Eugène, 11th Prince of Ligne

Eugène Frédéric Marie Lamoraal ( born August 10, 1893 Castle Breuilpont, France, † 26 June 1960 in Beloeil, Belgium), called Eugène II de Ligne, 11th Prince of Ligne, was a Belgian diplomat and ambassador. In addition, he had the title of Prince of Amblise and Epinoy and the status of Knight of the Austrian branch of the Order of the Golden Fleece held.

Life

Eugène was the 11th ruler of the house Ligne, a Belgian high noble family from the 11th century, which once had a stretch of land between Ath and Tournai, near Belœil obsessed. Eugène was the son of Ernest (* 1857, † 1937), the 10th Prince of Ligne, and Diane (* 1869, † 1950), daughter of Roland (* 1843, † 1871), Marquis of Cossé - Brissac. On February 28, 1917 Eugene married in Paris Philippine de Noailles (* 1898, † 1991), daughter of Madeleine Courval (* 1870, † 1944) and François de Noailles.

After studying philosophy and literature, he joined in 1920 at the diplomatic examination and has passed with distinction. During his foreign service, he received accreditation for Bucharest, Paris, Madrid, London and Washington. In the 1920s he made with a passenger car manufacturer Packard a trip to India. 1925 Eugene with his wife in the Belgian colony of Rwanda. In 1931 he crossed with a motorized expedition the Sahara, visited the former Belgian Congo and Luba and traveled through the towns of Khartoum, Luxor, Cairo and Alexandria.

With the death of his father Ernest de Ligne 1937 Eugène became the 11th prince of Ligne. Prior to the occupation of Belgium by the western campaign of the Wehrmacht in 1940, it was given the command of a motorized division in Antwerp. In addition, Eugène II kept in his residence, the Beloeil Castle, 26 Jewish children from deportation by the Nazis. He is said to have given refuge to 300 Jews.

From 1947 to 1951 Eugène II was ambassador to New Delhi and from 1951 to 1958 Ambassador to Madrid. With his posting as ambassador to Francisco Franco, the Belgian government of Paul-Henri Spaak took distance requirement to send an ambassador until Léon Degrelle was delivered.

Progeny

Eugène II de Ligne and Philippine de Noailles had four children, two boys and two girls: