stadtholderate

/ˈstætˌhoʊldərət/
noun
  1. The office, position, or term of a stadtholder (a historical leader or governor in the Netherlands).
    • Historians debate whether the stadtholderate was more like a monarchy or a republic.
    • The stadtholderate was abolished after the French invasion of the Netherlands in 1795.
    • During his stadtholderate, William III focused on strengthening the Dutch navy.