Charles III de Croÿ
Encyclopedia
Charles III de Croÿ was Seigneur de Croÿ, 4th Duke of Aarschot
, 5th Prince of Chimay and 5th Count of Beaumont
.
He was the eldest son of Philippe III de Croÿ, Duke of Aarschot, and Jeanne of Halewijn.
His military career began in 1577 as lieutenant of his father's regiment of Walloon infantry.
He married on September 3, 1580 Marie of Brimeu, widow of Lancelot of Berlaymont. She came from a rich Calvinist family in Picardy
and was 10 years older than here young husband. Her influence over Charles was so great that he abandoned his Catholic faith and his loyalty to the King of Spain.
In 1583 he became stadtholder
of Flanders for the Protestant insurgents. He was not able to stop the advance of Alexander Farnese and decided in March 1584 to reconcile with Spain.
In 1584 he divorced Marie of Brimeu and in 1585 he returned to the Catholic faith and loyalty to the Spanish Crown.
In 1584 he handed over Bruges
to the Spanish and in 1585 he did the same with Ghent
.
The next years he fought alongside Farnese and was present in the Sieges of Grave, Venlo
, Neuss
and Sluis
. His most important victory was the taking of Bonn
on September 13, 1588. In 1590 he joined the Spanish troops which supported the Catholic League
in the French Wars of Religion
.
Finally, in 1599 he was rewarded with the Order of the Golden Fleece
.
In December 1605 he married his cousin Dorothea of Croÿ, daughter of Charles-Philippe de Croÿ (1549–1613). Both his marriages remained childless.
After his death in 1612, all his titles and possessions went to his sister Anne of Croÿ and his brother-in-law Charles de Ligne, 2nd Prince of Arenberg
.
Charles was an important art collector and is famous for his Albums, a collection of illustrated detailed maps of all his domains.
Duke of Aarschot
The Duke of Aarschot was one of the most important titles in the Low Countries, named after the Flemish city of Aarschot. The title was held by the House of Croÿ and the House of Arenberg...
, 5th Prince of Chimay and 5th Count of Beaumont
Beaumont, Belgium
Beaumont is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut.On January 1, 2006 Beaumont had a total population of 6,698. The total area is 92.97 km² which gives a population density of 72 inhabitants per km²....
.
He was the eldest son of Philippe III de Croÿ, Duke of Aarschot, and Jeanne of Halewijn.
His military career began in 1577 as lieutenant of his father's regiment of Walloon infantry.
He married on September 3, 1580 Marie of Brimeu, widow of Lancelot of Berlaymont. She came from a rich Calvinist family in Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
and was 10 years older than here young husband. Her influence over Charles was so great that he abandoned his Catholic faith and his loyalty to the King of Spain.
In 1583 he became stadtholder
Stadtholder
A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...
of Flanders for the Protestant insurgents. He was not able to stop the advance of Alexander Farnese and decided in March 1584 to reconcile with Spain.
In 1584 he divorced Marie of Brimeu and in 1585 he returned to the Catholic faith and loyalty to the Spanish Crown.
In 1584 he handed over Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
to the Spanish and in 1585 he did the same with Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
.
The next years he fought alongside Farnese and was present in the Sieges of Grave, Venlo
Venlo
Venlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands, next to the German border. It is situated in the province of Limburg.In 2001, the municipalities of Belfeld and Tegelen were merged into the municipality of Venlo. Tegelen was originally part of the Duchy of Jülich centuries ago,...
, Neuss
Neuss
Neuss is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Düsseldorf. Neuss is the largest city within the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district and owes its prosperity to its location at the crossing of historic and modern trade routes. It is primarily known...
and Sluis
Sluis
Sluis is the name of both a municipality and a town located in the west of Zeelandic Flanders, in the south-western part of the Netherlands....
. His most important victory was the taking of Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
on September 13, 1588. In 1590 he joined the Spanish troops which supported the Catholic League
Catholic League (French)
The Catholic League of France, sometimes referred to by contemporary Roman Catholics as the Holy League, a major player in the French Wars of Religion, was formed by Duke Henry of Guise in 1576...
in the French Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
.
Finally, in 1599 he was rewarded with the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
.
In December 1605 he married his cousin Dorothea of Croÿ, daughter of Charles-Philippe de Croÿ (1549–1613). Both his marriages remained childless.
After his death in 1612, all his titles and possessions went to his sister Anne of Croÿ and his brother-in-law Charles de Ligne, 2nd Prince of Arenberg
Charles de Ligne, 2nd Prince of Arenberg
Princely Count Charles of Arenberg, duke of Aarschot , baron of Zevenbergen, knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, was the second Princely Count of Arenberg and a leading aristocrat of the Habsburg Netherlands, who served as a courtier, soldier, minister and diplomat.-Background and early...
.
Charles was an important art collector and is famous for his Albums, a collection of illustrated detailed maps of all his domains.