He was the son of Michèl de Berlaymont and Maria de Berault. He was lord of
Floyon and
Haultpenne, and baron of
Hierges. In 1553, he became
stadtholder of
Namur. Berlaymont was knight of the
Order of the Golden Fleece, senior hunting master of Brabant, Flanders and Namur, member of the Council of State, hereditary chamberlain of finances and
bailiff of the county of Namur. In 1567, he became a member of the much-dreaded
Council of Troubles. In 1574, his home territory
Berlaimont was elevated to the status of a
county. In 1577, Berlaymont was one of the signees of the
Union of Brussels, which he immediately repudiated. He is known for his famous comment on the
Compromise of Nobles in 1566. The nobles had come to
Brussels with a petition for
Margaret of Parma, governess of the Netherlands, hoping to stop the persecution of
Protestants. When Margaret asked who these people were, Berlaymont supposedly answered with "
Ce ne sont que des geux" (they are but beggars) after which the Dutch rebels promptly adopted the name
Geuzen as their own. ==Issue==