An Unknown Statesman? Gaspar Fagel in the Service of William III and the Dutch Republic

Abstract

William III, stadholder of the states of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Oversijssel and Gelderland (1672–1702) and king of England (1688–1702), was encouraged from an early age to be proud of his royal Stuart and Orange ancestry, and was always referred to in the Dutch Republic as His Highness the Prince of Orange. Yet his security of status within the republic was more than ordinarily dependent on the political interest of the Amsterdam merchant regents and the one–time lawyer, the grand pensionary, Gaspar Fagel, rather than on his quasi–royal status and noble supporters. This article discusses the evidence for the methods the grand pensionary used to ensure that the tensions between the prince’s policies and those of the republic did not finally undermine the security of the state. It shows that Fagel was more than just the prince’s right–hand man among the regents of the republic, but that he also made his mark on the evolution of the government of the states. He was able to use the structures and privileges of the states to ensure that he worked effectively with those with interest and influence in the decision–making processes, as well as establishing a useful and lasting network of agents, spies and contacts within both the republic and wider European diplomatic circles.