The Privy Council or Secret Council ( nl, 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 Habsburg Netherlands was the Renaissance period fiefs in the Low Countries held by the Holy Roman Empire's House of Habsburg. The rule began in 1482, when the last House of Valois-Burgundy, Valois-Burgundy ruler of the Netherlands, Mary of Burgu ...

. Based in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, it was particularly charged with legal and administrative questions.

History

The Council was founded on 1 October 1531 by Emperor

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...

.Geheime Raad (1531-1578)

Huygens Institute for the History of the Netherlands The Huygens Institute for the History of the Netherlands was formed on January 1, 2011 through a merger of the Institute of Dutch History ( nl, 'Instituut voor Nederlandse Geschiedenis', ING) a research institute of the Netherlands Organisation ...

. Accessed 3 April 2017. He prescribed a president, eight councillors, and a secretary.

Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724, and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign of 45 years is the longest in the history of the Spanish mon ...

abolished the council in 1702, but it was later restored by the archduchess-governess

Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen Maria Christina, Duchess of Teschen (Maria Christina Johanna Josepha Antonia; 13 May 1742 – 24 June 1798), was the fifth child of Maria Theresa of Austria and Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor. Married in 1766 to Prince Albert of Saxony, the co ...

and finally abolished by the

Brabant Revolution The Brabant Revolution or Brabantine Revolution (french: Révolution brabançonne, nl, Brabantse Omwenteling), sometimes referred to as the Belgian Revolution of 1789–1790 in older writing, was an armed insurrection that occurred in the Austr ...

Personnel

Presidents

* 1531-1540:

Jean Carondelet Jean II Carondelet (1469 in Dôle – 7 February 1545 in Mechelen), was a Burgundian cleric, politician, jurist and one of the most important advisors to Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. He was a patron of the Dutch philosopher Erasmus and ...

. * 1531-1540: Pieter Tayspil * 1540-1548: Lodewijk van Schore * 1549-1569:

Viglius van Aytta Viglius (October 19, 1507, SwichumMay 5, 1577) was the name taken by Wigle Aytta van Zwichem, a Dutch statesman and jurist, a Frisian by birth. Biography He studied at various universities—Louvain, Dole and Bourges among others—devoting hi ...

* 1569-1573: Charles de Tisnacq * 1573-1575:

* 1575-1583: Arnoud Sasbout * 1587-1592:

Willem van Pamele Guillaume de Pamele or Willem van Pamele (1528–1591) was a royal office-holder in the Habsburg Netherlands during the Dutch Revolt. He served as president of the Council of Flanders and of the Privy Council of the Habsburg Netherlands. Life Pame ...

* 1592-1595:

Jan van der Burch Jan van der Burch (died 1595) was an office-holder in the Habsburg Netherlands. Life Van der Burch was the son of Adrien van der Burch, president of the Council of Flanders. He himself became a member of the Council of Flanders, and on 10 Novembe ...

* 1597–1609: Jean Richardot * 1614–1630:

Engelbert Maes Engelbert Maes (1545–1630), was chief-president of the Privy Council of the Habsburg Netherlands and Council of State from 1614 to 1630, making him a central figure in the government of the Habsburg Netherlands for sixteen years. Career Engelbe ...

* 1632–1653:

Pieter Roose Pieter Roose (1585 or 1586 – 27 February 1673), lord of Froidmont, Han and Jemeppe, was president of the Privy Council from 1632 to 1653, and a key actor in the government of the Habsburg Netherlands for over twenty years. Career He was born in ...

* 1653–1671:

Charles de Hovyne Charles de Hovyne (1596–1671), lord of Gouvernies, Granbray, Winckel, Steenkercke, etc., was president of the Privy Council of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1653 to 1671, and a key participant in and commentator upon the government of the Habsb ...

* 1672–1684:

Léon-Jean de Paepe Léon-Jean de Paepe (1610–1685), lord of Glabbeek, was an officeholder and statesman in the Spanish Netherlands. After serving on the Council of Brabant in Brussels and on the Supreme Council of Flanders in Madrid, De Paepe was appointed presiden ...

* 1684-1694:

Pieter Frans Blondel Pieter is a male given name, the Dutch form of Peter. The name has been one of the most common names in the Netherlands for centuries, but since the mid-twentieth century its popularity has dropped steadily, from almost 3000 per year in 1947 to ...

* 1694-1702:

Albert de Coxie Albert de Coxie, baron of Moorseele, lord of Bouseval, la Tour, etc., was a jurist who became president of the Privy Council of the Habsburg Netherlands. Coxie was born in Mechelen, where he was baptised on 8 May 1637. His father, Michel de Coxie, ...

, baron of Moorsele. * 1725-1732:

Christophe-Ernest, 1st Count of Baillet Christophe-Ernest, 1st Count of Baillet (1668-1732) was a leading figure in the government of the Austrian Netherlands.B. de Saint-Genois, "Baillet (Christophe-Ernest comte de)", ''Biographie Nationale de Belgique''Volume 1(Brussels, 1866), 643-64 ...

* 1733-1739:

Jean Alphonse, 1st Count de Coloma Jean Alphonse, 1st Count de Coloma (28 January 1677 – 7 January 1739), was a Flemish noble lord of Spanish descent, a member of the House of Coloma. He was a councillor on the Great Council of Mechelen and the supreme council in Vienna, and presid ...

* 1739-1758: Gilles-Augustin de Steenhault

Councillors

Ferdinand van Boisschot Ferdinand van Boisschot or Ferdinand de Boisschot (1560s

Jean Grivel Jean Grivel, lord of Perrigny (1560—1624) was a jurist from Franche-Comté (now in France), which was then part of the Spanish monarchy. Life Grivel was born in Lons-le-Saunier, on 15 March 1560,''Mémoires pour servir à l'histoire littéraire ...

Guillaume de Grysperre Guillaume de Grysperre (1543/4–1622) was a jurist who became a member of the Brussels Privy Council.Émile de Borchgrave, "Grysperre, Guillaume de", ''Biographie Nationale de Belgique''vol. 8(Brussels, 1885), 390-391. Life Grysperre was born in ...

Antoine Reniers Antoine is a French given name (from the Latin ''Antonius'' meaning 'highly praise-worthy') that is a variant of Danton, Titouan, D'Anton and Antonin. The name is used in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, West Greenland, Haiti, French Guiana ...

Louis-Alexander Scockart Louis-Alexander Scockart (1633–1708), count of Tirimont, was an officeholder and diplomat of the Spanish Netherlands, and signatory of the Treaty of Ryswick on behalf of Charles II of Spain. Life Scockart was born in Mons, in the county of Hainau ...

* Willem van Steenhuys

Secretary

* Lodewijk Verreycken * Lodewijk Frans Verreycken *

Albert Rubens Albert Rubens (1614–1657), was the eldest son of Peter Paul Rubens and Isabella Brant. His research as a philologist and scholar of antiquity gained him the recognition of fellow scholars throughout Europe. He held an official position in the gov ...

(1614-1657)

References