Charles, 2nd Duke d'Ursel

The 2nd Duke d'Ursel

D'Ursel Castle, exterior commisioned by the Second Duke

Charles Elisabeth Conrard, 2nd Duke d'Ursel and of Hoboken, Prince of Arches and Charleville and Count of Grobbendoncq (1717–1775) was an Belgian Duke. He succeeded his father and became the second Duke of Ursel in 1738.

He was the First Prince of Arche and Charleville of the Ursel Branche, titles inherited by his mother Princess zu Salm. He made career at the imperial court in Vienna, was Imperial Lord Chamberlain and Field Marshall.^[1] He was made knight of the Golden Fleece in 1771.

Hingene

Charles was of inportance for the familial patromony: he decides to engage Giovanni Niccolò Servandoni to redesign the Castle of Hingene both the interior and exterior are restyled. Servadoni designs great plans to reshape the whole castle and garden, however the duke refuses.^[2] The current facade of the castle still hass the classical impression of this era.

Family

He was the son of Conrad-Albert, 1st Duke d'Ursel (1665–1738), and Elisabeth Eleonora of Salm. He married in Vienna to the eldest daughter of Georg Christian, Fürst von Lobkowitz and Henriette von Waldstein-Wartenburg (1702 - 1780). Through this line the family descends of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor. His sister was married to the Duke of Bournonville. He became brother in law of the bishop of Ghent Ferdinand-Marie de Lobkowitz.

Children

1. Ferdinand-Marie d'Ursel
2. Emanuel Maximilian d'Ursel
3. Wolfgang Guillaume Joseph Léonard Vital,3rd Duke of Ursel: Married Flore von Arenberg
4. Charlotte Philippine Elisabeth Eleonore d'Ursel, married Freiherr von Stein
5. Marie Henriette Christine Leonarde d'Ursel, married Joseph, Count de Ferraris.
6. Maria Anne d'Ursel

After his death he was succeeded by his son Wolfgang, who became 3rd Duke of Ursel.

Ancestry

1. ↑ Handbuch der neuesten Genealogie, welches aller jetzigen Europäischen ...
2. ↑ https://www.kasteeldursel.be/content/dam/kasteeldursel/Bezoek/Luchtkastelen%20in%20Hingene.pdf