Claude Lamoral II, Prince of Ligne (7 August 1685 – Chateau de Beloeil, 7 April 1766) was a Field marshal

Generalfeldmarschall

Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...

 and sixth Prince in the House of Ligne

House of Ligne

The House of Ligne is one of the oldest Belgian noble families, dating back to the eleventh century. It s name comes from the village in which it originated, between Ath and Tournai. The lords of Ligne belonged to the entourage of the Count of Hainaut at the time of the Crusades...

.

A state councilor, he reorganized the army in the newly conquered Austrian Netherlands, and in 1720 took possession in the name of the Emperor, of the fortified cities of Tournai

Tournai

Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....

, Ieper and Menen

Menen

Menen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Menen proper and the towns of Lauwe and Rekkem. The city is situated on the French/Belgian border. On January 1, 2006, Menen had a total population of 32,413...

. This voyage through Flanders and Hainaut, was accompanied by great pomp and celebration, many Te Deums and numerous receptions in every city.

But the greatest achievement of prince Claude-Lamoral II is, without doubt, the domain of Belœil. He spent millions to give the castle and its gardens the splender it still has today. Prince Claude-Lamoral tried to rival the Versailles

Versailles

Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...

 of Louis XIV, and employed the Parisian architect Jean-Michel Chevotet

Jean-Michel Chevotet

Jean-Michel Chevotet was a French architect. He and Pierre Contant d'Ivry were among the most eminent Parisian architects of the day and designed in both the restrained French Rococo manner, known as the "Louis XV style" and in the "Goût grec" phase of early Neoclassicism...

, grand connaisseur of the architecture in the time of the Sun King.

Prince Claude-Lamoral married Elisabeth Alexandrine de Salm and was father of Charles-Joseph, 7th Prince of Ligne, and two daughters : Louise (1728–1784) and Marie (1730–1783).