Charles, Count of Limburg Stirum
Encyclopedia
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, GCSG (September 15, 1906–June 14, 1989), a Count of the Holy Roman Empire and Knight of the Golden Fleece (Austrian branche), was a member of the House of Limburg-Stirum
House of Limburg-Stirum
The house of Limburg-Stirum, which adopted its name in the 12th century from the castle of Limburg an der Lenne in what is now Germany, descends from the Ezzonen dynasty in the 9th century, making it one of the oldest families in Europe....
. During his life he was a Belgian Senator
Belgian Senate
The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:...
and Grand Master of the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
s of King Leopold III
Leopold III of Belgium
Leopold III reigned as King of the Belgians from 1934 until 1951, when he abdicated in favour of the Heir Apparent,...
.
Life
Charles was born in HuldenbergHuldenberg
Huldenberg is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the towns and villages of Huldenberg proper, Loonbeek, Neerijse, Ottenburg and Sint-Agatha-Rode. On January 1, 2006 Huldenberg had a total population of 9,130. The total area is 39.64 km²...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, and was the second son of Evrard Philippe, Count of Limburg Stirum (October 29, 1868 - May 8, 1938) and Louise, Baronne Gericke d'Herwijnen (April 17, 1881 - September 6, 1969). He was later adopted by his aunt, Marie of Limburg Stirum who was without descent, to inherit the castle of Bois Saint Jean in the South of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he fought as a captain with the Belgian panzer troops and was made prisoner by the Germans. Released, he took an active part to the armed resistance
Resistance during World War II
Resistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation, disinformation and propaganda to hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns...
against the occupier. Bois Saint Jean became an important drop point of material and arms to the Belgian resistance. During the Von Rundstedt Offensive in winter 1944, Bois Saint Jean was overtaken by the Germans and later the castle was bombed to the ground by the US air force.
After the war, he rebuilt the castle of Bois Saint Jean, though in a different style than the original building. Charles de Limburg Stirum served as Senator
Belgian Senate
The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:...
, then was appointed Grand Master of the King Leopold III after King Leopold’s abdication. He held this office until 1971.
He died in Brussels.
Marriage and Descent
He married on June 13, 1932 in Křimice (Bohemia) Marie Kunigunde Princess of Lobkowicz, a daughter of Jaroslav, 11th PrincePrince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
of Lobkowicz, Duke of Roudnice
Roudnice nad Labem
Roudnice nad Labem is a small town on left bank of the Elbe River . It has about 13 500 inhabitants and covers an area of 16,67 km². The town is situated near the famous hill Říp, which is well known for its legendary connection with Praotec Čech....
(March 26, 1877 - October 24, 1953) and Marie-Thérèse Countess of Beaufort-Spontin (August 6, 1885 - February 22, 1942).
They had 8 children:
- Marie, married to Gobert-Leopold Count d'Aspremont Lynden;
- Gabrielle, married to Didier Count Cornet d'Elzius du Chenoy;
- Bernard, married 1st Nathalie Countess de la Boëssiere-Thiennes; 2nd Régine Roberti;
- Emmanuel, married to Nadine Countess d'Ursel;
- Sibylle, married to Pietro del Vaglio Rosati;
- Jacqueline, married to Bonifatius Baron von Twickel;
- Jean;
- Louise, married to Engelbert Count von und zu WesterholtWesterholtWesterholt is a municipality in the district of Wittmund, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
und Gysenberg.
Belgian honours
- Grand Cross of the Order of the CrownOrder of the Crown (Belgium)The Order of the Crown is an Order of Belgium which was created on 15 October 1897 by King Leopold II in his capacity as ruler of the Congo Free State. The order was first intended to recognize heroic deeds and distinguished service achieved from service in the Congo Free State - many of which acts...
- Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold IIOrder of Leopold IIThe Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Léopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as king of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgium, incorporated into the Belgian awards system...
- Knight of the Order of Leopold
Belgian awards
- Croix de Guerre with bronze lion
- Volunteer Medal 1940-1945
- Commemorative Medal of the War 1940-1945Commemorative Medal of the War 1940-1945The Commemorative Medal of the War 1940-1945 was a military decoration of Belgium. It was established on 16th February 1945 as a decoration to recognise Belgian servicemen and women who served during World War II...
with crossed swords - Prisoner of War Medal 1940-1945
- Resistance Medal 1940-1945
- Honorary Insignia of Work
Foreign honours
- Knight of the Order of the Golden FleeceOrder of the Golden FleeceThe 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...
(Austrian Branch) - Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian OrderRoyal Victorian OrderThe Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) (GCVO) - Grand Cross of the Pontifical Order of St Gregory the Great (Holy SeeHoly SeeThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
) (GCSG) - Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak CrownOrder of the Oak CrownThe Order of the Oak Crown is an Order of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.-History:The Order of the Oak Crown was instituted by the Grand Duke-King William II, in 1841...
(LuxembourgLuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
) - Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern CrossOrder of the Southern CrossThe National Order of the Southern Cross is a Brazilian order of chivalry founded by Emperor Pedro I on 1 December 1822. This order was intended to commemorate the independence of Brazil and the coronation of Pedro I...
(BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
) - Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising SunOrder of the Rising SunThe is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
(JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) - Grand Cross of the Order of the House of Orange (NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
) - Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
) - Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (SenegalSenegalSenegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
) - Commander Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star (SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
) - Grand Commander of the Order of the DannebrogOrder of the DannebrogThe Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
(DenmarkDenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
) - Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Thailand
- Grand Officer of the Order of the Yugoslav Flag
Ancestry
| Charles de Limburg Stirum | Father: Evrard, Count of Limburg Stirum |
Paternal Grandfather: Thierry, Count of Limburg Stirum Thierry, Count of Limburg Stirum Thierry de Limburg Stirum was a Belgian historian, and Senator.-Family:Count Thierry Marie Joseph de Limburg Stirum was the son of Willem de Limburg Stirum and Albertine de Pret de Calesberg . Willem, of Dutch and Gelders origin, served in the French imperial army and later in the Dutch army... , Senator Belgian Senate The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:... |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Willem Bernard, Count of Limburg Stirum |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Albertine de Pret Roose de Calesberg |
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| Paternal Grandmother: Marie, Countess de Thiennes Leyenburg et de Rumbeke |
Paternal Great-grandfather: François Joseph, Count de Thiennes Leyenburg et de Rumbeke, Chambellan of King Guillaume of The Netherland |
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| Paternal Great-grandmother: Asterie, Baroness de Draeck |
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| Mother: Louise, Baroness Gericke d'Herwijnen |
Maternal Grandfather: Charles, Baron Gericke d'Herwijnen, Ambassador and Chambellan of the Queen of The Netherland |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Joseph (Louis), Baron Gericke d'Herwijnen, Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Lady Elisabeth Huughe de Peutevin |
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| Maternal Grandmother: Marie, Countess du Chastel de la Howarderie |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Robert, Count du Chastel de la Howarderie, Chambellan of the King of The Netherland |
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| Maternal Great-grandmother: Gabrielle, Baroness de Vinck de Westwesel |