The governor (Dutch: landvoogd) or governor-general (gouverneur-generaal) of the Habsburg Netherlands was a representative appointed by the Holy Roman emperor (1504-1556), the king of Spain (1556-1598, 1621-1706), and the archduke of Austria (1716-1794), to administer the Burgundian inheritance of the House of Habsburg in the Low Countries when the monarch was absent from the territory. The role of the governors-general significantly changed over time: initially tutors and advisors of Emperor Charles V, who lived at the Palace of Coudenberg, they served as generals during the 80 Years War between the Kingdom of Spain and the Dutch Republic. Frequently, the governor-general was a close relative of the Austrian or Spanish monarchs, though at other times Spanish or German noblemen filled the role. The governor-general was usually based in Brussels.

List of governors

Picture	Name	Took office	Left office	Relationship to monarch	Appointed by
	Engelbert II of Nassau (1451–1504)	1501	1504	/	Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor for Philip the Handsome
	William de Croÿ (1458–1521)	1504	1507	/	Maximilian I for Charles of Ghent
	Margaret of Austria (1480–1530)	1507	1 December 1530 (death)	Aunt of Charles
Charles became Duke of Burgundy in 1506 (emancipated in 1515), King of Spain and the Two Sicilies in 1516, Archduke of Austria and Holy Roman Emperor as Charles V in 1519 at the death of Maximilian.
	Mary of Austria (1505-1558)	January 1531	October 1555	Sister	Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
	Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy (1528–1580)	1555	1559	Cousin of Philip	Charles V for his son Philip.
In 1556, Philip V, Duke of Burgundy, became king of Spain as Philip II, thereby bringing the Habsburg Netherlands under Spanish control.
	Margaret of Parma (1522–1586)	1559	1567	Half-sister	Philip II of Spain
	Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba (1507–1582)	1567	1573	/
	Luis de Requesens y Zúñiga (1528–1576)	1573	5 March 1576 (death)	/
	John of Austria (1547–1578)	1576	1 October 1578 (death)	Half-brother
	Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma (1545–1592)	1578	3 December 1592 (death)	Half-nephew
	Peter Ernst I von Mansfeld-Vorderort (1517–1604)	1592	1594	/
	Ernest of Austria (1553–1595)	1594	20 February 1595 (death)	Nephew
	Pedro Henriquez de Acevedo, Count of Fuentes (1525–1610)	1595	1596	/
	Albert of Austria (1559–1621)	1596	1598	Nephew
In 1598, Philip II of Spain ceded the Netherlands to his daughter Isabella Clara Eugenia and nephew Albert, who married the next year. They reigned together until his death, when the Netherlands passed to their nephew, Philip IV of Spain, in whose name Isabella Clara Eugenia governed the countries until her death.
	Isabella Clara Eugenia of Austria (1566–1633)	1621	1 December 1633 (death)	Aunt	Philip IV of Spain
	Ferdinand of Austria (1609/1610–1641)	1633	9 November 1641 (death)	Brother
	Francisco de Melo (1597–1651)	1641	1644	/
	Manuel de Moura (1590–1651)	1644	1647	/
	Leopold William of Austria (1614–1662)	1647	1656	Cousin
	John of Austria the Younger (1629–1679)	1656	1659	Son
	Luis de Benavides Carrillo (1608–1668)	1659	1664	/
	Francisco de Moura (1610–1675)	1664	1668	/
					Charles II of Spain
	Íñigo Melchor de Velasco (1608–1668)	1668	1670	/
	Juan Domingo de Zuñiga y Fonseca (1640–1716)	1670	1675	/
	Carlos de Aragón de Gurrea (1634–1692)	1675	1677	/
	Alexander Farnese (1635–1689)	1678	1682	Second Cousin
	Ottone Enrico del Caretto (1629–1685)	1682	1685	/
	Francisco Antonio de Agurto (1640–1702)	1685	1692	/
	Maximilian II Emanuel of Bavaria (1662–1726)	1692	1706	Nephew-in-law
				Uncle	Philip V of Spain
	Isidoro de la Cueva y Benavides (acting) (1652–1723)	1701	1704	During the absence of Maximilian of Bavaria
Following the War of the Spanish Succession, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI became ruler of the Austrian Netherlands.
	Eugene of Savoy (1663–1736)	1716	1724	Third cousin	Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
	Wirich Philipp von Daun (1669–1741)	February 1725	October 1725	/
	Maria Elisabeth of Austria (1680–1741)	1725	26 August 1741 (death)	Sister
				Aunt	Maria Theresa of Austria
	Friedrich August von Harrach-Rohrau (1696–1749)	1741	1744	/
	Maria Anna of Austria (1718–1744)	1744	16 December 1744 (death)	Sister
	Charles Alexander of Lorraine (1712–1780)		4 July 1780 (death)	Brother-in-law
	Maria Christina of Austria-Lorraine (1742–1798) with Albert Casimir of Saxony (1738–1822)	1781	1793	Sister and brother-in-law	Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
					Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor
				Aunt and uncle	Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor
	Charles of Austria-Lorraine (1771–1847)	1793	1794	Brother

Thereafter, the French revolutionaries occupied the Low Countries until 1815. The Emperor formally recognized the loss of these territories by the Treaty of Lunéville of 1801. At the Congress of Vienna, in 1815, the Low Countries were re-united in a personal union under the House of Orange-Nassau. In 1830, Belgium declared its independence.