Tudor Times is the online repository for all things Tudor and Stewart (1485–1625)

On 9th August 1559 26 year old William of Orange, sometimes called William the Silent (pictured), was appointed stadtholder of Holland, Zealand and Utrecht by Philip II. William was brought up as a Lutheran until he was eleven, when, in 1544, he became the heir to his cousin, Rene of Nassau-Chalon. The Emperor, Charles V, would only accept William as the new Duke of Nassau-Chalon if he were sent to his own court for education as a Catholic. William was well-received in the Imperial family, having a close relationship with Charles, his sister, Mary of Hungary, the Governor of the Netherlands, and Charles’ son, Philip of Spain.

On the abdication of Charles V, Philip became overlord of the Netherlands, and appointed William to a range of senior posts, as well as using his diplomatic skills to conclude the Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis which ended the sixty years of Italian Wars. All seemed set fair for William, except that he came to believe that the position of the Netherlands as, effectively, a vassal state to Spain, was unacceptable. In particular, the violent repression of Protestantism by the Duke of Alva provoked William into leading the movement for Dutch independence.

On 8th August 1585 Henri of Navarre was excommunicated by Pope Sixtus V. Henri’s mother, Queen Jeanne of Navarre, and her brother-in-law, the Prince of Conde, had been leaders of the Huguenot movement in France. Four years later, Henri became King of France, but there was resistance to him inheriting because of his religion. Dominic Pearce explores this in his article on the Conversion of Henri IV of France here

On 7th August 1514 a peace treaty was signed between England and France. The two countries had been at war, off-and-on, since 1512, when Henry VIII, in the first flush of new kingship had tried to recreate the glories of Agincourt. The first campaign, in 1512, had been led by the Marquess of Dorset, and had ended in disaster for the land forces when they were badly let down by Henry’s father-in-law, Ferdinand of Aragon. The navy, under Sir Edward Howard, had initially had more success. In 1513, Henry set sail for France himself, and achieved some success at the Battle of the Spurs, and the taking of the towns of Tournai and Therouanne.

A wider aspect to the war was the involvement of France’s ally, James IV of Scotland, whose invasion, and subsequent death at Flodden, were the result of his alliance with France. Whilst Louis XII’s allies were loyal to him, Henry was again let down by Ferdinand, and the Emperor, Maximilian I. He turned the tables on them, by negotiating a separate peace with France, which included an agreement for his sister, Mary, to marry the aging Louis (picture).

The details of the treaty were worked out by Henry’s chief minister, Cardinal Wolsey, who had also been responsible for most of the war arrangements.