Shadow princes. The 'politics of intimacy' and the role of the minister-favourite in the Habsburg Low Countries, 1598-1621 and 1647-1656.

Taking its cue from current international research on favouritism in Early Modern politics, this project studies the appearance of the valido or 'minister-favourite' in the Habsburg Low Countries. Few historians have hitherto realized that the 17th-century court of Brussels witnessed the rise of two powerful princely favourites who dominated the political scene of their day. Surprisingly, these courtiers have never been subjected to a thorough investigation, let alone a comparative analysis. By examining the careers of the validos of the Archdukes Albert & Isabella (1598-1621) and the Archduke Leopold Wilhelm (1647-1656) respectively, the project aims to demonstrate that the political historiography on the Spanish Netherlands is in need of a revision. Historians have seldom paid heed to the dynamics of favouritism, nor have they recognized the importance of the informal mechanisms of policymaking. Clearly, a thorough analysis of the politics of intimacy at the court of Brussels could greatly contribute to our understanding of the Habsburg regime in the Netherlands. Moreover, by comparing these little-known individuals to other validos of the age, the question as to whether or not the preponderance of minister-favourites in 17th-century Europe should be considered a distinct phase in the process of state formation will be reassessed.

Keywords:HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, POLITICAL HISTORY, LOW COUNTRIES

Disciplines:History