Eugène, 8th Prince of Ligne
# 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.

## Family

He was the son of Louis Eugene Marie Lamoral, Prince of Ligne and Countess Louise van der Noot de Duras. 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 Château de Belœil, the estate of the House of Ligne.

## 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
* 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
