INTRODUCTION Robert Stein in 1549, the Future King Philip II of Spain
INTRODUCTION Robert Stein In 1549, the future King Philip II of Spain visited the Low Countries in order to have himself acclaimed as the legitimate heir to his father as sovereign of the Burgundian-Habsburg lands. In the Burgundian- Habsburg state such a progress, also known as a joyeuse entrée, was a major and crucial step in the transfer of power. It took the prince no less than seven months to visit all localities. Everywhere, he was greeted with great joy, tableaux vivants were presented, processions were held, plays performed, jousts fought. Th e splendour conveyed all kinds of messages, some only comprehensible to those who were well- versed in the Low Countries’ legal and political culture, some obvious to all. No-one, for instance, could fail to notice the importance of the oaths that were sworn by the prince, as happened in Ghent, where Philip, according to custom, should ring a bell when he had sworn his oath as count of Flanders, or in Leuven, where all the articles of the Brabant constitution—the famous joyeuse entrée—were proclaimed by the chancellor. However, not all messages were unequivocal. To associate Philip with biblical and legendary kings like David, Salomon, Arthur and Charlemagne was not just pious fl attery; it also reminded the prince that he was expected to follow in the footsteps of these just and fair rulers. Moreover, the festivities expressed not only the love of the Ne- therlanders for their common ruler, but also reminded him that the Low Countries formed a diverse polity, that consisted of a range of principalities and many more towns and liberties, and which all cher- ished their own origins and local diff erences.
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