List of governors of the Habsburg Netherlands

This article is about governors-general (landvoogden) of all the Habsburg Netherlands combined. For governors (stadtholders) of individual provinces, see List of stadtholders in the Netherlands.

File:Arms of Philip IV of Burgundy.svg

Coat of arms of the Habsburg Netherlands.

The governor (Dutch: landvoogd) or governor-general (gouverneur-generaal) of the Habsburg Netherlands was a representative appointed by the Holy Roman emperor (1504-1556), the king of Spain (1556-1598, 1621-1706), and the archduke of Austria (1716-1794), to administer the Burgundian inheritance of the House of Habsburg in the Low Countries when the monarch was absent from the territory. The role of the governors-general significantly changed over time: initially tutors and advisors of Emperor Charles V, who lived at the Palace of Coudenberg, they served as generals during the Eighty Years' War between the Kingdom of Spain and the Dutch Republic. Frequently, the governor-general was a close relative of the Austrian or Spanish monarchs, though at other times Spanish or German noblemen filled the role. The governor-general was usually based in Brussels.

List of governors

Picture	Name	Took office	Left office	Relationship to monarch	Appointed by
File:Engelbrecht-II-Nassau.jpg	Engelbert II of Nassau (1451–1504)	1501	1504	/	File:Portret van Maximiliaan I (1459-1519) Rijksmuseum SK-A-3293.jpeg File:16e eeuw onbekend schilder - Filips de Schone, Aartshertog van Oostenrijk, Hertog van Bourgondie.jpg Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor for Philip the Handsome
File:Circle of Quinten Massijs I - Portrait of Guillaume de Croy (1458-1521).jpg	William de Croÿ (1458–1521)	1504	1507	/	File:Portret van Maximiliaan I (1459-1519) Rijksmuseum SK-A-3293.jpeg File:Anonymous, Portrait of Charles V, Rijksmuseum-(trans back).png Maximilian I for Charles of Ghent
File:Bernard van Orley - Portrait of Margareta van Oostenrijk - WGA16689.jpg	Margaret of Austria (1480–1530)	1507	1 December 1530 (death)	Aunt of Charles
Charles became Duke of Burgundy in 1506 (emancipated in 1515), King of Spain and the Two Sicilies in 1516, Archduke of Austria and Holy Roman Emperor as Charles V in 1519 at the death of Maximilian.
File:Mary (1505–1558), Queen of Hungary.jpg	Mary of Austria (1505-1558)	January 1531	October 1555	Sister	File:Anonymous, Portrait of Charles V, Rijksmuseum-(trans back).pngCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor
File:Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy (1580).jpg	Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy (1528–1580)	1555	1559	Cousin of Philip	File:Anonymous, Portrait of Charles V, Rijksmuseum-(trans back).png File:Portrait of Philip II of Spain by Sofonisba Anguissola - 002b.jpg Charles V for his son Philip.
In 1556, Philip V, Duke of Burgundy, became king of Spain as Philip II, thereby bringing the Habsburg Netherlands under Spanish control.
File:MargarethevonParma02.jpg	Margaret of Parma (1522–1586)	1559	1567	Half-sister	File:Portrait of Philip II of Spain by Sofonisba Anguissola - 002b.jpg Philip II of Spain
File:Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, III Duque de Alba, por Willem Key.jpg	Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba (1507–1582)	1567	1573	/
File:Luis de Requesens y Zúñiga (Museo del Prado).jpg	Luis de Requesens y Zúñiga (1528–1576)	1573	5 March 1576 (death)	/
File:John of Austria portrait.jpg	John of Austria (1547–1578)	1576	1 October 1578 (death)	Half-brother
File:Vaenius - Alexander Farnese.png	Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma (1545–1592)	1578	3 December 1592 (death)	Half-nephew
File:PeterErnstIvonMansfeldVorderort.jpg	Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort (1517–1604)	1592	1594	/
File:Martino Rota Archduke Ernest of Austria.png	Ernest of Austria (1553–1595)	1594	20 February 1595 (death)	Nephew
File:Pedro Henriquez de Acevedo.jpg	Pedro Henriquez de Acevedo, Count of Fuentes (1525–1610)	1595	1596	/
File:Pantoja22 Albrecht der Fromme, Erzherzog von Osterreich Munchen.jpg	Albert of Austria (1559–1621)	1596	1598	Nephew
