Claude Lamoral, Prince of Ligne
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Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
and Charles II of Spain
Charles II of Spain
Charles II was the last Habsburg King of Spain and the ruler of large parts of Italy, the Spanish territories in the Southern Low Countries, and Spain's overseas Empire, stretching from the Americas to the Spanish East Indies...
.
Biography
Born at Belœil, he succeeded his brother Albert Henry (1615–1641), as third Prince of LignePrince of Ligne
Prince of Ligne is one of the most prestigious Belgian noble titles. It goes back to the eleventh century and owes its name at the village in which it originated, between Ath and Tournai. The lords of Ligne belong to the entourage of the Count of Hainaut at the time of the crusades...
. He married in 1642 his brother's widow Claire Marie of Nassau-Siegen, countess of Nassau (Brussels, October 1621 - Belœil, 2 September 1695). He was a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, Grandee of Spain and Knight in 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...
(1646).
Between 1649 and 1669, he was Captain General of the Spanish Cavalry in the Spanish Netherlands, which was the third highest military position after Captain General
Captain General
Captain general is a high military rank and a gubernatorial title.-History:This term Captain General started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of commander in chief of an army in the field, probably the first usage of the term General in military settings...
and Governor of the Arms.
In 1660, he was sent as representative of the Spanish King to the Royal court of Charles II of England
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
as first foreign recognition of the newly restored English monarchy.
He became Viceroy of Sicily (1670–1674), where he fortified the costal defences against Turkish pirates, who attacked the local population to abduct and sell them into slavery.
Later he was appointed Governor of the Duchy of Milan
Governors of the Duchy of Milan
The Governor of Milan ruled the Duchy of Milan as a representative of the King of Spain and the Archduke of Austria and...
(1674–1678).
Claude Lamoral, and after his death, his wife Claire Marie, enlarged the Chateau of Belœil and its spectacular French-styled 25 ha garden, which has a 6 ha. lake in front of the castle. Today the gardens are partially open to the public.
Children
Their daughter Louise Claire de Ligne married on 1 April 1644 the Portuguese nobleman Raimundo de LencastreRaimundo of Lencastre, 4th Duke of Aveiro
Dom Raimundo of Lencastre was the older son of George of Lencastre, 1st Duke of Torres Novas, and grandson of Álvaro and Juliana of Lencastre, 3rd Dukes of Aveiro....
, 4th marquess of Torres Novas
Marquis of Torres Novas
The title Marquis of Torres Novas was created by royal decree, dated from March 27, 1520, by King Manuel I of Portugal, to Dom John of Lencastre , eldest son of Infante George, Duke of Coimbra....
, 1st duke of Torres Novas
Duke of Torres Novas
The Dukes of Torres Novas was an aristocratic Portuguese title granted by King Philip II of Portugal, also known as Philip III of Spain, by a royal decree of September 26, 1619, to George of Lencastre, 1st Duke of Torres Novas, who died before his parents, Juliana and Álvaro of Lencastre of...
, 4th duke of Aveiro
Duke of Aveiro
The Royal Dukedom of Aveiro was an aristocratic Portuguese title, granted in 1535 by King John III of Portugal to his 4th cousin, John of Lencastre, son of Infante George of Lencastre, a natural son of King John II of Portugal....
, Conselheiro de Estado. In Spain he was also duke of Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real
Ciudad Real is a city in Castile-La Mancha, Spain, with a population of c. 74,000. It is the capital of the province of Ciudad Real. It has a stop on the AVE high-speed rail line and has begun to grow as a long-distance commuter suburb of Madrid, located 115 miles to the north. A high capacity...
, a Grandee of Spain in May 1664, 8th Duke of Maqueda
Maqueda
Maqueda is a Spanish town located 80 kilometers from Madrid and 45 kilometers from Toledo. Located within the autonomous community Castilla-La Mancha and the province of Toledo, Maqueda is located in the comarca of Torrijos...
, marquess de Montemayor, marquess of Elche and many other lesser titles, deceased in Guadix
Guadix
Guadix, a city of southern Spain, in the province of Granada; on the left bank of the river Guadix, a sub-tributary of the Guadiana Menor, and on the Madrid-Valdepeñas-Almería railway...
on 6 October 1666, aged 35. He had to flee to Spain after the Portuguese Secession of 1640
Portuguese Restoration War
Portuguese Restoration War was the name given by nineteenth-century 'romantic' historians to the war between Portugal and Spain that began with the Portuguese revolution of 1640 and ended with the Treaty of Lisbon . The revolution of 1640 ended the sixty-year period of dual monarchy in Portugal...
.
She married again the spanish nobleman Iñigo Manuel Velez Ladrón de Guevara
Iñigo Manuel Velez Ladrón de Guevara
Iñigo Manuel Velez Ladrón de Guevara y Tassis, was a Spanish nobleman, 10th count of Oñate, 4th count of Villamediana, a Grandee of Spain, , and many other lesser or more recent titles, was a Head of the Imperial Spain Couriers and Post Offices, and a Knight of the Order of the Golden...
y Tassis, 10th count of Oñate
Oñati
Oñati is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the north of Spain. It has a population of approximately 10,500 and lies in a valley in the center of the Basque country. It lies about 40 km south of the Bay of Biscay and is about 236 m...
, a Grandee of Spain by king Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
to his ancestors in 1640 and a Knight of 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...
, Head of the Spanish Post Offices, deceased in 1699.
She had no issue, apparently, in the first marriage but issue on the second.