regent
Quick Summary
A prince regent is a prince who governs a country because the rightful sovereign is unable to rule, typically due to being too young, absent, or incapacitated.1
In the history of the Netherlands, the term "regents" referred to members of the ruling bodies of towns and provinces. These individuals, often wealthy merchants and financiers, wielded significant political power, particularly during the stadtholderless periods when the office of stadtholder was vacant. The regents' rule, while presented as republican, often functioned as an oligarchy, with power concentrated in the hands of hereditary patricians. This system eventually faced challenges, especially during times of crisis, leading to the restoration of the stadtholderate and, later, the establishment of a constitutional monarchy.2345
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
NetherlandsSociety…becoming what the Dutch called regents, members of the ruling bodies of town and province, and drawing most of their incomes from these posts and from investments in government bonds and real estate.
Read More…becoming what the Dutch called regents, members of the ruling bodies of town and province, and drawing most of their incomes from these posts and from investments in government bonds and real estate.
Read More
NetherlandsEconomic and political stagnationThe “liberty” defended by the regents as soundly republican was in practice the rule of hereditary patricians, responsible to neither the citizenry below nor a stadtholder above. Although William IV yearned for restoration to the offices held by the princes of Orange before him in the provinces to the south,…
Read MoreThe “liberty” defended by the regents as soundly republican was in practice the rule of hereditary patricians, responsible to neither the citizenry below nor a stadtholder above. Although William IV yearned for restoration to the offices held by the princes of Orange before him in the provinces to the south,…
Read More