In the eighteenth century, it became the norm for the Archduke of Austria, who was lord of the Netherlands by inheritance, to appoint a diplomat with the rank of minister plenipotentiary to represent his interests at the court of the governor-general of the Netherlands in Brussels.
In the 18th century, it became a common procedure for the Archduke of Austria, who had inherited control over the Netherlands, to dispatch a high-ranking representative to represent his interests at the Dutch governor-general's court in Brussels.