[The Flemish "Embassies" in Europe's Courts (1598-1621): A Recognition of Sovereignty ? The Case of the Negotiations of the Treaty of London in 1604]

In 1598, Philip II gives the Low Countries over to his daughter and her husband, Archduke Albert of Austria. This marks the beginning of a period of pseudo-sovereignty for the Low Countries, as the links with Spain remain all the same very strong, particularly from the political and military points of view. Yet, since the very moment they settle in Brussels, the Archdukes begin to initiate a whole set of actions aiming at giving their government a "national look". They establish a lavish court, invite representatives from the Pope and from Europe's sovereigns, turn Brussels into a cosmopolitan city. They also send their representatives to Europe's various courts, either on the occasion of peace discussions or for the meeting of the Empire's Diet in Regensburg. These embassies and delegations generated quite a wealth of correspondence which allows us notably to analyze how the Low Countries were perceived by the powers gathered to negotiate the Treaty of London in 1604.