Prince Albert-Edouard-Eugène Lamoral de Ligne (12 December 1874 – 4 July 1957) was a Belgian diplomat.

Albert de Ligne
Prince Albert de Ligne, 1929
Belgian Ambassador to the United States
In office
1927–1931
PresidentCalvin Coolidge (1927–1929)
Herbert Hoover (1929–1931)
Preceded byEmile de Cartier de Marchienne
Succeeded byPaul May
Personal details
Born
Albert-Edouard-Eugène Lamoral de Ligne

(1874-12-12)12 December 1874
Brussels, Belgium
Died4 July 1957(1957-07-04) (aged 82)
Brussels, Belgium
SpouseMarie Louise Saint-Paul de Sinçay
ChildrenElisabeth de Ligne
Parent(s)Edouard de Ligne
Eulalie of Solms-Braunfels

Early life

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Prince Albert was born in Brussels on 12 December 1874 into the princely Ligne family. He was the eldest son of Prince Edouard Henri Auguste Lamoral de Ligne (1839–1911) and Princess Eulalie Marie Sophia Dorothea of Solms-Braunfels (1851–1922). His had been married to Augusta Theodosia Mary Cunyngham (a daughter of Sir David Cunynghame, 6th Baronet), who died in 1872.[1]

His paternal grandparents were the President of the Belgian Senate Eugène, 8th Prince of Ligne and, his third wife, Jadwiga Lubomirska. Through his aunt, Princess Natalie, he was a first cousin of Princess Isabella of Croÿ. His maternal grandparents were the adventurer Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels[a] and, his second wife, Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (widow of Prince Franz of Salm-Salm).[2]

Career

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Prince Albert presented his credentials to president on 26 October 1927.[3][4] He served until 1931 when he was succeeded in Washington, D.C. by Paul May (who died in office on 30 July 1934).[5]

Personal life

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Prince de Ligne was married to Marie Louise Anne Calley Saint-Paul de Sinçay (b. 1885), a daughter of Belgian industrialist Gaston Saint-Paul de Sinçay and his wife, Russian Countess Hélène Bloudoff. Together, they were the parents of:

  • Princess Elisabeth Marie Eulalie Hélène de Ligne (1908–1998), who married Count Guillaume de Limburg Stirum, a son of Count Henri de Limburg Stirum, in 1932.[6]

Prince Albert died on 4 July 1957 in Brussels.

References

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Notes
  1. ^ Prince Albert's grandfather, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, was the son of Maj.-Gen. Prince Frederick William of Solms-Braunfels (1770–1814) and Princess Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1778–1841). Princess Frederica, a daughter of Charles II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, was the widow of Prince Louis Charles of Prussia (second son of Prussian King Frederick William II). After his great-grandfather's death in 1814, his great-grandmother married King Ernest Augustus of Hanover (himself the fifth son of George III of the United Kingdom) in 1815. From her third marriage, she was the mother of King George V of Hanover (the half-brother of Prince Albert's grandfather).[2]
Sources
  1. ^ Thom's Irish Almanac and Official Directory of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 1873. p. 314. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b Solms-Braunfels, Carl (2000). Voyage to North America, 1844-45: Prince Carl of Solms's Texas Diary of People, Places, and Events. University of North Texas Press. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-57441-124-9. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  3. ^ "NEW BELGIAN ENVOY HERE WITH FAMILY; Prince Albert de Ligne Says He Hopes to Promote Friendliness Between Two Countries. LONG IN DIPLOMATIC WORK Also Is Raising Coffee on Land Grant in Belgian Congo -- Goes to Washington Today". The New York Times. 17 October 1927. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  4. ^ "ENVOY AT BELGIAN DANCE.; Prince Albert de Ligne Heads Reception of Benevolent Society". The New York Times. 28 April 1929. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  5. ^ "Diplomatic Representation for Kingdom of Belgium". 2009-2017.state.gov. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
  6. ^ Clutton-Brock, Oliver (19 February 2009). RAF Evaders: The Complete Story of RAF Escapees and their Escape Lines, Western Europe, 1940–1945. Casemate Publishers. p. 20. ISBN 978-1-908117-71-7. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
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