Raadspensionaris

The top legal official of the provincial States during the time of the Republic of The Netherlands. Local titles varied - ‘syndicus’ in Groningen, ‘griffier’ (recorder) in Overijssel, ‘secretaris’ in Utrecht and Friesland, and ‘raadpensionaris’ in Holland and Zeeland. His function was particularly important in Holland, where he chaired the meetings and ran the administration and attended meetings of the Gecommitteerde Raden. His later involvement with foreign diplomacy made him more or less equivalent to a minister of foreign affairs.

The Grand Pensionary was the most important Dutch official during the time of the United Provinces. In theory he was only a civil servant of the Estates of the dominant province among the Seven United Provinces: the county of Holland. In practice the Grand Pensionary of Holland was the political leader of the entire Dutch Republic when there was no stadtholder (in practice the Prince of Orange) in the centre of power. When there was a stadtholder, then the Grand Pensionary was often the second leader of the republic. The Grand Pensionary of Holland acted as the chairman of States of Holland. A decision of the Estates was made by a summarizing of all the statements of the delegates by the Grand Pensionary, with an implicit conclusion about what decision had been made. The office existed because all delegates of the States were, although ranked according to ancient feudal hierarchy, still basically equal (pares) and none among them could thus act as a head. The Dutch name was raad(s)pensionaris, literally "pensionary of council". Zealand, but only the one of Holland was considered by foreign powers to be of any import, so they called him the Grand Pensionary.

The Batavian Republic first abolished the office but in its last year, 1805-1806, the title had to be reinstituted on orders of Napoleon as part of a number of measures to strengthen the executive power; Rutger Jan Schimmelpenninck thus acted for a short time as the last Grand Pensionary.