The Anglo-dutch Favourite: The Career of Hans Willem Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland (16491709) (Politics and Culture in North-Western Europe 1650-1720)

Hans Willem Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland (1649-1709) was the closest confidant of William III and arguably the most important politician in Williamite Britain. Beginning his career in 1664 as page to William of Orange, his fortunes gained momentum with the Prince's rise to power in the Netherlands and Britain, emerging as William's favourite at court from the 1670s onwards. Taking a broadly chronological approach, the central concern of this book is not simply to provide a biographical account of Portland's life, but to explore wider political themes within a European context. By analysing Portland's role within William's government, it shows how royal favourites could still wield considerable influence on European events and help shape royal policy, particularly with regard to foreign policy. By engaging with the question of why such a figure emerged, this study helps illuminate the workings of William's government and the central role of his foreign entourage. Drawing from archival material in England, Scotland, France and The Netherlands, it ties the history of post-Revolution Britain with political events in the Netherlands. It also analyses Anglo-Dutch political relations during the crucial period of the Nine Years War, Britain's first major commitments to a continental war since the sixteenth century. In so doing, it connects Dutch and British historiography and significantly contributes to our understanding of British politics during the 1690s, both domestically and within an international context. Contents......Page 8 List of Illustrations......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 List of Abbreviations......Page 14 Notes on Style and Dates......Page 16 Introduction......Page 20 1 The Making of a Favourite (1649–85)......Page 26 2 For Religion and Liberty? The Crises of 1688......Page 56 3 The Consolidation of the Williamite Settlement (1689–91)......Page 82 4 ‘Lord Portland takes all’: The Re-emergence of the Favourite......Page 104 5 ‘The Spirit of Contention’: Politics and Parties......Page 142 6 ‘The Great Affair’: War on the Continent......Page 166 7 Ganymede: The Image of the Favourite......Page 194 8 Arcana Imperii: War and Peace (1697–1700)......Page 216 9 The Vestiges of Power (1697–1709)......Page 248 Conclusion......Page 280 Bibliography......Page 286 B......Page 308 D......Page 310 H......Page 311 L......Page 312 O......Page 313 S......Page 314 V......Page 315 Z......Page 316 Hans Willem Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland (1649-1709) was the closest confidant of William III and arguably the most important politician in Williamite Britain. Taking a broadly chronological approach, the central concern of this book is not simply to provide a biographical account of Portland's life, but to explore wider political themes within a European context. Drawing from archival material in England, Scotland, France and The Netherlands, it ties the history of post-Revolution Britain with political events in the Netherlands and analyses Anglo-Dutch political relations during the crucial period of the Nine Years War. In so doing it connects Dutch and British historiography and significantly contributes to our understanding of British politics during the 1690s, both domestically and within an international context. Hans Willem Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland (1649-1709) was the closest confidant of William III and arguably the most important politician in Williamite Britain. This book not only provides a biographical account of Portland's life, but also explores wider political themes within a European context. Drawing from archival material in England, Scotland, France and The Netherlands, it ties the history of post-Revolution Britain with political events in the Netherlands and analyses Anglo-Dutch political relations during the crucial period of the Nine Years War. In so doing it connects Dutch and Br