Eugène, 8th Prince of Ligne

Eugène François Charles Joseph Lamoral de Ligne d'Amblise et d'Epinoy (28 January 1804 – 20 May 1880), 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 (1802–1833), 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:


 * Prince Henri Maximilien Joseph Charles Louis Lamoral (1824–1871), who married Marie Louise Marguerite de Talleyrand-Périgord, a daughter of Ernest de Talleyrand-Périgord.
 * Prince Louis (1827–1845), who died unmarried.

After the death of his first wife, he married Nathalie Charlotte Auguste de Trazegnies (1811–1835) 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:


 * Princess Natalie (1835–1863), who married Rudolf, 11th Duke of Croÿ, son of Alfred, 10th Duke of Croÿ and Princess Eleonore of Salm-Salm.

His third, and final, marriage was on 28 October 1836 to Princess Jadwiga Julia Wanda Lubomirska (1815–1895), a daughter of Ukrainian Prince Henryk Ludwik Lubomirski, who settled in Austria, and Princess Teresa Czartoryska (daughter of Prince Józef Klemens Czartorysk). Together, they were the parents of:


 * Prince Charles Joseph Eugène (1837–1914), who married Charlotte de Gontaut-Biron, a daughter of Etienne Charles de Gontaut-Biron and Charlotte Marie de Fitz-James (a daughter of the 7th Duke of Fitz-James).
 * Prince Edouard Henri Auguste (1839–1911), who married Princess Eulalia of Solms-Braunfels, daughter of Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels and Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (widow of Prince Franz of Salm-Salm).
 * Princess Isabelle (1840–1858), who died young.
 * Princess Marie Georgine Sophie Hedwige Eugenie (1843–1911), who married Sosthène II de La Rochefoucauld, 4th Duke of Doudeauville, a grandson of Ambroise-Polycarpe de La Rochefoucauld.

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 (1854–1918). Prince Henri also had an illegitimate child with the actress Sarah Bernhardt, Maurice Bernhardt (1864–1921), who married Princess Maria "Terka" Jabłonowska (daughter of Prince Karol Jabłonowski).

Through his daughter Princess Natalie, he was the grandfather of Princess Isabella of Croÿ (1856–1931), who married Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen.

Through his son Prince Edouard, he was a grandfather of Prince Albert de Ligne (1874–1957), the Belgian Ambassador to the United States.

Honours

 * National
 * Kingdom of Belgium: Grand Cordon in the Order of Leopold, 16 June 1838
 * Foreign
 * Kingdom of Bavaria:
 * Knight of the Order of Saint Hubert
 * Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Saint Michael
 * Kingdom of France: Knight Grand Cross in the Legion of Honour, 22 August 1846
 * Flag of the Papal States (1825-1870).svg Holy See: Knight, 1st Class in the Order of Pope Pius IX
 * Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Knight of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem
 * Kingdom of Prussia: Knight of the Order of the Black Eagle
 * Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: Knight Grand Cross in the Saxe-Ernestine House Order
 * Kingdom of Spain:
 * Grandee of Spain, 1st Class
 * Knight of the Golden Fleece
 * Two Sicilian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Saint Januarius