Supreme Council of Flanders

The Supreme Council of Flanders and Burgundy (Consejo Supremo de Flandes y Borgoña (i.e. Flanders and Burgundy), or simply Consejo de Flandes) was a governing institution in the Spanish Empire responsible for advising the king of Spain on the exercise of his prerogatives in the Spanish Netherlands, a territory which comprised most of the modern states of Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as parts of northern France, the southern Netherlands, and western Germany, particularly regarding ecclesiastical nominations, the appointment of high officials, royal pardons, and awards of honours such as knighthoods and noble titles.^[1]

History

The Supreme Council of Flanders was first founded in 1588, under Philip II of Spain, but was disbanded at his death, when the sovereignty of the Spanish Netherlands passed to Albert VII of Austria, ruling on behalf of his wife, the Infanta Isabella. The council was re-established in 1627 under Philip IV of Spain. It was finally abolished in 1702.^[2]

The institution's archives are in the Archivo General de Simancas.

Membership

When reinstituted in 1627, the council was intended to consist of six members assisted by two secretaries. Three of the members were to be jurists and three members of the high nobility, with at least one member to be a native of the Low Countries and one of the noblemen acting as president. The council was very seldom effectively at full strength.^[3]

President

Diego Felipez de Guzmán, 1st Marquis of Leganés, 1628-1653
Filippo Spinola, 2nd Marquis of the Balbases, 1653-1659
Antonio Sancho Dávila de Toledo y Colonna, 1660-1666

Secretary

Gabriel de Roy, knight, 1627-1645
Jean Hernart, 1627-1631
Juan Osvaldo de Brito, 1628-1637
Jacques Brecht, 1638-1660
Jean Vecquer, or Weckert, 1660-1673

Councillor

Jean de Croÿ, Count of Solre, 1627-1640
Pieter Roose, 1630-1632
Jean de Gaverelles, 1633-1645
Robert van Asseliers, 1639/40—1652
Antoon De Vulder, 1639/40-1644
Antoine Brun, 1642-1654
Michel de Coxie, knight, 1652-1660
Boudewijn Van der Piet, 1652-1658
Aurele Augustin Van Male, 1660-1662
Charles de Watteville, 1660-1670
Koenraad Van der Brughen, 1661-1662
Jean-Antoine Locquet, 1663-1669
Jean-Baptiste de Brouchoven, Count of Bergeyck, 1663-1681
Simon de Fierlant, 1663-1668
Esteban de Gamarra y Contreras, 1663-1671

References

^ Quintín Aldea Vaquero, Los miembros de todos los consejos de España en la decada de 1630 a 1640, Anuario de historia del derecho español, 50 (1980), p. 198.
^ Annelies Vanhaelst (2002). De Hoge Raad voor de Nederlanden en Bourgondië. Leden en Bevoegdheden (1627-1665). ethesis.net (licentiate thesis). Ghent University. Introduction.
^ Annelies Vanhaelst (2002). De Hoge Raad voor de Nederlanden en Bourgondië. Leden en Bevoegdheden (1627-1665). ethesis.net (licentiate thesis). Ghent University. Part 2: Prosopography.

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[1] Quintín Aldea Vaquero, Los miembros de todos los consejos de España en la decada de 1630 a 1640, Anuario de historia del derecho español, 50 (1980), p. 198.

[2] Annelies Vanhaelst (2002). De Hoge Raad voor de Nederlanden en Bourgondië. Leden en Bevoegdheden (1627-1665). ethesis.net (licentiate thesis). Ghent University. Introduction.

[3] Annelies Vanhaelst (2002). De Hoge Raad voor de Nederlanden en Bourgondië. Leden en Bevoegdheden (1627-1665). ethesis.net (licentiate thesis). Ghent University. Part 2: Prosopography.