biography
| name: |
Floris V
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nickname Der Keerlen God (the Peasants' God)
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1254–96)
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| biography:
| Early Dutch ruler, who succeeded his father William II in 1256 at the age of 18 months as Count of Holland and Zeeland. He ruled with regents, first his uncle Floris (the Regent) until 1258, then his aunt Aleida of Hainault and Holland, who was ousted by Otto II of Gelre. To end the Gelre hegemony, Floris was declared to have reached his majority in 1266. He became a very popular ruler. Influenced by his aunt he sided with Avesnes against Dampierre, despite his marriage to Beatrix of Dampierre, daughter of Guy of Flanders, in 1270. He had problems with the West Frisians and Kennemers, who were supported by Utrecht, but arranged a treaty of neutrality with Utrecht and settled the north by concessions. In 1277 he switched from Avesnes and made up with Flanders, brought Jan van Nassau under his influence, and finally subdued the West Frisians. In 1287 the Diet declared invalid the Holland/Flanders treaty which had been agreed by Floris the Regent in 1256. Guy of Flanders conspired with the Zeeland nobles and captured Floris V, who refused to honour the strict conditions of his release and started a new war with Flanders. An English alliance (two of his children were betrothed to Edward I's children) did not bring the expected results, so he switched to France. As a result Guy and Edward conspired to have him murdered by Gijsbrecht van Amstel, Herman van Woerden, and Gerard van Velzen. |
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