The House of Croÿ () is a family of European mediatized nobility, which held a seat in the Imperial Diet from 1486, and was elevated to the rank of

Princes of the Holy Roman Empire Prince of the Holy Roman Empire ( la, princeps imperii, german: Reichsfürst, cf. ''Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised as such by the Holy Roman Emperor. Definition Originally, possessors o ...

in 1594. In 1533 they became Dukes of Arschot (in Belgium) and in 1598 Dukes of Croy in France. In 1913, the family had branches in Belgium, France, Austria and

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

. This

dynastic A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A d ...

house, which originally adopted its name from the Château de Crouy-Saint-Pierre in French Picardy, claimed descent from the Hungarian Prince Marc, (if true, he was likely a grandson of Prince Géza) who allegedly settled in France in 1147, where he married an heiress to the barony of Croÿ. The Croÿ family rose to prominence under the Dukes of Burgundy. Later, they became actively involved in the complex politics of France, Spain, Austria, and the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

. Among the more illustrious members of the House of Croÿ were two bishop-dukes of Cambrai, two cardinals (one being also the

Archbishop of Toledo This is a list of Bishops and Archbishops of Toledo ( la, Archidioecesis Metropolitae Toletana).

and another being the

Archbishop of Rouen The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rothomagensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rouen'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the Arch ...

), five bishops (those of

Thérouanne Thérouanne (; vls, Terenburg; Dutch ''Terwaan'') is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. It is located west of Aire-sur-la-Lys and south of Saint-Omer, on the D 157 and D 341 road junction. Loca ...

, Tournai, Cammin, Arras, and

Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality c ...

), one prime minister of Philip the Good, one finance minister,

archchancellor An archchancellor ( la, archicancellarius, german: Erzkanzler) or chief chancellor was a title given to the highest dignitary of the Holy Roman Empire, and also used occasionally during the Middle Ages to denote an official who supervised the wo ...

, chief admiral, godfather and tutor of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (himself godfather to another Croÿ), one '' Grand-Bouteiller'', one '' Grand-Maitre'' and one

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

; one Grand Equerry of the King of Spain, several imperial field marshals and twenty generals, four finance ministers of the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, two governors of the Netherlands and

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

, one Russian field marshal; numerous ministers, ambassadors and senators in France, Austria, Belgium, and a record of thirty-two knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The head of the house bears the title of duke, with all the other members titled as princes or princesses. All of them bear the predicate of ''

Serene Highness His/Her Serene Highness (abbreviation: HSH, second person address: Your Serene Highness) is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein, Monaco and Thailand. Over the past 400 years, it has also used as a style for senior members ...

''.

The Croÿs of Burgundy

Jean I de Croÿ Jean I de Croÿ, Seigneur of Croÿ et d'Araines, Baron of Renty and of Seneghem (around 1365 – 25 October 1415), was the founder of the House of Croÿ. Biography Jean's parents were Guillaume I, Seigneur of Croÿ (†1384) and Isabeau of Renty. ...

was responsible for the ascendancy of his family to a position of supreme power in

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

Burgundy. He served

Philip the Bold Philip II the Bold (; ; 17 January 1342 – 27 April 1404) was Duke of Burgundy and ''jure uxoris'' Count of Flanders, Artois and Burgundy. He was the fourth and youngest son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxembourg. Philip II w ...

and his son

John the Fearless John I (french: Jean sans Peur; nl, Jan zonder Vrees; 28 May 137110 September 1419) was a scion of the French royal family who ruled the Burgundian State from 1404 until his death in 1419. He played a key role in French national affairs durin ...

in the capacity of councillor and

chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

. In 1384 he married a wealthy heiress, Marie de Craon, successfully suing her first husband's family upon her death. In 1397, Jean acquired the lordship of Chimay, which was to become a core dominion of the Croÿ family. Four years later, he was appointed governor of

