78/2442 [House of Orange]. Willem IV, Prince and stadtholder of the Dutch Republic (1711-1751). Nine manuscript letters signed "Prince d'Orange" to "Baron de Spaen", dated "le 4 d'Avril 1739" to "Leeuwarde le 28 Maij 1746", pen and ink, each 1 fold. leaf, recto only, 1p.

- One letter torn in half.

= Interesting collection of letters addressed to Alexander Sweder van Spaen, heer van Ringenberg, Haminkeln en Hardenstein (1703-1768), commander in the army of the United Provinces and close friend of Frederik the Great. In the letter dated April 4th 1739 Willem IV requests Van Spaen to stop the "Prince Royal" (Frederik the Great?) who is on his way to Zutphen and to hand him a letter that he has enclosed. The letter has an urgent tone. In the letter dated August 23rd 1742 Willem IV responds to a letter by Van Spaen informing him the "Roi de Prusse" will be visiting Wesel. Willem IV lets Van Spaen know that he will be travelling from the "Grand Maison" the next day. The final letter dated May 28th 1746 discusses the "Roi de Berlin" and the "Roi de Prusse": "Je vous suis tres oblige mon cher Spaan de votre enactitude a me donner des nouvelles de Berlin (...) Je suis surpris que le Roi de Prusse ne vous ait pas encor parlé, vous faites tres bien de vous tenir discretement a distance, mais pour quoi vous cacher derriere les autres courtisans j'aime vous mieux se mettre de facon a etre appercue". Other letters are i.a. New Year wishes and enquiries about an illness that Van Spaen has contracted ("Je suis bien aisé que vous etes en train de vous remettre, et je souhaite qu'on vous aye guerri radicalement d'un mal toujours terrible, mais surtout pour gens de notre metier"). It appears Alexander Sweder van Spaen acted as an intermediary between the different royal households of the 18th century.