Eugène, 8th Prince of Ligne


Eugène François Charles Joseph Lamoral de Ligne d'Amblise et d'Epinoy, 8th Prince of Ligne and of the Holy Roman Empire was a Belgian diplomat and liberal politician.

Early life

He was born in Brussels on 28 January 1804. He was the son of Louis Eugene Marie Lamoral, Prince of Ligne, and Countess Louise van der Noot de Duras.

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.

Personal life

Eugène was married three times. His first marriage was on 12 May 1823 to Amélie Mélanie de Conflans, a daughter of Charles Louis Gabriel de Conflans, Marquis d'Armentières and Amélie Gabrielle de Croÿ. Before her death in Florence in March 1833, they were the parents of:
After the death of his first wife, he married Nathalie Charlotte Auguste de Trazegnies on 28 July 1834, a daughter of Georges Philippe de Trazegnies, Marquess of Trazegnies and Countess Marie Louise van Maldeghem. His second wife died a few days after giving birth to their only child:
His third, and final, marriage was on 28 October 1836 to Princess Jadwiga Julia Wanda Lubomirska, a daughter of Polish Prince Henryk Ludwik Lubomirski, who settled in Austria, and Princess Teresa Czartoryska. Together, they were the parents of:
He died in Brussels on 20 May 1880 and was buried in Belœil, near Château de Belœil, the estate of the House of Ligne. As his eldest son predeceased him in 1871, he was succeeded as Prince of Ligne by his grandson, Louis.

Descendants

Through his eldest son Prince Henri, he was a grandfather of Louis, 9th Prince of Ligne. Prince Henri also had an illegitimate child with the actress Sarah Bernhardt, Maurice Bernhardt, who married Princess Maria "Terka" Jabłonowska.
Through his daughter Princess Natalie, he was the grandfather of Princess Isabella of Croÿ, who married Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen.
Through his son Prince Edouard, he was a grandfather of Prince Albert de Ligne, the Belgian Ambassador to the United States.
He is also an ancestor of the future monarch of Luxembourg.

Honours

; National
; Foreign