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Guelders ( Dutch Gelre, German Geldern) is the name of a historical duchy in the Low Countries. The present province of Gelderland (English also Guelders) in the Netherlands occupies most of the area of the former duchy. The duchy was named after the town of Geldern , which is now in Germany.

Guelders was often at war with the county of Holland and the bishopric of Utrecht, until the dukes of Burgundy acquired the whole area. The duchy was divided into four quarters:

• the quarter of Arnhem, also called the Veluwe
• the quarter of Nijmegen, also called the Betuwe
• the quarter of Zutphen
• the quarter of Roermond (now in the province of Limburg), also called the Upper Quarter of Guelders

When the northern Netherlands revolted against Philip II of SpainPhilip II of Spain ( May 21, 1527 September 13, 1598), King of Spain (r. 1556- 1598), Naples and Sicily (r. 1554- 1558), and Portugal, Philip II, the self-proclaimed leader of the Counter-Reformation, assumed the throne in 1556 with a great deal of potent, the three northern quarters became part of the United ProvincesThis article is about the Dutch United Provinces. There was also a nation called the United Provinces of Central America. The United Provinces Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden/Provincien Republic of the Seven United Netherlands/Provinces — 1581 1, while the Upper Quarter remained a part of the Spanish and later the Austrian Netherlands.

Counts and Dukes of Guelders

House of Wassenberg

The first count of Guelders was Count Gerard IV of Wassenberg . For Guelders, he was of course numbered Gerard I. During Reinoud III's reign, the county of Guelders became a duchy.

• Gerard I (before 1096-about 1129)
• Gerard II "the tall" (abt 1129-about 1131)
• Henry I (about 1131-1182)
• regent: Gerard III (about 1160-about 1181), eldest son of Henry I
• Otto I (1182-1207), youngest son of Henry I
• Gerard IV 1207-1229)
• Otto II "the lame" (1229-1271)
• Reinoud I (1271-1318)
• Reinoud II "the black" (1318-1343)
• Reinoud III "the fat" (1343-1361)
• regent: Eleonor, daughter of Edward III of EnglandEdward III ( 13 November 1312 21 June 1377) was one of the most successful English Kings of mediaeval times. His fifty-year reign began when his father Edward II was deposed on 25 January 1327, and lasted until 1377. Among his immediate predecessors, only, wife of Reinoud II (1343-1344)
• Edward, younger brother of Reinoud III (1361-1371)
• Reinoud III "the fat" (1371)

House of Julich-Hengebach

• William I, nephew of Reinoud III and Edward (1371-1402)
• regent: William II of Julich, William's father (1371-1377)
• Reinoud IV, brother of William I (1402-1423)

House of Egmond

• Arnold of Egmond, grandson of Reinoud IV's sister (1423-1465)
• regent: John II of Egmond, Arnold's father (1423-1436)
• Adolf of Egmond, son of Arnold (1465-1471)
• Arnold of Egmond (again; 1471-1473)

House of Valois

• Charles the Bold (1473-1477)
• Mary of BurgundyMary ( 1457 1482), duchess of Burgundy, only child of Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, and his wife Isabella of Bourbon, was born on February 13 1457. As heiress of the rich Burgundian domains her hand was eagerly sought by a number of princes. When he (1478-1482)

House of Habsburg

• regent: Maximillian I (1482-1492)

House of Egmond

Charles the Bold had forced Arnold of Egmond to sell him the duchy of Guelders. He was recognized by the emperor as duke of Guelders, but the Egmonds had not abandoned their own claims. Adolf's son Charles of Egmond conquered the duchy in 1492. He remained in power with support of the French king. Only in 1543 did the Habsburg emperor Charles V gained control of Guelders again.

• Charles of Egmond 1492-1538

House of Cleves

• William "the rich" 1538-1543

House of Habsburg

• Charles V (1543-1555)
• Philip II of Spain (1555-1598)