The Great Assembly of 1651

This is the Ridderzaal (Hall of Knights) at the Binnenhof in The Hague. Hanging from the ceiling are Southern Netherlandish and Spanish flags captured during the war. The representatives of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic are gathered in the hall. When Stadholder William II, son of Frederick Henry, dies at the end of 1650, most of the provinces decide after lengthy deliberations not to appoint a new stadholder on 21
August 1651. The war is over, and – as they concur – the country is more than able to face the future without the Oranges.