Cambrai had had a Spanish garrison as its occupation since 1543. The Spanish Habsburgs therefore appointed governors (stadtholders) over Cambrai who were not answerable to the prince-bishop residing in Le Cateau-Cambrésis. In Habsburg service 1566–1574: Philip of Noircarmes 1574–1576: Philip of Récourt, baron of Licques (Liques), viscount of Lens. Taken captive and deposed by Baudouin de Gavre in 1576. In States-General service 1576–1581: Baudouin de Gavre, lord of Inchy, conquered Cambrai and was appointed commander/governor/stadtholder of Cambrai in the service of the States-General. 1589: Cambrai conquered by the French In French service 1594–1595: Jean de Moltluc, lord of Balagny (on behalf of the king of France) 1595: Siege of Cambrai (1595), Balagny capitulated on 9 October 1595 and the city fell back into Spanish hands. In Habsburg service 1617–1630: Carlos Coloma, previously governor of Roussillon (1600–1611) and viceroy of Majorca (1611–1617) 1630–16??: Juan Carlos de Guzman, Marquis of Fuentès Siege of Cambrai (1677): French forces took control of Cambrai. By the 1678–9 Treaties of Nijmegen, France annexed Cambrésis. In French service 168?–168?: François de Montbion 1741–1750?: Lodewijk Pieter Engelbert van der Marck