Keppel, Arnold Joost van, 1st earl of Albemarle (c.1670-1718). Dutch confidant of William III. Born in Holland, Keppel attended William of Orange to England in 1688 as a page of honour. He rose quickly in the king's favour, and was appointed groom of the bedchamber in 1691 and master of the robes in 1695. Gossip inevitably spoke of an improper relationship, while in parliamentary opinion he (together with Portland) was regarded as a sinister Dutch influence. After the king's death in 1702 he returned to Holland and was a commander of the Dutch forces in the allied campaigns against Louis XIV.

earl of (ăl'bəmärl) , 1669–1718, Dutch adherent and constant companion of William III of England. He accompanied the future king to England (1688) and was made an earl in 1696. After William's death (1702), he returned to Dutch service and fought in the War of the Spanish Succession.