Act of Abjuration
States General resolves to depose Philip II
View full image ↗ How was this image made?
The creative brief sent to the image model. These are instructions, not a record of what actually happened.
Original prompt & settings (JSON) ↗The English name suggests an oath. The States General swore none — the break with Philip was adopted at an ordinary meeting, without a public ceremony or collective oath.
Antwerp, 22 July 1581
At an ordinary meeting in Antwerp on 22 July 1581, the rebel States General adopted a resolution declaring Philip II to have forfeited his lordship over the participating Netherlands provinces.
The resolution ordered the cancellation of Philip's seal, substitution of the Generality's seal, and preparation of an ordinance in the form of a placard.
Four days to a placard
Jan van Asseliers, secretary of the central government, prepared the surviving draft using the 22 July resolution. The manuscript is covered with deletions and marginal additions.
The resulting Plakkaat van Verlatinghe was dated at The Hague on 26 July, printed and circulated as law, releasing officials and inhabitants from their oaths to Philip.
Replacing a lord, not founding a republic
The measure sought to replace a failed lord. It did not announce that the provinces had decided to form a republic.
Francis, Duke of Anjou had already contracted with the States in 1580; he was not newly appointed sovereign at the 22 July meeting, and he was inaugurated as Duke of Brabant only in February 1582.
"Act of Abjuration" is a conventional English title: the measure contained no ceremonial oath by which the States General collectively abjured Philip.
Sources
Researched 23 Aug 2026 4 sources 2 audit passes
How this was checked
Researched from the web into a fact sheet, rewritten from that sheet, then audited against it by a different model. How the pipeline works →
What the sources leave uncertain
- Two related dates must be preserved: the decisive States General resolution was adopted at Antwerp on 22 July; the completed placard was dated at The Hague on 26 July.
- “Act of Abjuration” is a conventional English title. The measure contained no ceremonial oath by which the States General collectively abjured Philip.