[MR] Wikipedia: Execution of Egmont and Horn

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

On this date in 1568, two Dutch statesmen, Lamoral, Count of Egmont, and
Philip de Montmorency, Count of Horn, were beheaded in Brussels at the
instigation of the Spanish governor of the Netherlands, the Duke of Alba.

Although Catholics and loyal to Spain, both Egmont and Horn had resisted
bringing the Inquisition of the Netherlands. They had attempted to use
diplomacy to moderate Philip II's heavy-handed policies in the increasingly
Protestant Netherlands. The Spanish King followed a brute force policy
against the Netherlands, and sent the Duke of Alba in with a large army to
"kick butt and take names". The first butts Alba kicked were Egmont and
Horn. Invited to dine with the newly arrived Duke, they were promptly
arrested for heresy and treason.

Despite pleas from rulers all over Europe for clemency, and ignoring that
both nobles were members of the Order of the Golden Fleece and thus immune
from trial except by fellow members of the order, they were condemned to
death and executed. Their properties were seized and their families
persecuted.

Egmont and Horn's popularity, and their dignified demeanor at their
execution, were important factors in the Eighty Years War, a rebellion
which eventually won independence from Spain for the Netherlands.

Their status as martyrs and patriots continued to resonate across Europe.
Witness Goethe's play EGMONT, and Beethoven's accompanying "Egmont
Overture", as examples of their influence.

A brief biography of Egmont is found at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamoral,_Count_of_Egmont .

A similar page on Horn is at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_de_Montmorency,_Count_of_Horn .

Finally, here is a piece on the Duke:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Álvarez_de_Toledo,_3rd_Duke_of_Alba .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