Artois Artois ( ; ; nl, Artesië; English adjective: ''Artesian'') is a region of northern France. Its territory covers an area of about 4,000 km2 and it has a population of about one million. Its principal cities are Arras (Dutch: ''Atrecht'') ...

and led the ducal armies against the rebellious citizens of Liège. He was recorded as the ''Grand Bouteiller'' of the king of France in 1412 when he laid siege to Bourges. The following year,

Isabeau of Bavaria Isabeau of Bavaria (or Isabelle; also Elisabeth of Bavaria-Ingolstadt; c. 1370 – September 1435) was Queen of France from 1385 to 1422. She was born into the House of Wittelsbach as the only daughter of Duke Stephen III of Bavaria-Ingols ...

had him apprehended and incarcerated in the castle of Montlhéry, whence he escaped. Jean, together with two of his sons, were killed in the Battle of Agincourt on 25 October 1415. Antoinelegrand

Antoine I le Grand, Jean I's eldest surviving son and heir, was a key figure in 15th-century French politics. Securing for himself the post of governor general of the Netherlands and Luxembourg, he presided over the pro-French party at the court of Philip the Good and was one of the judges at the trial for treason in 1458 of

Duke of Alençon Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...

. Like his father, he led French and Burgundian armies against Liège and distinguished himself at the Battle of Brouwershaven fighting against the English. While on a mission to the court of the Duke of Berry, he was implicated in the assassination of Louis de Valois, Duke of Orléans and as a consequence suffered torture in the Château de Blois. Croyblazon

Having extricated himself from this predicament, Antoine used his power to expand his family's possessions: in 1429 he obtained the lordship of

Le Rœulx Le Rœulx (; wa, El Rû) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On January 1, 2006, Le Rœulx had a total population of 7,977. The total area is 42.80 km2 which gives a population density of 186 ...

; three years later he married a princess of

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...

, who brought Aarschot to his family as her dowry; in 1446 he purchased the Château de Montcornet and completely rebuilt it. In 1438 he acquired the castle of Porcien and was made Count of Porcéan and Guînes by Charles VII in 1455. A year earlier, he had married his daughter to Count Palatine Louis I of Pfalz-Zweibrücken in order to increase his influence in the orbit of the Holy Roman Empire. With

Charles the Bold Charles I (Charles Martin; german: Karl Martin; nl, Karel Maarten; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), nicknamed the Bold (German: ''der Kühne''; Dutch: ''de Stoute''; french: le Téméraire), was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. ...

, the future Duke of Burgundy, he was at loggerheads, especially after they clashed over the inheritance of Jeanne d'Harcourt, Countess of Namur. Upon Charles's accession, Antoine was accused of plotting with astrologers to bring about the Duke's downfall and was compelled to flee to France. In France he took part in the coronation of

Louis XI Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (french: le Prudent), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII. Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revol ...

and was chosen as a godfather to the future

Louis XII Louis XII (27 June 14621 January 1515), was King of France from 1498 to 1515 and King of Naples from 1501 to 1504. The son of Charles, Duke of Orléans, and Maria of Cleves, he succeeded his 2nd cousin once removed and brother in law at the tim ...

. It was not until the age of 83 that he reconciled himself with Charles and was allowed to reclaim his properties in Burgundy. He died either in 1475 or 1477 and was interred in Porcien. Agnes de Croÿ was his sister and the mistress of Duke

, by whom she had a natural son, the future

bishop of Cambrai The Archdiocese of Cambrai ( la, Archdiocesis Cameracensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Cambrai'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France, comprising the arrondissements of Avesnes-sur-Help ...

and

archbishop of Trier The Diocese of Trier, in English historically also known as ''Treves'' (IPA "tɾivz") from French ''Trèves'', is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic church in Germany.intermarriage, so that estates and titles would stay within the family as long as possible.

