Guillaume de Melun, Prince of Espinoy

Guillaume de Melun (1588–1635) was a nobleman in the Spanish Netherlands, Governor and Grand Bailiff of the County of Hainaut, and Constable of Flanders, who conspired against the government.

[1] On 17 October 1612 Espinoy married Marie Mencie de Witthem, Marquise of Bergen op Zoom, and widow of Herman, Count of Bergh.

[1] Together they had eleven children that survived infancy: Marie, Claire-Marie, Ambroise, Anne, Alexandre Guillaume, Henri, Charles-Alexandre-Albert, François Philippe, Isabelle Claire, Marie-Madeleine, Françoise-Alberte, and Claire-Catherine.

In 1621 Espinoy became a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, and in 1622 was appointed bailiff of the County of Hainaut and to the Brussels Council of State.

[1] In May 1632, in what became known as the Conspiracy of Nobles, he plotted with the prince of Barbançon, duke of Bournonville and count of Egmont to overthrow Spanish rule and partition the Southern Netherlands between the Kingdom of France and the Dutch Republic.