 The monarchs of England and France had been requested to accept sovereignty but had refused.This had left Maurice as the only acceptable candidate for the position of Stadtholder.He became stadtholder of Holland and Zeeland in 1585, of Guelders, Overijssel and Utrecht in 1590 and of Groningen and Drenthe in 1620 (following the death of Willem Lodewijk, who had been stadtholder there and in Friesland).