Eugène, 8th Prince of Ligne

Eugène François Charles Joseph Lamoral de Ligne d'Amblise et d'Epinoy (Brussels, 28 January 1804 – Brussels, 20 May 1880), 8th Prince of Ligne and of the Holy Roman Empire was a Belgian diplomat and liberal politician.

Eugène de Ligne d'Amblise et d'Epinoy
President of the Senate
In office 25 March 1852 – 11 November 1879
Preceded by	Augustin Dumon-Dumortier
Succeeded by	Camille de Tornaco
Personal details
Born	28 January 1804 Brussels, France (now Belgium)
Died	20 May 1880 (aged 76) Brussels, Belgium
Political party	Liberal Party
Prince of Ligne
Reign	13 December 1814 – 20 May 1880
Predecessor	Charles-Joseph
Successor	Louis
Spouse	Amélie Mélanie de Conflans Nathalie de Trazegnies Jadwiga Lubomirska
Issue	Henri Louis Nathalie Charles Edouard Isabelle Marie Georgine
Full name Eugène François Charles Joseph Lamoral de Ligne
House	House of Ligne
Father	Prince Louis-Eugène de Ligne
Mother	Louise van der Noot, Countess de Duras

Family

He was the son of Louis Eugene Marie Lamoral, Prince of Ligne and Countess Louise van der Noot de Duras.[1] He married 3 times; through his daughter Princess Natalie of Ligne, he was the grandfather of Princess Isabella of Croÿ. One of his sons, Edouard, married Princess Eulalia, daughter of Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels.

Career

He lived in Vienna from 1834 until 1837. After his return to Belgium, he was named ambassador and sent to London for the coronation of Queen Victoria. He had a successful diplomatic career. In 1849 he was elected as a member of the Belgian parliament and was President of the Belgian Senate, in succession of Augustin Dumon-Dumortier, from 25 March 1852 until 18 July 1879. In 1863 the King named him Minister of State.

He died in Brussels and was buried in Belœil, near the estate of the House of Ligne.

Honours

National

•  Kingdom of Belgium: Grand Cordon in the Order of Leopold, 16 June 1838[2]

Foreign

•  Kingdom of Bavaria:
  • Knight of the Order of Saint Hubert[3]
  • Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Saint Michael[4]
•  Kingdom of France: Knight Grand Cross in the Legion of Honour, 22 August 1846[5]
• Holy See: Knight, 1st Class in the Order of Pope Pius IX[6]
•  Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Knight of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem[7]
•  Kingdom of Prussia: Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle
•  Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: Knight Grand Cross in the Saxe-Ernestine House Order[8]
•  Kingdom of Spain:
  • Grandee of Spain, 1st Class[9]
  • Knight of the Golden Fleece[10]
• Two Sicilian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Saint Januarius[11]

See also

• Liberal Party
• Liberalism in Belgium

References

1. "/Eugène de Ligne" (in French). rolo.eu.
2. Almanach royal de Belgique: Classé Et Mis En Ordre Par H. Tarlier
3. Almanach royal officiel: 1875
4. Almanach royal officiel: 1875
5. Almanach royal officiel: 1875
6. Almanach royal officiel: 1875
7. Almanach royal officiel: 1875
8. Indépendance Belge (L') 6 December 1838
9. Almanach royal officiel: 1875
10. Almanach royal officiel: 1875
11. Almanach royal officiel: 1875

Sources

• Eugène de Ligne d'Amblise et d'Epinoy, retrieved 18 December 2016
• De Ligne, Albert (1940), Le prince Eugène de Ligne 1804–1880 (Universelle ed.), Brussels, p. 404
• De Paepe, Jean-Luc; Raindorf-Gérard, Christiane, eds. (1996), Le Parlement Belge 1831–1894. Données Biographiquesb, Brussels: Académie Royale de Belgique, pp. 166–167
• Douxchamps, José (2003), Présence nobiliaire au parlement belge (1830–1970), Notes généalogiques (in French), Wépion, Namen: José Douxchamps, p. 74