The dynastic diplomacy of the Princely Count of Arenberg at the Stuart court in 1603

ABSTRACT

This article explores the diplomatic strategies used by ambassador Charles of Arenberg, sent by the Archdukes Albert and Isabella, sovereigns of the Netherlands, on an extraordinary mission to London in 1603, to congratulate King James VI & I on his accession. This mission intended to re-establish friendship relations between their courts, compromised by the Dutch Revolt and the Siege of Ostend. Arenberg crafted a Burgundian-Flemish identity, a historically familiar image, supported by the choice of men in his retinue and by the gifts he presented to the king and queen. In doing so, Arenberg himself became a gift. He was the ideal person to bridge the gaps between the Stuarts (as English monarchs) and the archducal regime in Brussels (as successors of the Burgundian dukes). Arenberg’s dynastic diplomacy in 1603 enabled the conclusion of the London peace treaty of 1604 between the Spanish, the English and the Brussels courts.

KEYWORDS:

• Early Modern diplomacy
• Stuart court
• Habsburg Netherlands
• Archducal Netherlands
• Dynastic identity
• Arenberg dynasty

Acknowledgment

I would like to thank the anonymous reviewers and the editors for their valuable contribution to this article. Special thanks go to the Arenberg Archives for making the image of Charles of Arenberg available and generously allowing its use for the purposes of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. “(…) je scais bien faire difference entre le Roi mon frère et ses maîtres qui m’ont envoyé un Ambassadeur qui ne peut ni marcher ni parler (…)”: Sully, Mémoires, 259.

2. In contemporary sources he is denoted as “Rosny” for the title he held in 1603. For reasons of clarity – and because of his notoriety – I have used “Sully” throughout this contribution, although he was only created duc et pair in 1606.

3. Croft, “Rex Pacificus.” For the Archdukes see: Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety; Thomas and Duerloo, Albert & Isabella; Van Wyhe, Isabel Clara Eugenia.

4. For details see Croft, “Brussels and London”; Croft, “Rex Pacificus”; Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 166–73; Thomas, “Les ‘ambassades’ flamandes”; Willaert, “Négotiations politico-religieuses.”

5. In Sully, Mémoires, 228–9, he also describes the weak character of the English. He neither spared the English, nor the Spanish. Since Arenberg was his most important adversary, he was frequently the target of Sully’s insults.

6. For quote see: Nichols, The Progresses, vol. 1, 161, and Cuvelier, “Les préliminaires,” 299. Family historian and archivist Jean-Pierre Tytgat corroborated these claims: Tytgat, “Karel, prins en graaf,” 17. In Fry, “Perceptions of Influence” for instance, Arenberg is not even mentioned.

7. Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 166–73, or Thomas, “Les ‘ambassades’ flamandes.”

8. By the term “Habsburg monarchy” in this context I mean to say that there were no other Habsburg representatives in London, not from Spain, nor from the Holy Roman Empire. So in a sense Arenberg represented “the dynasty,” although mainly Spanish and archducal interests were at stake.

9. Goff, “Cultural diplomacy,” 420–2; Su, “Soft Power,” 544.

10. Marini, “Dynastic Relations,” 47–8; Sowerby, “A memorial,” 318.

11. Hotman, The Ambassador, 8–9. A statement Hotman repeated a few chapters later, on page 47, when describing how the ambassador’s general demeanour could further this task.

12. Geevers and Marini, “Introduction.”

13. Duerloo, “The Hunt”; Oliván-Santaliestra, “Clothes Make the Queen”; Um and Clark, “Introduction: The Art of Embassy,” 3.

14. Um and Clark, “Introduction: The Art of Embassy,” 6.

15. Auwers, “The Gift of Rubens,” 422–423.

16. “Je trouve icy les affaires tellement disposes quil est bien necessaire d’y avoir quelcun pour layder ung peu a contreminer, avecq ces ministres aux traverses que font ceulx des Estatz et les francois contre Vre Altesse et le Roy d’Espaigne, a quoy (selon que je suis informe de plusieurs partz) ilz n’espargent presens ni promesses”: Vienna, Haus-, Hof-, und Staatsarchiv, Vienna (hereafter HHStA), Belgien, Repertorium P, Abteilung C (hereafter Belgien PC), 44: Arenberg to Albert, 22 June 1603.

