Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle

Who was Arnold van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle?

Arnold Joost van Keppel, 1st Earl of Albemarle KG, and lord of De Voorst in Guelders, was the son of Oswald van Keppel and his wife Anna Geertruid van Lintelo. De Voorst is a large country house near Zutphen, financed by William III, and not unlike the royal palace Het Loo in Apeldoorn.

Arnold Joost van Keppel was born in the Dutch Republic about 1670 and was the heir of a junior branch of an ancient and noble family in Gelderland, and 12th in descent from Walter van Keppel, living in 1179. He achieved fame and wealth as the right-hand man of William III of Orange. He became page of honor to William III in his mid-teens, possibly as early as 1685. Some have claimed that he was William's lover; however despite numerous attempts, no evidence has been found in support of these allegations. Keppel accompanied William to England in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

While some have asserted that his possible affair with the Prince began when he was only 16, others assert that it was not till later in his life, possibly at the time of a hunting accident when he is said to have drawn the king's attention for his uncomplaining demeanor upon breaking his leg. Public commentary on the king's relationship with him intensified in 1692 when he began to receive grants of land from the king. He became Groom of the Bedchamber and Master of the Robes in 1695. In 1696, he was created the Viscount Bury in Lancashire, and the Baron Ashford of Ashford, Kent. On 10 February 1697, William made Van Keppel the Earl of Albemarle. In 1699, he was awarded the command of the First Life Guards,.