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Article: Huygens Family
- Article from:
- Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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HUYGENS FAMILY
HUYGENS FAMILY.
Influential in Dutch politics and culture, the Huygens family served the House of Orange, and thus, its political fortunes rose and fell with those of its patrons. Christiaan the Elder (1551
–
1624) served William of Orange (William the Silent; 1533
–
1584) until the latter's assassination,
at which point he became secretary to the Council of State that oversaw the newly formed United Provinces of the Netherlands. His firstborn, Maurits (1595
–
1642), was secretary to William's successor, Maurits (1567
–
1625), and then the council; his second son, Constantijn (1596
–
1687), was secretary to Maurits's younger brother Frederik ...