The Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands ruled the Habsburg Netherlands as a representative of the Duke of Burgundy (Burgundy being held, at various times, by Kings of Castile and Archdukes of Austria).
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The Duke of Parma, the appointee of Philip II, his uncle, was opposed by the candidate of the rebellious Estates, another nephew of the King, Archduke Matthias of Austria, until 1581, when he returned to Austria following the United Provinces' declaration of independence.
In 1581 the Seven United Provinces declared themselves independent of Philip II of Spain.
Archduke Albert of Austria and Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain rule the Habsburg Netherlands as sovereigns from 1598 to 1621.
The Southern Netherlands were occupied by the British and Dutch from 1706–1714.
Thereafter, the French revolutionaries occupied the Low Countries until 1815. The Emperor formally recognized the loss of these territories by the Treaty of Lunéville of 1801. At the Congress of Vienna, the Low Countries were re-united in a personal union under the House of Orange-Nassau.