The line of Croÿ-Aerschot

Rogier van der Weyden - Portrait of Philippe de Croÿ

Antoine was succeeded as count of Porcéan by his eldest son, Philippe I de Croÿ, governor of

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

and Ligny. Philippe I de Croÿ was raised together with

, who arranged Philippe's marriage to Jacqueline of Luxembourg in 1455. The bride's father was extremely against the alliance and attempted to win his daughter back by force, but the Count of Porcéan closed the borders of Luxembourg and announced that the marriage had been consummated. In 1471 Philippe defected to the king of France with 600 knights but returned to Burgundy to fight for Charles during the Battle of Nancy. During the battle he was taken prisoner. Following Charles's death, Philippe de Croÿ helped arrange the betrothal of his heiress,

Marie Marie may refer to: People Name * Marie (given name) * Marie (Japanese given name) * Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973 * Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tr ...

, with

Emperor Maximilian I Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519) was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death. He was never crowned by the pope, as the journey to Rome was blocked by the Venetians. He proclaimed himself Ele ...

. Toward the end of his life, he was employed by the Emperor as governor of Valenciennes,

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

of Liège, and

captain general Captain general (and its literal equivalent in several languages) is a high military rank of general officer grade, and a gubernatorial title. History The term "Captain General" started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of Comma ...

of Hainaut. Philippe commissioned a remarkable church in Château-Porcien, in which he was buried upon his death in 1511. Among Philippe's sons, Antoine,

Bishop of Thérouanne A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

, predeceased his father and lies buried in

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...

. More notable was Guillaume de Croÿ (1458–1521) (Guillermo de Chièvres, Chievres or Xebres in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

documents). As a tutor to

Carlos I of Spain Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) fro ...

(afterwards Emperor

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...

), Guillaume became the power behind the Spanish throne during his pupil's minority, obtaining for himself the titles of Marquis of Aarschot and Duke of Soria and Archi. The Spanish aristocracy detested him as a foreigner, accusing him of pillaging the treasury and other irregularities, causing a wave of civil unrest to spread through Castile. Guillaume attended the Diet of Worms, where he was poisoned on 28 May 1521, apparently by German nobles afraid of his influence on imperial politics. Guillaume's nephew and namesake, Guillaume III de Croÿ (1497–1521), was tutored by the Spanish humanist Juan Luís Vives. As it appeared unlikely he would succeed to the lands of his grandfather, Philippe I, he was steered toward the church. Family interests ensured his rapid promotion: he was elected bishop of Cambrai at the age of eighteen, and made a cardinal a few months later. Within a year, Charles V bestowed upon his young friend the archbishopric of Toledo, making him the

primate of Spain The Primacy of the Spains ( pt, Primaz das Espanhas; es, Primado de las Españas, ca, Primat de les Espanyes) is the primacy of the Iberian Peninsula, historically known as Hispania or in the plural as the Spains. The Archbishop of Braga, in ...

. This unprecedented move brought Spain to the brink of a civil war. Guillaume accompanied his uncle and Charles to Worms, where on 6 January he died at the age of 23, following a fall from his horse. His tomb is in the Celestine monastery of Louvain, founded by his father. Guillaume III's elder brother, Philippe II de Croÿ (1496–1549), succeeded to the County of Porcéan upon his father's death in 1514. Like his predecessors, he was Governor of Hainault and senior knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, but it is as Charles V's general that he is best remembered. In 1533 Charles V created Philippe Duke of Soria and Archi and

grandee of Spain Grandee (; es, Grande de España, ) is an official aristocratic title conferred on some Spanish nobility. Holders of this dignity enjoyed similar privileges to those of the peerage of France during the , though in neither country did they ha ...

. Earlier, he had become marquis of Renty and exchanged the lordship of

Longwy Longwy (; older german: Langich, ; lb, label= Luxemburgish, Lonkech) is a commune in the French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, Lorraine, administrative region of Grand Est, northeastern France. The inhabitants are known as ''Longoviciens'' ...

