ABSTRACT
Descended from a regional Orangist baron’s family in Overijssel, Portland rose to found one of the foremost noble lineages in the United Provinces and England. His career ran parallel to and was sustained by the fortunes of the Prince of Orange, whose page he became in 1664. His career gained momentum with the Prince’s coming to power as Stadholder in 1672, after which he emerged as favourite at Court and dealt with military correspondence. He undertook several diplomatic missions to England between 1677 and 1685. Moreover, he was part of a select decision-making core group responsible for the formulation of (mainly foreign) policy, most notably in the period from 1685 leading up to the Glorious Revolution. In 1688 he joined the Dutch forces invading England and re-emerged as William’s favourite after his coronation. Between 1689 and 1697, at the zenith of his political career, Portland was intimately involved in the formulation and implementation of the domestic and foreign policies of both Britain and the United Provinces. He retired from public life in 1699, but behind the scenes he remained active, most notably in negotiating the Partition Treaties with Louis XIV. The possibility of returning to active politics was abruptly removed by William’s death in 1702, but the Earl was occasionally instrumental in the maintenance of Anglo-Dutch relations during the War of the Spanish Succession.
