and many of the dutch patroits that fled to france were usually middleclass and wealthy. i agree with hj tulp that them staying in nl well might prevent the french revolution.
and talking about stadholderate, the united province were a parlementarian republic from the start in 1588, the stadholder system is only describing the figurehead, because that is what a stadholder was, a ceremonial president (much later hereditary), that had to be appointed by parliament.
the only time when a stadholder had real power was during times of war, and he got power because he was supposed to pay many of the soldiers that were used from his own purse.
lampio mentioned the revolution of 1848, what that did is reducing the power of the king back to united provinces level/ as little power as a stadholder had.
the reason for changing to a king were twofold, 1. the good work of louis napoleon (we should have reappointed him instead of the 3 willemine monsters btw) 2. the desire of willem I for power he was frustrated with being a powerless stadholder and wanted as much power as his autocratic royal neighbours. of course only willem 1 was slightly competent, #2 and 3 were incompetent buffoons, and #3 also a sociopath (hence his nickname king gorilla).
if the revolution of 1786 succeeds, then we will get no major changes, only a new stadholderless era
Very good question. But I have two objections:
1) If the compromise happens before the revolution, the problem is what happens to the ruling class? Do they instantly abondon all their power (see Louis XVI - he and his ministers also wanted reforms, but the nobility and the clergy obstructed them).
2) I doubt that after the revolution, the republicans will agree to a comprise.
first although there was some nobility in the UP, it wasn't that prominent or powerful, the real power in the UP always were and are the merchant middle class,the patricians, there is no real ruling class. orangists and republicans often came from the same layers of society. also the republicans (patriotten) are not a new faction, they have existed almost since the start of the UP, and they had been in power before, the republicans were not some revolutionary group, they were a well established political faction.
so them taking over would be a change of power like they happen in democratic country all the time after elections.