Biography

Dirk Hubert Verelst. (1717-1778)

D.H. Verelst was born in 1717, the only son of Johann Louis Verelst in Veere in the province of Zeeland. Married firstly to Sara Lydia Diodati (b. 1723), and secondly to the widowed Baroness Ilse Sophia von Kraut (born von Platen).

In 1750-51 he was the Dutch envoy to the Kings of Sardinia and Savoy. From 1753 he was Dutch envoy in Berlin, and at least around 1764 he acted as the Dutch ambassador to the court of Frederick II.

Life with James Boswell:

Boswell unknowingly insulted Verelst when, on July 8, 1764, he told Andrew Mitchell that Belle de Zuylen had "too much wit for the Dutch". Verelst was present in the room as well, but Boswell was not aware that he was the Dutch envoy. He doesn't appear to have taken too much offence, for he and Boswell dined together on July 16. On this occasion Boswell described him as "phlegmatic, but not unjolly".

This article was last updated at November 08 2007 15:00:04 CET

Other links of possible interest