Prince Eugène de Ligne

Eugène de Ligne, 11th Prince of Ligne (Eugène Frédéric Marie Lamoral, prince de Ligne; 10 August 1893 – 26 June 1960) was a Belgian ambassador and the eldest son of Ernest, 10th Prince of Ligne, and his wife, Diane de Cossé-Brissac.[1] He also held the titles of Prince of Épinoy and Prince of Amblise and was a Knight of the Golden Fleece.[1]

Eugène
Prince de Ligne
Pictured in October 1947
11th Prince of Ligne
Tenure23 June 1937 – 26 June 1960
PredecessorErnest, 10th Prince of Ligne
SuccessorBaudouin, 12th Prince of Ligne
Full name
Eugène Frédéric Marie Lamoral de Ligne
Born(1893-08-10)10 August 1893
Breuilpont, France
Died26 June 1960(1960-06-26) (aged 66)
Château de Belœil, Belœil, Belgium
Noble familyHouse of Ligne
Spouse(s)Philippine de Noailles
IssueBaudouin, 12th Prince of Ligne
Princess Isabelle
Archduchess Yolande of Austria
Antoine, 13th Prince of Ligne
FatherErnest, 10th Prince of Ligne
MotherDiane de Cossé-Brissac

Biography

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After having carried out studies of philosophy and letters, Eugène completed in 1920 the diplomatic examination with distinction. He was sent to Bucharest, Paris, Madrid, London and Washington, D.C.

Eugène married Philippine de Noailles on 28 February 1917. She was a daughter of François Joseph de Noailles, Prince de Poix. They had two sons and two daughters:

  1. Baudouin, 12th Prince of Ligne (1918–1985)
  2. Princess Isabelle of Ligne (1921–2000)
  3. Princess Yolande of Ligne (1923–2023), who married Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria
  4. Antoine, 13th Prince of Ligne (1925–2005)

Following the death of his father in 1937, Eugène became the 11th prince of Ligne. During the invasion of Belgium by the Germans in 1940, Eugène joined (near Antwerp) the motorized group at the vanguard. When Belgium was demobilized, he and his wife worked to provision the country and transformed the castle of Belœil into a hiding place for hundreds of Jewish children escaping the Holocaust, for which he and his wife received the honor of Righteous Among the Nations.[2]

After the Second World War, he was named ambassador of Belgium to India (1947 to 1951),[3] then to Spain (1951 to 1958).

Honours

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Future Princess A U.S. Girl", The Washington Post, 6 January 1917
  2. ^ Prince Eugène de Ligne, at Yad Vashem Website
  3. ^ Website of Indian Embassy in Brussels
Prince Eugène de Ligne
Born: 10 August 1893 Died: 26 June 1960
Belgian nobility
Preceded by Prince of Ligne
1937–1960
Succeeded by