In 1598, Philip II of Spain ceded the Netherlands to his daughter Isabella Clara Eugenia and nephew Albert, who married the next year. They reigned together until his death, when the Netherlands passed to their nephew, Philip IV of Spain, in whose name Isabella Clara Eugenia governed the countries until her death.
File:Isabella Clara Eugenia as a nun.jpg	Isabella Clara Eugenia of Austria (1566–1633)	1621	1 December 1633 (death)	Aunt	File:Philip IV of Spain - Velázquez 1644.jpg Philip IV of Spain
File:Kardinal-Infant Ferdinand von Österreich.jpg	Ferdinand of Austria (1609/1610–1641)	1633	9 November 1641 (death)	Brother
File:Don Francisco de Melo.jpg	Francisco de Melo (1597–1651)	1641	1644	/
File:Manuel de Moura Corte-Real.tiff	Manuel de Moura (1590–1651)	1644	1647	/
File:Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria by David Teniers d. J. - 1650s.jpg	Leopold William of Austria (1614–1662)	1647	1656	Cousin
File:Juanjosedeaustria.jpg	John of Austria the Younger (1629–1679)	1656	1659	Son
File:Luis de Benavides Carrillo.jpg	Luis de Benavides Carrillo (1608–1668)	1659	1664	/
File:D. FRANCISCO DE MOURA CORTE REAL.jpg	Francisco de Moura (1610–1675)	1664	1668	/
					File:Carlos II de España, de Juan Carreño de Miranda (Museo del Prado).jpg Charles II of Spain
File:InigoMelchorVelasco.JPG	Íñigo Melchor de Velasco (1608–1668)	1668	1670	/
File:Lambert-van-den-Bos-Schauplatz-des-Krieges MG 9479.tif	Juan Domingo de Zuñiga y Fonseca (1640–1716)	1670	1675	/
File:Carlos Aragón de Gurrea y Borja.jpg	Carlos de Aragón de Gurrea (1634–1692)	1675	1677	/
File:Alexander Farnese.jpg	Alexander Farnese (1635–1689)	1678	1682	Second Cousin
	Ottone Enrico del Caretto (1629–1685)	1682	1685	/
File:Francisco Antonio de Agurto, Marqués de Gastañaga.jpg	Francisco Antonio de Agurto (1640–1702)	1685	1692	/
File:Joseph Vivien 001.jpg	Maximilian II Emanuel of Bavaria (1662–1726)	1692	1706	Nephew-in-law
				Uncle	File:Felipe V de España, Rey de.jpg Philip V of Spain
File:Bedmar.jpg	Isidoro de la Cueva y Benavides (acting) (1652–1723)	1701	1704	During the absence of Maximilian of Bavaria
Following the War of the Spanish Succession, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI became ruler of the Austrian Netherlands.
File:Prinz Eugene of Savoy.PNG	Eugene of Savoy (1663–1736)	1716	1724	Third cousin	File:Johann Gottfried Auerbach 004.jpg Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
File:Porträt Wirich von Daun im HGM.jpg	Wirich Philipp von Daun (1669–1741)	February 1725	October 1725	/
File:Jan van Orley - Maria Elisabeth of Austria.jpg	Maria Elisabeth of Austria (1680–1741)	1725	26 August 1741 (death)	Sister
				Aunt	File:Maria Theresia im Spitzenbesetzten Kleid.jpg Maria Theresa of Austria
File:Bedrich August von Harrach.jpeg	Friedrich August von Harrach-Rohrau (1696–1749)	1741	1744	/
File:Maria Anna of Austria Piaristenkeller Wien.jpg	Maria Anna of Austria (1718–1744)	1744	16 December 1744 (death)	Sister
File:Martin van Meytens 007.jpg	Charles Alexander of Lorraine (1712–1780)		4 July 1780 (death)	Brother-in-law
File:Albert Casimir and Maria Christina.jpg	Maria Christina of Austria-Lorraine (1742–1798) with Albert Casimir of Saxony (1738–1822)	1781	1793	Sister and brother-in-law	File:Anton von Maron 006.png Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
					File:Johann Daniel Donat, Emperor Leopold II in the Regalia of the Golden Fleece (1806).png Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
				Aunt and uncle	File:Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor at age 25, 1792.png Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
File:Archdukecharles1.jpg	Charles of Austria-Lorraine (1771–1847)	1793	1794	Brother

Thereafter, the French revolutionaries occupied the Low Countries until 1815. The Emperor formally recognized the loss of these territories by the Treaty of Lunéville of 1801. At the Congress of Vienna, in 1815, the Low Countries were re-united in a personal union under the House of Orange-Nassau. In 1830, Belgium declared its independence.

See also

• Lord Chamberlain of the Archduchess
• List of plenipotentiaries of Austrian Netherlands
• List of rulers of the Netherlands