17. See Thomas, “De val” for an overview of the siege and its consequences.

18. Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 166–7.

19. Geevers, “The Conquistador” might offer an explanation in the precedence dispute between the French and Spanish monarchy.

20. Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 167.

21. Haemers and Buylaert, “War, Policy and Diplomacy,” 196.

22. For details on the Anglo-Burgundian trade relations see: Blockmans, Metropolen, and Lesger, Handel in Amsterdam, 27–52.

23. Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 172.

24. Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 21.

25. Gachard, “Arenberg (Charles, comte d’)” and Raeymaekers “Siempre un pie en palacio,” 100, 187, and 213.

26. Duerloo, “Arenberg in de Habsburgse Nederlanden”; Gachard, “Arenberg (Charles, comte d’),” 386 and Marini, “Dynastic Relations,” 53–5.

27. Calendar of State Papers Relating to English Affairs in the Archives of Venice (hereafter CSP Venetian), vol. 10, 16–28, Giovanni Carlo Scaramelli, Venetian secretary in England, to the Doge and Senate, 8 May 1603; Cuvelier, “Les préliminaires,” 290. Archduke Albert had briefly contemplated sending Gaston Spinola instead of Arenberg.

28. For instance in HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 5 July 1603, 20 July 1603, and 8 August 1603. See also: Correspondance de la Cour d’Espagne, vol. 1, 169; Cuvelier, “Les préliminaires,” 292.

29. HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 21 July 1603.

30. For instance in Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, or in Thomas, “Les ‘ambassades’ flamandes.” Contemporary authors attribute great attention to them: Van Meteren, Historien der Nederlanden, fols. 465–467.

31. CSP Venetian, vol. 10, 42–57: Giovanni Carlo Scaramelli, Venetian secretary in England, to the Doge and Senate, 26 June 1603. The Venetian ambassador relates Sully travels with 90 gentlemen and 300 servants. Sully himself mentioned 200 gentlemen: Sully, Mémoires, 208. Buisseret settles for 400 men: Buisseret, “Aspects de l’ambassade,” 172.

32. Calendar of the Manuscripts of the Most Honourable the Marquess of Salisbury (hereafter Salisbury), vol. 15, 118–36: Peter Manwood to Robert Cecil, 5 June 1603. Unfortunately subsequent observers only mention eight to ten nobles, the others remain nameless. On the basis of the information left to us, it is impossible to make a gender division in these retinues. If high-born women accompanied their husbands to England, they would most likely be named in correspondence, like the wives of ambassadors. Arenberg did not bring his wife to England, although the queen had invited her. Since his own “court” was strictly male, it is not impossible to imagine a strictly male retinue.

33. Sully, Mémoires, 224–7.

34. Salisbury, vol. 15, 118–36, Peter Manwood to Robert Cecil, 5 June 1603.

35. Bély, “L’ambassade,” 18.

36. Hotman, The Ambassador, 39, 131, and 137.

37. HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: report on the audience of the French ambassador, 22 June 1603; Van Meteren, Historien der Nederlanden, fol. 465.

38. The death of Adolf is remembered in the text of the Wilhelmus, The Netherlands’ national anthem: https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/onderwerpen/volkslied/tekst-van-het-wilhelmus (accessed 28 April 2020).

39. “lon gagne temps pour faire perdre Oostende”: HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 20 July 1603. Sully related how Ostend was frequently discussed between the English, the French and the Dutch delegations: Sully, Mémoires, 239–41.

40. “Monsieur de Bossu, M. de Fassenberge, M. de Claiges, M. de Sewegam, M. don Carlo de Robles, M. de Cramon, M. de Boys de Lassines, M. de Lafaille, Le Senor Flackamer, Le senor Scorga, M. de Harrin, M. de Castra and finally M. Mario”: Salisbury, vol. 15, 118–36: Lord Cobham to Robert Cecil, 6 June 1603. Van Meteren, Historien der Nederlanden, fol. 467: “(…) was vergeselschapt met sijnen Sone, den Heere van Sevenberghen, de Grave van Bossuyt, de Heeren van Robles, van Wackene, van Swevigem, mede den Grave van Pfirtburgh, ende Marten de la Falie, Baron van Nevele ende Raedt van den Admiraliteyt met meer andere treffelijcke Edelen ende Joncheren met haer Dienaers.”

