The northern part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands still cherished its legacy as one of the greatest sea powers in history, whereas the south, and particularly Brabant, remained a rural region of little consequence. Moreover, the Dutch royal house was fervently Protestant and looked on the Catholic peasants of Brabant with barely disguised contempt. Among other restrictions, the king did not allow the south to build Catholic churches with public funds. Understandable, the Protestants from the north were viewed with deep suspicion by the people in the south. So, in practice, this union meant little.