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

for that of Havré, which his descendants would develop as the family seat. His first wife was a cousin, Anne de Croÿ, Princess of Chimay. She died in 1539, and nine years later Philippe married Anna of Lorraine, leaving offspring by both marriages. Ducaerchot

Philippe II's eldest son, Charles I de Croÿ (1522–51), inherited the principality of Chimay from his mother and succeeded to the duchy of Aarschot upon his father's death. He was assassinated in Quievrain two years later, leaving no children by his marriage to Louise of Lorraine-Guise. Thereupon Chimay and Aarschot passed to Philippe II's second son, Philippe III. Philipe de Croÿ, Duke of Aerschot (1526–1595), was made 216th knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece by Philip II of Spain. In 1567 his cousin Antoine III de Croÿ, 1st Prince of Porcéan died without issue by his marriage to Catherine of Cleves, and the principality of Porcéan devolved upon Philippe. His devotion to the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, which he expressed by showing his delight at the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, led Philip II to regard him with great favor. He was appointed governor of the citadel of Antwerp but defected to the other side before long. Jealous of

William the Silent William the Silent (24 April 153310 July 1584), also known as William the Taciturn (translated from nl, Willem de Zwijger), or, more commonly in the Netherlands, William of Orange ( nl, Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch Re ...

's influence, he was then the head of the party which induced Archduke Matthias (afterwards emperor) to undertake the sovereignty of the Netherlands, and soon afterwards was appointed governor-general of

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

by the state council. A strong party, including the burghers of

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded i ...

, distrusted the new governor; Arschot, who was taken prisoner during a riot at

, was only released on promising to resign office. He then sought to regain the favor of Philip of Spain, and having been pardoned by the king in 1580 again shared in the government of the Netherlands; but he refused to serve under the Count of Fuentes when he became governor-general in 1594, and retired to

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

, where he died in December 1595. Philippe III was succeeded by his only son, Charles II de Croÿ (1560–1612), who was created Duke of Croÿ by

Henry IV of France Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarch ...

in 1598. As Charles was childless, the duchy of Arschot passed to his sister Anne de Croÿ, who had married

Charles de Ligne, 2nd Prince of Arenberg Princely Count Charles of Arenberg, duke of Aarschot (''jure uxoris''), baron of Zevenbergen, knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, (22 February 1550, in Vollenhove – 18 January 1616, in Enghien) was the second Princely Count of Arenberg ...

, thus bringing Aarschot to the House of

Arenberg Arenberg, also spelled as Aremberg or Ahremberg, is a former county, principality and finally duchy that was located in what is now Germany. The Dukes of Arenberg remain a prominent Belgian noble family. History First mentioned in the 12 ...

. Another sister, Marguerite, inherited the lordships of Halewyn and Comines, which passed to her husband, Wratislaw, Count of Fürstenberg.

The line of Croÿ-Havré

First line

Charles Philippe de Croÿ (1549–1613) was the eldest son of Philippe II by his second wife, Anne of Lorraine. A successful imperial general, he was created

Prince of the Holy Roman Empire Prince of the Holy Roman Empire ( la, princeps imperii, german: Reichsfürst, cf. ''Fürst'') was a title attributed to a hereditary ruler, nobleman or prelate recognised as such by the Holy Roman Emperor. Definition Originally, possessors o ...

in 1594. It was the first time when a simple baron was admitted among Princes of the Empire. Charles Alexandre de Croÿ, Marquis d'Havré (1581–1624) was the son of the preceding. He inherited the title of Prince of Croÿ from his father, that of Count of Fontenoy from his mother, Diane de Dompmartin, and that of

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

of Croÿ (in the

French peerage The Peerage of France (french: Pairie de France) was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 in the Middle Ages. The prestigious title and position of Peer of France (french: Pair de France, links=no) was ...

