On 17 April 1986, a Dutch ambassador signed a peace agreement with the Isles of Scilly, off the coast of Cornwall. The scene seems anachronistic: what conflict could these islands still have in the Netherlands? The answer refers to a story dating back to 1651.
During the English Civil War, a Dutch fleet came to claim compensation for attacks on its ships. The story of a forgotten declaration of war then went through the centuries. But historians are discussing the authority Admiral Tromp had to declare such a war.
The formula of “335 years of war” thus transforms a historical situation discussed into a record too sharp. The modern ceremony, on the other hand, makes it possible to tell something very real: representatives have chosen to symbolically put an end to an ancient quarrel. In this story, the peace document is easier to show than the sure continuity of the conflict.
What we know
Attested ceremony of April 17, 1986; contested initial declaration and legal continuity, not undisputed record of war.
To go to the source
References consulted on September 21, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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