Little John

Kleine Jan, little John, the son of an earl and main character in a nursery rhyme here in Holland. 

But of course he's more than that; he's son of earl Floris 5th and Beatrix Flamand; their purpose was to hold on to the counties they owned and ruled, Little John's parents soon after his birth arranged his marriage with Elisabeth, who's daughter to king Edward I from England. King Edward demanded Little John to be send to his court, there he was to be educated well and this happened. Little John was raised in England.

But when he's 12 years old his papa Earl Floris V died (1296) and John had to return to Holland; he married Elisabeth and went back to Holland and Den Haag. The buildings he points at here in my Blip are nowadays our Houses of Parliament but then it was the castle of Den Haag and the one his granddad Floris IV had realized. Den Haag / The Hague means 'The Fenced' .. area of the castle that is.

Little John, 12 years of age could not yet govern the county all by himself, so he accepted help from others (counts from Zeeland). His teenage wife Elisabeth arrived from England a little later; however they didn't live long and happy after as Little John died at the age of 15 from disease. No offspring for them yet and thus his family line died with him. The county was handed to his cousin, that is John II of Holland and Zeeland.

And all these historic facts made someone unknown compose the lines for the nursery rhyme of "The earl's young son Little John" 
This bronze statuette is from 1976 and realized by Ivo Coljé; it is a much loved statuette here in Den Haag.

Thank you all lots for your reaction upon yesterday's young lovers