) - from his childless cousin and brother-in-law, Charles II. He served as a hereditary marshal of the Holy Empire in the

Battle of White Mountain The Battle of White Mountain ( cz, Bitva na Bílé hoře; german: Schlacht am Weißen Berg) was an important battle in the early stages of the Thirty Years' War. It led to the defeat of the Bohemian Revolt and ensured Habsburg control for the n ...

, and advised Archduke Albert of Austria, Governor of Netherlands in the capacity of his chamberlain.

Philip III of Spain Philip III ( es, Felipe III; 14 April 1578 – 31 March 1621) was King of Spain. As Philip II, he was also King of Portugal, Naples, Sicily and Sardinia and Duke of Milan from 1598 until his death in 1621. A member of the House of Habsburg, Phi ...

made him the Superintendent of Finances and a Grandee of Spain. His second wife, Countess Genevieve d'Urfe, was a great beauty notorious for her many liaisons. When Charles Alexandre was shot dead in his palace at

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

on November 5, 1624, French courtiers put the blame upon Genevieve and her reputed lover, the Marquis of Spinola. One innocent man was condemned on that account and was immured in a fortress until a true culprit admitted his guilt to a confessor 32 years later. Charles Alexandre's reminiscences were not published until 1845. Charles Alexandre's nephew, Ernst Bogislaw von Croÿ (1620–1684), inherited both princely and ducal titles of Croÿ when he was just four years old. As his father died a month after his birth, Ernst Bogislaw was brought up by his mother, Anne de Croy (also known as Anna of Pomerania in her native land, where he was styled Prince of Massow and of Neugarten). Although he was destined for the church and received the see of Cammin in due time, Ernst Bogislaw also had illegitimate children by several mistresses. He died in

Königsberg Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was name ...

at the age of 63 and was buried in Stolp Castle.

Second line

Marie Claire de Croÿ (1605–1664) was Charles Alexandre's only daughter by marriage to Princess Yolande de Ligne. She married two of her distant cousins, Charles Philippe de Croÿ, Marquis of Renty (in 1627) and then his brother Philippe Francois de Croÿ, Count of Solre (in 1643), in order to preclude the family estates from passing to another family. At the time of her first marriage,

raised her marqusate of Havré to a dukedom, with her as the first duchess. By her first marriage, she had two children - Philippe Eugene de Croÿ, Bishop of Valencia and Marie Ferdinande, Marquise of Renty, the wife of Louis Philippe, Count of Egmond. Her only son by the second marriage, Ferdinand de Croÿ-Solre, succeeded to the ducal title. Among his children, Charles, 4th Duke of Havré, was killed at Saragossa in 1710; Marie Therese left children by her marriage to Landgrave Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt; and Jean-Baptiste de Croÿ, the 5th Duke, left children by his marriage to Marie Anne Lante Montefeltro della Rovere (daughter of Antonio Lante Montefeltro della Rovere). This line came to an end in 1839, when the 7th Duke of Havré and Croÿ died in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, aged ninety-five, having outlived all of his sons. His daughter and heiress married a distant cousin, Emmanuel de Croÿ-Solre, who succeeded to the estates and titles. The 7th Duke's sister, Louise Elisabeth de Croÿ-Havré (1749–1832), is best known for her book of memoirs on the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

and the years of emigration that followed. A close friend of Queen Marie Antoinette, she was appointed by her to the vacant post of royal governess for the future

Louis XVII Louis XVII (born Louis Charles, Duke of Normandy; 27 March 1785 – 8 June 1795) was the younger son of King Louis XVI of France and Queen Marie Antoinette. His older brother, Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France, died in June 1789, a little over a m ...

. During the revolution, she was incarcerated with her own daughter and doomed to the

guillotine A guillotine is an apparatus designed for efficiently carrying out executions by beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secured with stocks at t ...

when a mysterious gentleman smuggled them out of the prison. After one of her pupils ascended the throne as

Charles X Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and Lou ...

he made her an hereditary duchess. Louise Elisabeth de Croÿ, 1st Duchess of Tourzel died in the Château de Groussay on 15 May 1832.