41. Buisseret, “Aspects de l’ambassade,” 173.

42. A captain in the Spanish army, he later became mayordomo mayor of the archdukes: Raeymaekers “Siempre un pie en palacio,” 215 and 296. Boussu inherited his title after the death of his cousin Pierre, Arenberg’s brother-in-law. Maximilien’s sister Anne was married to Luis de Velasco, captain in the army and related to Spanish ambassador Juan Fernandez de Velasco, the constable of Castille who concluded the London peace treaty in August 1604.

43. Most likely erroneously noted as Carlo de Robles. Jean did have a younger son, Gaspard, who became a canon of the chapter of Saint-Lambert in Liège around 1608: de Herckenrode, Nobiliaire des Pays-Bas, vol. 3, 1648.

44. “Swevigem” and “Harrin” or “Sewegam.”

45. “Van Wackene” and “Flackamer.” This last notation of his name is most likely due to a transcription error (“Fl” instead of “W”).

46. For Cottrel see: de Herckenrode, Nobiliaire des Pays-Bas, vol. 2, 984. The identification of Fassenberge/Pfirtburg (referring to the county of Ferrette in Lorraine), Claiges, Cramon, de Castro and Mario is problematic.

47. De Herckenrode, Nobiliaire des Pays-Bas, vol. I, 282; Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln, Tafel 120.

48. Asaert, “Admiraliteiten,” 488; Brulez, “Faille, Maarten della”; Sicking, La naissance, 273–275 and 303; Sicking, Neptune, 264–76; Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln, Tafel 120.

49. Dhondt, “Wakken”; Maddens, “Zwevegem”; Pairon, “Nevele.” The Counts of Flanders became extinct in the male line in the fourteenth century when Margaretha van Male, countess of Flanders, married Duke Philip the Bold of Burgundy.

50. Haemers and Buylaert, “War, Politics and Diplomacy,” 198.

51. Aristide, La fortune, 28–29 and 360–361.

52. Brulez, “Faille, Maarten della”; Gachard, “Arenberg (Charles, comte d’)” and https://dutchrevolt.leiden.edu/dutch/personen/R/Pages/robles_caspar.aspx (accessed 28 April 2020).

53. CSP Venetian, 10, 73–87, Giovanni Carlo Scaramelli, Venetian secretary in England, to the Doge and Senate, 6 August 1603.

54. De Ridder, “Robles (François-Joseph de),” 548; Diegerick, “Robles (Jaspar de),” 550–5; Herckenrode, Nobiliaire des Pays-Bas, vol. 3, 1647, and vol. 4, 1746; Poli, Inventaire des titres, x–xii; Soen, Vredehandel, 23; Van Der Essen, “Charles de Wignacourt,” 222; https://dutchrevolt.leiden.edu/dutch/personen/R/Pages/robles_caspar.aspx.

55. Cuvelier, “Les préliminaires,” 492; Dodd, “The Spanish Treason”; Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 171.

56. “Que je ne l’avois jamais faict ny que je ne le ferais tant que l’ame me batteroit au corps”: HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 20 July 1603; Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 168.

57. For the symbolism of Burgundy see: Duerloo, “The Utility of an Empty Title.”

58. Sully, Mémoires, 231–3.

59. Correspondance de la Cour d’Espagne, vol. 1, 162: Arenberg to Albert, 20 July 1603.

60. Raeymaekers, “Siempre un pie en palacio,” 205; https://dutchrevolt.leiden.edu/dutch/personen/W/Pages/wakken.aspx; https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/erfgoedobjecten/25639 (Hotel de Nockere; accessed 28 April 2020). See for the bastard branch of Burgundy: Bergé, “Les bâtards de la maison de Bourgogne.” Wakken’s uncle Adolf had captained the ship transporting Charles V and his sisters to Spain after the emperor’s abdication in 1555.

