RP No 55 NYW - Dutch Garde du Corps

The Gardes du Corps were raised on 30 April 1599 as a Troop of Horse. In 1665 it was redesignated as Gardes du Corps van Zijne Majesteit. The corps was in English pay between 21 December 1688 and 25 March 1699; in the Dutch Republic it was maintained by the province of Zeeland. The colonel of the corps during its service in English pay was Hendrik, Graaf (Count) van Nassau - Ouwerkerk from 11 March 1672, until 18 October 1708.

When the Gardes left Ireland after the campaign, they left their grey horses to Thomas Lord Tiviot's Dragoon,  who later became the Royal Scots Greys, its suggested that's why the Royal Scots rode Grey horses.

The figures are once again from Essex, and the flags are made by me, they're nearly identical to the Gardes te Paard, flags I posted, the only difference is the edging is silver and gold instead of gold. I'll post the flag another day.

Hendrik, graaf van Nassau – Ouwerkerk

Born.1640, Died.1708. Also closely related to William III (Hendrik's father was an illegitimate son of Maurits van Nassau, Prins van Oranje, being a great - uncle of William III), and was colonel of the Gardes du Corps (Life Guards) between 1672 and 1708. Following the invasion of England in 1688, he was naturalized. He was, however, not elevated to a peerage. In English his name is usually spelled as Overkirk. In Dalton (see the blog's bibliography) he is listed under the French version de Nassau d'Auverquerque however.

His second son Hendrik (b.1673, d.1754) was created Earl of Grantham, Viscount Boston and Baron Alford in 1698.

His youngest son Frans (b.1682, d.1710) (in Dalton listed as François de Nassau d'Auverquerque) raised a regiment of foot in 1706, and in 1707 assumed command of a regiment of dragoons in Spain raised by the 3rd Earl of Peterborough. He would be killed in the battle of Almenara on 27 July 1710 as well.