Lamoral, Count of Egmont | |
|---|---|
%2c_by_Frans_Pourbus_the_Elder.jpg) Portrait of Lamoral, Count of Egmont byFrans Pourbus the Elder. | |
| Born | (1522-11-18)18 November 1522 |
| Died | 5 June 1568(1568-06-05) (aged 45) |
Lamoral, Count of Egmont, Prince of Gavere (18 November 1522 – 5 June 1568) was a general and statesman in theSpanish Netherlands just before the start of theEighty Years' War, whose execution helped spark the national uprising that eventually led to the independence of theNetherlands.[1]
The Count ofEgmont was at the head of one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in theLow Countries.Paternally, a branch of the Egmonts ruled the sovereignduchy of Guelders until 1538. Lamoral was born inChâteau de Lahamaide nearEllezelles. His father wasJohn IV of Egmont, knight in theOrder of the Golden Fleece. His mother belonged to acadet branch of theHouse of Luxembourg, and through her he inherited the titleprince de Gavere.[2] During his youth, he received a military education in Spain. In 1542, he inherited the estates of his elder brother Charles inHolland. His family's stature increased further in 1544 when, atSpires, in the presence of the Holy Roman EmperorCharles V and of the ArchdukeFerdinand I, he married the CountessSabina of Palatinate-Simmern, whose brother became theElector Palatine Frederick III.[1]By appointment, he was Captain General of the Lowlands under Charles V, knight of theGolden Fleece from 1546, and ImperialChamberlain. In the service of the Spanish army, he defeated the French in the battles ofSaint-Quentin (1557) andGravelines (1558). Egmont was appointedstadtholder of Flanders andArtois in 1559, aged only 37.
As a leadingNetherlandic nobleman, Egmont was a member of KingPhilip II of Spain's officialCouncil of State for Flanders andArtois. Together withWilliam, Prince of Orange and theCount of Horn, he protested against the introduction of theinquisition in Flanders by the cardinalAntoine Perrenot Granvelle,bishop of Arras. Egmont even threatened to resign, but after Granvelle left, there was a reconciliation with the king. In 1565, running short of funds as he had continued the representation of the Low Countries entirely from his own pocket, Egmont went toMadrid to beseechPhilip II, the king of Spain, for a change ofpolicy in the Netherlands, but met with little more than courtesy.[1]
Soon thereafter, the 'Beeldenstorm' started, the massiveiconoclasm of Catholic churches in the Netherlands, and resistance against the Spanish rule in the Netherlands increased. As a devout Catholic, Egmont deplored the iconoclasm, and remained faithful to the Spanish king. Nevertheless, he and Horn opposed the Inquisition which angered Philip.
After Philip II sent theDuke of Alba to the Netherlands, William of Orange decided to fleeBrussels. Having always declined to do anything that smacked oflèse majesté, Egmont refused to heed Orange's warning; thus he and Horn decided to stay in the city. Upon arrival, Alba almost immediately had the counts of Egmont and Horn arrested on charges of heresy, and imprisoned them in a castle inGhent, prompting Egmont's wife and their eleven surviving children (from the thirteen they had together) to seek refuge in aconvent. Pleas foramnesty came to the Spanish king from throughout Europe, including from many reigning sovereigns, theOrder of the Golden Fleece (both being knights of the Order, and thereby theoretically immune from trial by any but their peers of the Order), and the king's kinsman the EmperorMaximilian II, all to no avail.
On 4 June, Egmont and Horn were condemned to death, and lodged that night in theKing's House inBrussels. On 5 June 1568, both men werebeheaded before theTown Hall on theGrand-Place/Grote Markt (Brussels's main square), Egmont's uncomplaining dignity on the occasion being widely noted. Their deaths led to public protests throughout the Netherlands, and contributed to the resistance against the Spaniards.
The Count of Egmont lies buried inEgmont's crypt inZottegem, a Belgian city in which Egmont is remembered by his twostatues,his museum andhis castle.[1]Egmond Castle inEgmond aan den Hoef was destroyed in 1573 and in 1997 a statue in his memory is erected on the site of the ruins.
A statue erected on theSquare du Petit Sablon/Kleine Zavelsquare in Brussels commemorates the Counts of Egmont and Horn, in historical overview usually mentioned together as"Egmond en Hoorne" and hailed as the first leaders of the Dutch revolt, as the predecessors of William of Orange, who grew to importance and obtained the leadership after their execution, and who was assassinated in 1584 inDelft, having succeeded in liberating parts of The Netherlands in the early years of theEighty Years' War (1568–1648).
Egmont's offices and vast estates were forfeited upon his execution, escheating to thePrince-Bishop of Liège. By inheritance he had been count of Egmont (or Egmond), prince de Gavre and van Steenhuysen, baron de Fiennes, Gaesbeke and La Hamaide,seigneur de Purmerent, Hoogwoude, Aertswoude, Beyerland, Sottenghien, Dondes, Auxy and Baer. Some of these lands were eventually returned to his heirs by the Bishop, principally in 1600. Despite the taint of treason and the family's impoverishment, his nieceLouise of Lorraine-Mercœur, was chosen to become theQueen consort ofHenry III of France in 1575.
The Count of Egmont is the main character in a play byGoethe,Egmont. In 1810,Ludwig van Beethoven composed the Egmont Overture anoverture and incidental music for a revival of the play.
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He met his fate with calm resignation; and in the storm of terror and exasperation to which this tragedy gave rise Egmont's failings were forgotten, and he and his fellow-victim to Spanish tyranny were glorified in the popular imagination as martyrs of Flemish freedom. From this memorable event...is usually dated the beginning of the famous revolt of the Netherlands
Media related toLamoral, Count of Egmont at Wikimedia CommonsLamoral, Count of Egmont Born: 8 November 1522 Died: 5 June 1568 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Charles I, Count of Egmont | Count of Egmont 1541–1568 | Succeeded by |
| Lord of Purmerend, Purmerland and llpendam 1541–1568 | ||
| Preceded by Françoise of Luxembourg | Prince of Gavere 1541–1568 | |