61. De Herckenrode, Nobiliaire des Pays-Bas, vol. 1, 282; Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln, Tafel 120.

62. Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 249–50; Duerloo, “The Utility of an Empty Title,” 67 and 70–1.

63. Coincidentally most of these nobles had first names referring to the Burgundian-Habsburg dynasty: Philip-Charles, Charles, Maximilian, Jean (John) and Ferdinand.

64. “Prince d’Orange et aultres”: HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 21 July 1603.

65. The list of principal gentlemen accompanying Sully can be found in: Salisbury, vol. 15, 136–63: Lord Cobham to Robert Cecil, 6 June 1603: “M. de Rosny’s suite. Monsieur de Rosny, Monsieur de Bounte, Monsieur de Campaniola, Governor of Bullen. The Prince of Pinnoy and his brother. Monsieur St. Luke, Monsieur le Marquis de [torn off]. Monsieur de Chatillion, Monsieur de Terraile. Monsieur de Blarencorte, Monsieur de Vosan. Messieurs de Beveron, Monsieur de Marry. Monsieur de Gedangcourte. Monsieur le Baron de Countenan, Monsieur de Pestree, Monsieur de Mongla”; Sully, Mémoires, 224; Van Meteren, Historien der Nederlanden, fol. 466.

66. A number of these gentlemen can be identified, for instance: Maximilien II de Béthune, Baron of Bontin; Timoléon d’Espinay de Saint-Luc; William of Melun, the prince of Epinoy and his brother Henri; Gaspard III, Count of Coligny, Lord of Châtillon; a du Terrail; a Blérancourt; a d’Harcourt, Marquis de Beuvron; a Gadangcourt; a Courtenay (related through Sully’s first wife) and the marquis d’Oraison: Sully, Memoires, 224–5.

67. In a twist of fate, William of Melun, Prince of Epinoy and his sister Anne-Hypolite would later marry Ernestine and Philip-Charles of Arenberg (the ambassador’s children) respectively.

68. Sully, Mémoires, 341.

69. Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 167.

70. The full list of gentlemen in the Dutch delegation can be found in Van Meteren, Historien der Nederlanden, fol. 465. For instance the Jonkheer of Batenburg was related to the brothers Dirk and Gijsbrecht van Bronckhorst-Batenburg, beheaded in Brussels in 1568: https://dutchrevolt.leiden.edu/dutch/personen/B/Pages/bronckhorstbatenburg.aspx (accessed 28 April 2020) and Walraven III of Brederode inherited his title from his cousin Henry of Brederode, Lord of Vianen, who presented the petition of the compromise of nobles to governess-general Margaret of Parma in 1566.

71. CSP Venetian, vol. 10, 28–42: Giovanni Carlo Scaramelli, Venetian secretary in England, to the Doge and Senate, 28 May 1603; Cuvelier, “Les préliminaires,” 283. Duerloo claims Scorza overplayed his hand there: Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 166. According to the Venetian ambassador James VI rarely trusted these offers of help. The king feared an acceptance would bring an obligation to reciprocate: CSP Venetian, vol. 10, 42–57: Giovanni Carlo Scaramelli, Venetian secretary in England, to the Doge and Senate, 12 June 1603.

72. Croft, “Trading.”

73. Salisbury, vol. 15, 91–118: Arenberg to Lord Cobham, 16/26 May 1603 and Lord Cobham to Robert Cecil, 23 May 1603; Brulez, “Faille, Maarten della.”

74. Piot, “Halewyn (François),” 634–6.

75. Sully used the term “Flemish delegation” and refers to Arenberg’s embassy as a Spanish mission. Further on in his memoires however, he called Arenberg’s retinue the Flemish delegation. This might cause some confusion: Sully, Mémoires, 253 and HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Report on the audience granted to the ambassador of France, 22 June 1603, gives a detailed account of the audience, even relating a private conversation between the king and Sully.

76. Ambassador Scaramelli estimated the crowd at his own audience to be around 10 to 12,000 strong: Anderson, “Marginal Diplomatic Spaces,” 176.

