Government of the Dutch Republic in exile
Encyclopedia
The Government of the Dutch Republic spent nearly twenty years in exile in London
between 1795 and 1814 in opposition successively to the French-backed governments of the Netherlands
, initially the Batavian Republic
up to 1806 and from then on the Kingdom of Holland
. It was led first by the stadholder, William V, Prince of Orange
until his death. The Dutch Republic
was never restored, but a replacement Kingdom of the Netherlands
was set up by the Orangists
in 1813-14.
in 1795 William V, Prince of Orange
fled to England taking with him a large number of supporters, troops and ships. There he established a Government in Exile
, in London
which was housed at various residences during the initial few years.
In the meantime the Royal Navy
had sent a number of expeditions to take control of Dutch colonial possessions fearing that they might be used by the French. As one naval Captain put it to Henry Dundas, a British minister, "What was a feather in the hands of Holland will become a sword in the hands of France". These expeditions met with varying success, a British force captured Trincomalee
, Malacca
, Colombo
and much of the Spice Islands
, but a mixed Anglo-Dutch force failed to capture the Cape of Good Hope
.
In 1799 the British and Russians
agreed to launch an invasion of Holland convinced by the Orangists that the population would rise up against the French. They were soon disabused of this notion when they landed, and most of the population was indifferent or openly hostile. French military resistance was tougher than expected, and in late 1799 the Allies were forced to withdraw under the terms of the Convention of Alkmaar
.
, instead preferring to direct their efforts against the French in the West Indies, Denmark
and later in the Iberian Peninsular. In 1806 William V died, and leadership of the exiled government fell to his son. During his time William V had been criticised for his lacklustre role in promoting the cause of the Dutch Republic, and he was satirised by the British press as an amoral dilettante
.
The new Prince of Orange William
had already spent time on the continent ruling a small principality. To neutralise him Napoleon gave him a pension and recognised him as Prince of Orange, through this gave him little real standing in the Kingdom of Holland
which was governed by Napoleon's brother, Louis Bonaparte
. The Orangists still looked to him as the Stadholder, although the actual leadership of the opposition shifted to other figures. His son William II
was sent to Oxford and was regarded as a great hope for the future by British political leaders such as Lord Castelreagh and Lord Liverpool. He later served as an aide to the Duke of Wellington in Spain
.
The only military action in these years taken on behalf of the Dutch was the seizure of the Cape of Good Hope
in 1806, ostensibly in the name of the Republic, but actually because of its use as a naval base to the British.
. A military unit the Orange Legion was formed, mainly from French prisoners of Dutch nationality, to support this goal. To further strengthen the bond between Britain and the Dutch, a marriage was proposed between the younger William
and Princess Charlotte
, daughter of the George IV of Great Britain (then the Prince of Wales) – although it subsequently fell through.
This renewed interest in the Dutch cause delighted Orangists, many of who had spent nearly twenty years in exile. By 1ate 1813 a rising had been started, and Anglo-Dutch troops committed – helped by the fact that the French were retreating on all fronts. The British wanted to have Orange declared King, something which went against the political traditions of the old Dutch Republic, which had largely adhered to the principles of Republicanism
since its foundation in 1813. However, according to reports sent to Castelreagh by William's chief minister Gijsbert van Hogendorp the Prince was greeted everywhere as a 'Sovereign'. Soon the French had been driven out of the Netherlands, and the new Dutch authorities annexed Belgium
. Most of the last refugees and members of the Government in Exile, some of whom had been born in England and never set foot in the Netherlands, arrived in Amsterdam.
was confirmed in the 1815 Congress of Vienna
. The new Kingdom of the Netherlands
was fully recognised and its governance over Belgium was confirmed. All Dutch colonies seized by the Royal Navy
were returned except the Cape
which was annexed by Britain in exchange for a payment of £2 million.
