Charles-Joseph | |||||
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Prince de Ligne | |||||
Reign | 7 April 1766 – 13 December 1814 | ||||
Predecessor | Claude Lamoral | ||||
Successor | Eugène | ||||
Born |
Brussels |
23 May 1735||||
Died | 13 December 1814 Vienna |
(aged 79)||||
Spouse | Princess Franziska of Liechtenstein | ||||
Issue | Marie-Christine, Princess von Clary und Aldringen Prince Charles-Joseph Antoine Prince François Léopold Prince Louis-Eugène Prince Adalbert Xavier Euphémie Christine, Countess Pálffy ab Erdöd Flore, Baroness Spiegel |
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House | House of Ligne | ||||
Father | Claude Lamoral, 6th Prince de Ligne | ||||
Mother | Princess Elisabeth Alexandrine zu Salm | ||||
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Full name | |
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Charles-Joseph Lamoral Francois Alexis de Ligne |
Charles-Joseph Lamoral, 7th Prince de Ligne in French; in German Karl-Joseph Lamoral 7. Fürst von Ligne<refDer Fürst von Ligne und die Hohenzollern by Otto Tschirch, page 9 (in German)</ref> (also known as Karl Fürst von Ligne or Fürst de Ligne ): (23 May 1735 – 13 December 1814) was a Field marshal and writer, and member of the princely family of Ligne.
Prince Charles-Joseph de Ligne was born in Brussels, Austrian Netherlands, the son of Field Marshal Claude Lamoral, 6th Prince of Ligne and Princess Elisabeth Alexandrina zu Salm, daughter of Ludwig Otto, 55th Prince zu Salm and his wife Princess Albertine of Nassau-Hadamar.
As an Austrian subject he entered the imperial army at an early age. He distinguished himself by his valor in the Seven Years' War, notably at Breslau, Leuthen, Hochkirch and Maxen. A young captain at Leuthen, he found himself suddenly in command of 200 men, the battalion colonels and majors having been killed, and led them to shelter from Prussian cannon fire beside a windmill; subsequently, he participated in the retreat to Königsburg.
During the Seven Years' War, De Ligne was promoted Major in 1757, Oberstleutnant in 1758, and Oberst (colonel) in 1759. He was named General-major on 23 April 1764 and Feldmarschall-Leutnant on 1 May 1773. He was awarded the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1772. He was appointed Inhaber (proprietor) of Infantry Regiment Nr. 30 in 1771, the successor to Prince William Carl Christian of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.