77. Adamson, “The Kingdoms,” 96–7.

78. Goff, “Cultural diplomacy,” 420.

79. “(…) la quantité des gens quil y avoit alentours”: HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 21 July 1603.

80. HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 21 July 1603 and 29 July 1603.

81. HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 20 July 1603: Arenberg stated that “they all” agreed on which councillors had to be won over.

82. HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 4 August 1603.

83. Sully, Mémoires, 248.

84. Cuvelier, “Les préliminaires,” 504 (note 2).

85. Nichols, The Progresses, 265: Lady Arbella Stuart to the Earl of Shrewsbury, 16 September 1603.

86. In the instruction for Arenberg’s successor there is a passage wherein the Infanta thanks Queen Anna for the gifts she sent over with Arenberg and she in turn sent “menuetes” or little gifts in return: HHStA, Belgien PC, 45: Albert and Isabella to Hoboken, 3 March 1605.

87. Enghien/Edingen, Archives and Cultural Centre Arenberg (hereafter ACAE), Biographie (hereafter Bio) 2, fol. 217 v: Henry of Wales to Charles of Arenberg, s.d. The prince did not specify his gift.

88. Um and Clark, “Introduction: The Art of Embassy,” 13: the difficulty in identifying diplomatic gifts is a general problem.

89. Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 168.

90. Heal, “Gifts,” 189–90 and 199.

91. “Saint-Antoine, le plus excellent homme de cheval qu’on conneût”: Sully, Mémoires, 342 and 345; Auwers, “The Gift of Rubens.”

92. CSP Venetian, vol. 10, 88–98: Giovanni Carlo Scaramelli, Venetian secretary in England, to the Doge and Senate, 21 September 1603 and 28 September 1603.

93. HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 18 June 1603.

94. Duerloo, “The Hunt,” 131. For the relation between hunting and monarchical status in England see: Adams, “The Queenes Majestie”; Brundage, “The Pacification”; Grassby, “The Decline”; Richardson, “Hunting at the Courts.”

95. “(…) à quoy Votre Excellence passoit le temps” and “telles et semblables inconveniens”: HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 21 July 1603.

96. Salisbury, vol. 15, 70–91: payments by Sir Robert Cecil’s servant for privy purse expenses, 16 April 1603 to 4 May 1603; Croft, “Rex Pacificus,” 147.

97. Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 168.

98. HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 18 June 1603.

99. “(…) traicte bien ceulx des nostres quy sont venu en ses mains”: HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 21 July 1603.

100. Cuvelier, “Les préliminaires,” 503.

101. Sowerby, “A memorial and a pledge of faith,” 318; Um and Clark, “Introduction: The Art of Embassy,” 8 and 14.

102. Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 166; Fry, “Perceptions of Influence,” 280; Meikle and Payne, “From Lutheranism to Catholicism,” 58–9; Schneider, “A Kingdom for a Catholic?”; Whitelock, “Reconsidering,” 244.

103. Anderson, “Marginal Diplomatic Spaces,” 169.

104. “Mon cousin, ne partés demain, car ie vous désire veoir et ne m’est possible à ce soir. Anna R[egina]”: ACAE, Bio 2, fol. 217 r: Anna of Denmark to Charles of Arenberg, s.d.

105. Delannoy, “Edingen,” 26; Marini, “Dynastic Relations,” 50 and 56; Meikle and Payne, “Anne [Anna, Anne of Denmark].”

106. HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 29 July 1603.

107. Sowerby, “A memorial and a pledge of faith,” 296 and 303–4.

108. Bischoff, “Complicated Exchanges,” 133–4.

109. Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 163–5.

110. Van Wyhe, “Piety, Play and Power,” 118–20.

111. Gough, “Dynastic Marriage.”

112. Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 164–5; Loomie, “Philip III,” 502.

113. “(…) je vins a la legittime succession” and “applaudissement”: HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 29 July 1603.

114. “(…) amys avecq tous les princes chrestiens, desirant de les mectre tous en paix et union”: HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 21 July 1603.

115. Duerloo, Dynasty and Piety, 176–7.

116. Relation de ce que s’est passé à l’entrée des ambassadeurs anglois.

117. HHStA, Belgien PC, 44: Arenberg to Albert, 29 July 1603.