The statesman-historian Groen van Prinsterer's historical narrative had a practical-political function in his nineteenth-century context. His Christian-historical narrative sanctioned his unique socio-political positioning, by which he constructively engaged in the political discussions and processes of his time. Through his response to King Willem III's restorationist suggestions in 1856, Groen contributed to the solidification of the then newly established Dutch constitutional democracy. Through the application of David Carr's phenomological-narrative approach to the study of Groen as simultaneously statesman and historian, for the first time a holistic picture of Groen as Anti-Revolutionary public figure emerges, casting new light on the political strategies behind his public engagement. This enables a fresh appreciation of Groen's historical significance for constitutional democracy in the Netherlands.