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William Bentinck 1st earl of Portland

Portland, Hans Willem van Bentinck, 1st earl of

The Oxford Companion to British History | 2002 | | Copyright

Portland, Hans Willem van Bentinck, 1st earl of (c.1649–1709). Dutch confidant of William III. Entering the household of William of Orange in the early 1660s, Bentinck went on to become the prince's close friend and right-hand man, playing an important diplomatic role in the preparations for William's invasion of England in 1688. On becoming king, William rewarded Bentinck handsomely with English lands and honours, and in April 1689 he was given an earldom. A general in both the English and Dutch armies, he attended the king throughout his campaigns in Ireland and Flanders, and his informal negotiations with the French in 1697 opened the way for peace. But his vast wealth and close proximity to William made him deeply unpopular. He was impeached in 1701 for keeping English ministers in ignorance of his negotiations with France over the partition of Spain, but was never put on trial. He retired from court following William's death in 1702.

Andrew Hanham
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JOHN CANNON. "Portland, Hans Willem van Bentinck, 1st earl of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "Portland, Hans Willem van Bentinck, 1st earl of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-PrtlndHnsWllmvnBntnck1str.html

JOHN CANNON. "Portland, Hans Willem van Bentinck, 1st earl of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-PrtlndHnsWllmvnBntnck1str.html

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William Bentinck Portland, 1st earl of

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

William Bentinck Portland, 1st earl of 1649–1709, Dutch statesman in England. He was William III's most trusted personal adviser. In 1677 he engaged in negotiating the marriage of William (then prince of Orange) and Mary, daughter of James, duke of York (later James II). With the Glorious Revolution (1688) he went to England with William, was made earl of Portland, and was given extensive estates and honors. Portland fought for William at the battle of the Boyne (1690) and in the War of the Grand Alliance and negotiated the Peace of Ryswick (1697) with France. For negotiating and signing the unpopular Partition Treaties (see Spanish Succession, War of the ), he was impeached (1701), but the proceedings were soon dropped.

Bibliography: See M. E. Grew, William Bentinck and William III (1924, repr. 1971).

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"William Bentinck Portland, 1st earl of." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-PrtlndWB.html

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Portland, Hans Willem van Bentinck, 1st earl of

A Dictionary of British History | 2004 | | Copyright

Portland, Hans Willem van Bentinck, 1st earl of (c.1649–1709). Dutch confidant of William III. Entering the household of William of Orange in the early 1660s, Bentinck became the prince's close friend, playing an important diplomatic role in the preparations for William's invasion of England in 1688. On becoming king, William rewarded Bentinck handsomely with English lands and honours, and in April 1689 he was given an earldom. He was impeached in 1701 for keeping English ministers in ignorance of his negotiations with France over the partition of Spain, but was never put on trial. He retired from court following William's death in 1702.
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JOHN CANNON. "Portland, Hans Willem van Bentinck, 1st earl of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN CANNON. "Portland, Hans Willem van Bentinck, 1st earl of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-PrtlndHnsWllmvnBntnck1str.html

JOHN CANNON. "Portland, Hans Willem van Bentinck, 1st earl of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-PrtlndHnsWllmvnBntnck1str.html

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