Supreme Council of Flanders

The Supreme Council of Flanders (Consejo Supremo de Flandes y Borgoña, or simply Consejo de Flandes) was a governing institution in the Spanish Empire responsible for advising the king of Spain on the exercise of his prerogatives in the Spanish Netherlands, particularly regarding ecclesiastical nominations, the appointment of high officials, royal pardons, and awards of honours such as knighthoods and noble titles.[1]

Not to be confused with Council of Flanders.
Map of the Spanish-Portuguese Empire in 1598.
  Territories administered by the Council of Castile
  Territories administered by the Council of Aragon
  Territories administered by the Council of Portugal
  Territories administered by the Council of Italy
  Territories administered by the Council of the Indies
  Territories appointed to the Council of Flanders

History

The Supreme Council of Flanders was first founded in 1588, under Philip II of Spain, but was disbanded at his death, when the sovereignty of the Spanish Netherlands passed to Albert VII of Austria, ruling on behalf of his wife, the Infanta Isabella. The council was re-established in 1627 under Philip IV of Spain. It was finally abolished in 1702.[2]

The institution's archives are in the Archivo General de Simancas.

Membership

When reinstituted in 1627, the council was intended to consist of six members assisted by two secretaries. Three of the members were to be jurists and three members of the high nobility, with at least one member to be a native of the Low Countries and one of the noblemen acting as president. The council was very seldom effectively at full strength.[3]

President
  • Diego Felipez de Guzmán, 1st Marquis of Leganés, 1628-1653
  • Filippo Spinola, 2nd Marquis of the Balbases, 1653-1659
  • Antonio Sancho Dávila de Toledo y Colonna, 1660-1666

Secretary
  • Gabriel de Roy, knight, 1627-1645
  • Jean Hernart, 1627-1631
  • Juan Osvaldo de Brito, 1628-1637
  • Jacques Brecht, 1638-1660
  • Jean Vecquer, or Weckert, 1660-1673

Councillor

References
  1. Quintín Aldea Vaquero, Los miembros de todos los consejos de España en la decada de 1630 a 1640, Anuario de historia del derecho español, 50 (1980), p. 198.
  2. Annelies Vanhaelst (2002). De Hoge Raad voor de Nederlanden en Bourgondië. Leden en Bevoegdheden (1627-1665). ethesis.net (licentiate thesis). Ghent University. Introduction.
  3. Annelies Vanhaelst (2002). De Hoge Raad voor de Nederlanden en Bourgondië. Leden en Bevoegdheden (1627-1665). ethesis.net (licentiate thesis). Ghent University. Part 2: Prosopography.
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