The line of Croÿ-Roeulx

The line of Counts of Rœulx descends from Jean III de Croÿ (1436–1505), the second son of Antoine le Grand and younger brother of Philippe I. Jean III's grandson, Adrien de Croÿ, 1st Count of Rœulx, served as governor of

and

before his death in combat in 1553. His granddaughter is remembered as La Belle Franchine, the beautiful mistress of Alessandro Farnese. In 1609, the senior line of the Counts of Rœulx became extinct, and the county passed to a cadet branch, represented by Eustache de Croÿ (1608–73), governor of

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...

and

Douai Douai (, , ,; pcd, Doï; nl, Dowaai; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord département in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe some from Lille and from Arras, Dou ...

. Eustache's son, Ferdinand Gaston Lamoral de Croÿ, unexpectedly succeeded to the duchy of Croÿ in 1684, when the most senior member of the house, Ernst Bogislaw von Croÿ, had died in Königsberg. After Ferdinand's grandson, 6th Duke of Croÿ, died childless at

in 1767, the line of Croÿ-Rœulx expired and the Château du Rœulx together with the ducal title passed to the line of Croÿ-Solre (see below). CEdeCroy

Probably the most illustrious member of the Croÿ-Rœulx branch was Eustache's nephew,

Charles Eugène de Croÿ Charles Eugène de Croÿ (; ; russian: Карл Евгений де Круа, tr. ; 1651) was a German and Russian Field Marshal and nobleman from the French noble House of Croÿ. Biography His father was Jacques Philippe de Croÿ-Roeulx (1 ...

(1651–1702). He participated in the

Battle of Lund The Battle of Lund, part of the Scanian War, was fought on December 4, 1676, in an area north of the city of Lund in Scania in southern Sweden, between the invading Danish army and the army of Charles XI of Sweden. The Danish had an army of about ...

(1676) against the Swedes before succeeding to his father's title as Prince of Croÿ-Millendonck in 1681. Charles Eugene fought with success in the Imperial Austrian Army against the Turks and participated in both the liberation of Vienna in 1683 and the attack on Belgrade in 1690. He was promoted Imperial field marshal for his vital services to the Austrian crown. In 1697 he entered the Russian service and was put in charge of Peter I's forces fighting in

Livonia Livonia ( liv, Līvõmō, et, Liivimaa, fi, Liivinmaa, German and Scandinavian languages: ', archaic German: ''Liefland'', nl, Lijfland, Latvian and lt, Livonija, pl, Inflanty, archaic English: ''Livland'', ''Liwlandia''; russian: Ли ...

during the initial stages of the Great Northern War. After suffering a humiliating defeat in the Battle of Narva on 20 November 1700, Charles Eugene was taken prisoner by the Swedes and died at their fortress of

Reval Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ''m ...

on 30 January 1702. On demand of his creditors, his body was not buried for more than a century (190 years-until 1897), and, when

mummified A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay furt ...

, was exhibited in a glass coffin as a curiosity, with fees paid by tourists as a price of admission used to settle his debts.

The line of Croÿ-Solre

Origins

The only line of the House of Croÿ existing today, that of Croÿ-Solre, descends from Antoine le Grand's younger brother, Jean II de Croÿ (1395–1473), who governed Hainaut and Namur in the name of the Dukes of Burgundy. His dominions were centred on the town of Chimay, of which he became the first count. In 1430, he was made one of the first Knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Jean II's grandson, Count Charles de Croÿ-Chimay (1455–1527), made a name for himself in the Battle of Guinegate in 1479. He succeeded to the county of Chimay in 1482 and to the possessions of his mother, a countess of Mors- Saarwerden, several years later. In 1500, Charles was summoned to take part in the baptism of the future emperor Charles V, during whose minority he served as one of the governors. The Prince of Chimay had many children by his wife, Louise d'Albret, sister of

Jean d'Albret John III (french: Jean d'Albret; 1469 – 14 June 1516) was ''jure uxoris'' King of Navarre from 1484 until his death, as husband and co-ruler with Catherine of Navarre, Queen Catherine. He was a son of Alain I of Albret, Alain I, Lord of Albret ...