The reinstated Dutch government helped enforce these peace terms during the Hundred Days
campaign when France briefly invaded Belgium
before being defeated at the Battle of Waterloo
.
was not restored, there proved to be little major opposition to the imposition of a monarchist form of government rather than a Republic
. The Dutch adopted a form of constitutional monarchy
which was more palatable than the years of absolutism
they had recently experienced.
A number of blue plaques today mark where prominent members of the Dutch government were housed.
A later Dutch government in exile
was sheltered in London
between 1940 and 1945 during the Second World War.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
between 1795 and 1814 in opposition successively to the French-backed governments of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, initially the Batavian Republic
Batavian Republic
The Batavian Republic was the successor of the Republic of the United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on January 19, 1795, and ended on June 5, 1806, with the accession of Louis Bonaparte to the throne of the Kingdom of Holland....
up to 1806 and from then on the Kingdom of Holland
Kingdom of Holland
The Kingdom of Holland 1806–1810 was set up by Napoleon Bonaparte as a puppet kingdom for his third brother, Louis Bonaparte, in order to better control the Netherlands. The name of the leading province, Holland, was now taken for the whole country...
. It was led first by the stadholder, William V, Prince of Orange
William V, Prince of Orange
William V , Prince of Orange-Nassau was the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and between 1795 and 1806 he led the Government of the Dutch Republic in Exile in London. He was succeeded by his son William I...
until his death. The Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
was never restored, but a replacement Kingdom of the Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
was set up by the Orangists
Orangism (Netherlands)
Orangism is a monarchist political support for the House of Orange-Nassau as monarchy of the Netherlands. It played a significant role in the political history of the Netherlands since the Dutch revolt...
in 1813-14.
Establishment
Following the Fall of the Dutch RepublicFall of Amsterdam
The Batavian Revolution in Amsterdam refers to the transfer of power in the city of Amsterdam on 18 January 1795 to a Revolutionary Committee of the new Batavian Republic. The same day the stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, William V, Prince of Orange fled the country...
in 1795 William V, Prince of Orange
William V, Prince of Orange
William V , Prince of Orange-Nassau was the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, and between 1795 and 1806 he led the Government of the Dutch Republic in Exile in London. He was succeeded by his son William I...
fled to England taking with him a large number of supporters, troops and ships. There he established a Government in Exile
Government in exile
A government in exile is a political group that claims to be a country's legitimate government, but for various reasons is unable to exercise its legal power, and instead resides in a foreign country. Governments in exile usually operate under the assumption that they will one day return to their...
, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
which was housed at various residences during the initial few years.
Military Campaigns
William began to lobby the British government to launch a major military operation to drive the French out of the Netherlands and restore his government.In the meantime the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
had sent a number of expeditions to take control of Dutch colonial possessions fearing that they might be used by the French. As one naval Captain put it to Henry Dundas, a British minister, "What was a feather in the hands of Holland will become a sword in the hands of France". These expeditions met with varying success, a British force captured Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
, Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
, Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
and much of the Spice Islands
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...
, but a mixed Anglo-Dutch force failed to capture the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
.
In 1799 the British and Russians
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
agreed to launch an invasion of Holland convinced by the Orangists that the population would rise up against the French. They were soon disabused of this notion when they landed, and most of the population was indifferent or openly hostile. French military resistance was tougher than expected, and in late 1799 the Allies were forced to withdraw under the terms of the Convention of Alkmaar
Convention of Alkmaar
The Convention of Alkmaar was a 1799 agreement concluded between the commanders of the expeditionary forces of Great Britain and Russia on the one hand, and of those of the First French Republic and the Batavian Republic on the other, in Alkmaar, by which the British and Russians agreed to withdraw...
.
New Leadership
The British now remained pessimistic about any future military expeditions to the Low CountriesLow Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
, instead preferring to direct their efforts against the French in the West Indies, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and later in the Iberian Peninsular. In 1806 William V died, and leadership of the exiled government fell to his son. During his time William V had been criticised for his lacklustre role in promoting the cause of the Dutch Republic, and he was satirised by the British press as an amoral dilettante
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
.
