The Anglo-Dutch Favourite

Hans Willem Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland (1649-1709) was the closest confidant of William III and arguably the most important politician in Williamite Britain. This book not only provides a biographical account of Portland's life, but also explores wider political themes within a European context. Drawing from archival material in England, Scotland, France and The Netherlands, it ties the history of post-Revolution Britain with political events in the Netherlands and analyses Anglo-Dutch political relations during the crucial period of the Nine Years War. In so doing it connects Dutch and British historiography and significantly contributes to our understanding of British politics during the 1690s.