, King of Navarre. Only two daughters reached the age of majority, Anne inheriting Chimay while Marguerite obtained

Wavrin Wavrin () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It was established around the year . It is part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. Heraldry Population People * Jean de Waurin See also *Communes of the Nord department ...

. The former married a cousin, Philippe II de Croÿ, Duke of Arschot (see above), and their children succeeded to the principality of Chimay. Jacques III de Croÿ-Sempy (1508–1587) was Jean II's great grandson and Charles de Chimay's nephew. It was through his mother, Louise of Luxembourg, that he succeeded to the Château of Fontaine-l'Évêque in 1529, later obtaining more lands as a dowry for his three marriages. His last wife, Yolande de Lannoy, brought the manors of Molembais, Solre, and Tourcoing to the House of Croÿ. Their son Philippe was the first to style himself Count of Solre. He died in Bohemia in 1612, leaving two daughters and four sons, of whom the eldest succeeded as the 2nd Count of Solre. A younger son married the 1st Duchess of Havré, giving birth to the second line of Croÿ-Havré, which expired in 1839 (see above).

Modern times

Towards the end of the 18th century, as other branches of the family were coming to an end, the line of Croÿ-Solre accumulated a number of their titles and possessions. During the

Anne Emmanuel de Croÿ Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

, 8th Duke of Croÿ (1743–1803), moved his seat from Le Rœulx to the

Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the regio ...

n town of Dülmen, formerly a possession of his wife, a princess of

Salm-Kyrburg Salm-Kyrburg was a state of the Holy Roman Empire located in present-day Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, one of the various partitions of Salm. It was twice created: the first time as a Wild- and Rhinegraviate (partitioned from Upper Salm), and s ...

. Among his sons, Prince Gustave of Croÿ (1773–1844) rose to become a cardinal and

archbishop of Rouen The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rothomagensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rouen'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the Arch ...

. Another son, Auguste de Croÿ, 9th Duke of Croÿ, better known as ''Le Bel Auguste'' (1765–1822), was mediatized upon the demise of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

in his capacity as sovereign prince of Dülmen. When the Bourbons were restored to the throne of France, Auguste was made a peer of France. From three of Auguste's sons – Alfred, Ferdinand and Philipp Franz – descend the three extant branches of the House of Croÿ, residing in Germany and France. Merfelder Wildpferde

On 24 October 1913, Karl Rudolf, 13th Duke of Croÿ, married Nancy Leishman, daughter of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

industrialist John George Alexander Leishman,

United States Ambassador to Germany The United States has had diplomatic relations with the nation of Germany and its principal predecessor nation, the Kingdom of Prussia, since 1835. These relations were broken twice (1917 to 1921, and 1941 to 1955) while Germany and the United St ...

and former president of

Carnegie Steel Carnegie Steel Company was a steel-producing company primarily created by Andrew Carnegie and several close associates to manage businesses at steel mills in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area in the late 19th century. The company was formed ...

. In 1974, Karl Rudolf died and was succeeded by his son Carl, 14th Duke of Croÿ (1914–2011); Carl was married to Princess Gabriele, daughter of

Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, Duke of Bavaria, Franconia and in Swabia, Count Palatine by (the) Rhine (''Rupprecht Maria Luitpold Ferdinand''; English: ''Robert Maria Leopold Ferdinand''; 18 May 1869 – 2 August 1955), was the last hei ...

. Their eldest son, Rudolf, the 15th and current Duke of Croÿ (b. 1955), married Alexandra Miloradovich, member of the

Miloradović noble family The Miloradović ( sr-cyr, Милорадовић) or Hrabren (Храбрен) or later Stjepanović (Стјепановић), were an Eastern Orthodox Vlach noble family and a ''katun'' clan from Hum, and later Sanjak of Herzegovina, parts of pres ...

