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 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 the estate of the House of Ligne.

Honours

 * National
 * Kingdom of Belgium:
 * 1838: Grand Cordon in the Order of Leopold, 16th june.
 * Foreign
 * Austrian Empire: Knight of the Golden Fleece
 * Kingdom of Bavaria: Knight of the Order of Saint Hubert.
 * Kingdom of France: Knight Grand Cross in the Legion of Honour
 * Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: Knight grand Cross in the Saxe-Ernestine House Order.
 * Kingdom of Spain: Grandee of Spain, 1st Class.
 * Holy See: Knight, 1st Class in the Order of Pope Pius IX
 * Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Saint Januarius
 * Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Saint Michael
 * Knight of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem