Dutch Nobility

The Dutch nobility is the upper class in the Netherlands and Belgium. Dutch nobility is regulated by act of law in the Wet op de adeldom (Law Regarding Nobility, passed into law on June 24, 1814) and is overseen by the Hoge Raad van Adel (High Council of Nobility), an official state institution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Before 1814, the history of nobility was separate for each of the Dutch provinces. In the Early Middle Ages, there were, in each province, a number of feudal lords who often were just as powerful, and sometimes more so, than the rulers themselves. In the middle of the fourteenth century, quarrels between the feudal lords reduced many families and castles to ruins, contributing to the Dukes of Burgundy's acquisition by conquest or inheritance of many of the provinces forming the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1581, Philip II of Spain, heir of the Dukes of Burgundy, was abjured by representatives of the Seven Provinces. This left a great part of the executive and legislative power to the Ridderschap (knights) of each province, which consisted of the representatives of those families of the old feudal nobility. In 1798, the Batavian revolution did away with their power. In 1814, if no higher title was recognised, the men only were to bear the hereditary predicate of Jonkheer. Some old feudal families obtained the title of Baron or Baroness for all their descendants, while older nobility, having been granted their titles by either the Holy Roman Emperors or French Kings long before 1814, held their pre-existent titles.

Ridder (Dutch "knight") is a noble title in the Netherlands and Belgium. The collective term for its holders in a certain locality is the Ridderschap (e.g. Ridderschap van Holland, Ridderschap van Friesland, etc.). In the Netherlands and Belgium, no female equivalent exists. The title Ridder descends in two ways: "op allen" (to all - i.e., every descendant, male or female, in the male line, is entitled to the title) and "met het recht op eerstgeboorte" (with the right of the first-born - i.e., descent by Salic law, only the eldest male descendant of the title's first bearer may take the title).

Jonkheer, or Jonkvrouw, is literally translated as "young lord" or "young lady", or "esquire". In medieval times, such a person was a young and unmarried son or daughter of a high-ranking knight or nobleman. Many noble families could not support all their sons to become a knight because of the expensive equipment. So the eldest son of a knight was a young lord, and his brothers remained as esquires. However, in the low countries (and other parts of continental Europe), only the head of most noble families did and does carry a title and inheritability of it is via the male lineage. This resulted, therefore, that most of the nobility was and is nowadays untitled in the Netherlands and Belgium. Jonkheer, and its female equivalent jonkvrouw, developed quite early into a different but general meaning, i.e., an honorific to show that someone does belong to the nobility, but does not possess a title. The abbreviation jhr., or jkvr. for women, is placed in front of the name (preceding academic, but not state titles).