The new Prince of Orange William
William I of the Netherlands
William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
had already spent time on the continent ruling a small principality. To neutralise him Napoleon gave him a pension and recognised him as Prince of Orange, through this gave him little real standing in the Kingdom of Holland
Kingdom of Holland
The Kingdom of Holland 1806–1810 was set up by Napoleon Bonaparte as a puppet kingdom for his third brother, Louis Bonaparte, in order to better control the Netherlands. The name of the leading province, Holland, was now taken for the whole country...
which was governed by Napoleon's brother, Louis Bonaparte
Louis Bonaparte
Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, Prince Français, Comte de Saint-Leu , King of Holland , was the fifth surviving child and the fourth surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino...
. The Orangists still looked to him as the Stadholder, although the actual leadership of the opposition shifted to other figures. His son William II
William II of the Netherlands
William II was King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg from 7 October 1840 until his death in 1849.- Early life and education :...
was sent to Oxford and was regarded as a great hope for the future by British political leaders such as Lord Castelreagh and Lord Liverpool. He later served as an aide to the Duke of Wellington in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
The only military action in these years taken on behalf of the Dutch was the seizure of the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
in 1806, ostensibly in the name of the Republic, but actually because of its use as a naval base to the British.
1813
In 1813 William VI, Prince of Orange returned to London where he embarked on talks with Castelreagh who was planning to launch an uprising in the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. A military unit the Orange Legion was formed, mainly from French prisoners of Dutch nationality, to support this goal. To further strengthen the bond between Britain and the Dutch, a marriage was proposed between the younger William
William II of the Netherlands
William II was King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg from 7 October 1840 until his death in 1849.- Early life and education :...
and Princess Charlotte
Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales
Princess Charlotte of Wales was the only child of George, Prince of Wales and Caroline of Brunswick...
, daughter of the George IV of Great Britain (then the Prince of Wales) – although it subsequently fell through.
This renewed interest in the Dutch cause delighted Orangists, many of who had spent nearly twenty years in exile. By 1ate 1813 a rising had been started, and Anglo-Dutch troops committed – helped by the fact that the French were retreating on all fronts. The British wanted to have Orange declared King, something which went against the political traditions of the old Dutch Republic, which had largely adhered to the principles of Republicanism
Republicanism
Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, where the head of state is appointed by means other than heredity, often elections. The exact meaning of republicanism varies depending on the cultural and historical context...
since its foundation in 1813. However, according to reports sent to Castelreagh by William's chief minister Gijsbert van Hogendorp the Prince was greeted everywhere as a 'Sovereign'. Soon the French had been driven out of the Netherlands, and the new Dutch authorities annexed Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Most of the last refugees and members of the Government in Exile, some of whom had been born in England and never set foot in the Netherlands, arrived in Amsterdam.
Congress of Vienna
The new status of the NetherlandsNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
was confirmed in the 1815 Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
. The new Kingdom of the Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
was fully recognised and its governance over Belgium was confirmed. All Dutch colonies seized by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
were returned except the Cape
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
which was annexed by Britain in exchange for a payment of £2 million.
The reinstated Dutch government helped enforce these peace terms during the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
campaign when France briefly invaded Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
before being defeated at the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
.
Aftermath
Although the Dutch RepublicDutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
was not restored, there proved to be little major opposition to the imposition of a monarchist form of government rather than a Republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
. The Dutch adopted a form of constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
which was more palatable than the years of absolutism
Absolutism (European history)
Absolutism or The Age of Absolutism is a historiographical term used to describe a form of monarchical power that is unrestrained by all other institutions, such as churches, legislatures, or social elites...
they had recently experienced.
A number of blue plaques today mark where prominent members of the Dutch government were housed.
A later Dutch government in exile
Dutch government in exile
The Dutch government in exile was the government of the Netherlands, headed by Queen Wilhelmina, that evacuated to London after the German invasion of the country at the outset of World War II....
was sheltered in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
between 1940 and 1945 during the Second World War.