Estates General of 1464


The Estates General of 1464 was a parliamentary assembly of representatives of the constituent territories of the Burgundian Netherlands. It was the first such assembly.

Convocation

Each of the territories represented already had parliamentary institutions of its own. The convocation of a meeting of representatives of all of these territories was the initiative of the States of Flanders, followed by Philip the Good, and his son Charles the Bold. Although in first instance reacting to the initiative of the States of Flanders, Duke Philip and his son were quick to adopt the convocation of the Estates General in support of their policy of centralizing their rule over their various territories.

Composition

The precise composition of the Estates General of 1464 is unknown. A total of at least 81 delegates attended from the Duchy of Brabant, the County of Flanders, the County of Artois, the County of Hainaut, the County of Holland, the County of Namur, the Lordship of Mechelen, the County of Boulogne, and the County of Zeeland.