biography
| name: |
Schimmelpenninck, Gerrit, Count
|
pronunciation:
[skhimelpeningk]
| sex:
| male
|
| lived:
| (1794–1863)
|
| biography:
| Dutch politician and prime minister (1948), born in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, the son of Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck. He joined the Nederlandsche Handelmaatschappij, becoming chairman (1824) and president (1827–32), and as such was in close contact with the king. He was special envoy in St Petersburg (1837–40) and in London (1840–52), interrupted by a short period in 1848 when he persuaded King William II to appoint him prime minister, in order to prevent Thorbecke's obtaining the post, but resigned after failing to get his cabinet's support for his view that Thorbecke's amendments to the Constitution were too liberal. In 1853–4 he was a member of the Upper House. |
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