; they had six children. Duchess Alexandra died on 23 September 2015; her funeral took place at St Jakobus Kirche in Dülmen on 3 October 2015. The Duke and his family live at their ''Haus Merfeld'' estate near Dülmen.

Dukes of Croÿ of the Solre line (1767–present)

* ''Philippe Emanuel Ferdinand of Croÿ'' (1641-1718), created Prince de Solre ** ''Philippe-Alexandre-Emmanuel of Croÿ'' (1676-1723), 2nd Prince de Solre *** Emmanuel, 7th Duke 1767-1784 (1718-1784), 3rd Prince de Solre **** Anne Emmanuel, 8th Duke 1784-1803 (1743–1803), 4th Prince de Solre ***** Auguste, 9th Duke 1803-1822 (1765-1822), ''Solre title passed to his brother'' ****** Alfred, 10th Duke 1822-1861 (1789-1861) ******* Rudolf, 11th Duke 1861-1902 (1823-1902) ******** Karl Alfred, 12th Duke 1902-1906 (1859-1906) ********* Karl Rudolf, 13th Duke 1899-1974 (1889-1974) ********** Carl, 14th Duke 1974-2011 (1914-2011) *********** Rudolf, 15th Duke 2011–present (born 1955) ************ Carl Philipp,

Hereditary Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wife ...

of Croÿ (born 1989) ************ Prince Marc Emanuel of Croÿ (born 1992) ************ Prince Heinrich of Croÿ (born 1993) ************ Prince Alexander of Croÿ (born 1995) *********** Prince Stefan of Croÿ (born 1959) ************ Prince Lionel of Croÿ (born 1996) ********** Prince Clemens Franz of Croÿ (born 1934) *********** Prince Carl Clemens of Croÿ (born 1963) ************ Prince Vincenz of Croÿ (born 1993) ************ Prince Sebastian of Croÿ (born 1995) *********** Prince Constantin of Croÿ (born 1968) ************ Prince Emanuel of Croÿ (born 2008) ********* ''Prince Anton Prosper Clemens of Croÿ (1893-1973)'' ********** Prince Clemens Anton Philipp Joseph of Croÿ (born 1926) *********** Prince Eugen Alexander of Croÿ (born 1953) *********** Prince Philipp Alexander of Croÿ (born 1957) ************ Prince Alexander of Croÿ (born 1987) ************ Prince Maximilian of Croÿ (born 1988) *********** Prince Albrecht-Alexander of Croÿ (born 1959) ************ Prince Julius Constantin of Croÿ (born 1993) *********** Prince Engelbert of Croÿ (born 1962) ************ Prince Constantin of Croÿ (born 1992) ************ Prince Carl-Georg of Croÿ (born 1994) ********** ''Prince Anton Egon Clemens of Croÿ (1945-2003)'' *********** Prince Anton Clemens of Croÿ (born 1974) *********** Prince Anton Ferdinand of Croÿ (born 1994) ******* ''Prince Alexis Wilhelm of Croÿ (1825-1898)'', ancestor of Bohemian line ****** ''Prince Ferdinand Victor Philippe of Croÿ (1791-1865)'', ancestor of the Belgian houses of Croÿ-Solre, Croÿ du Rœulx (Croÿ-Rœulx) and Croÿ-Rumillies. ****** ''Prince Philipp Franz of Croÿ (1801-1871)'', male line survives

Coats of arms

File:Croy_wapen.svg, Original arms File:Croÿ-Jean-I-de-d-1415-baron-d-Airaines-en-de-Renty.svg, Jean I de Croÿ File:Philippe croy wapen.svg, Philippe de Croÿ File:Croÿ-Jean-II-de-1380-1473-Comte-de-Chimay.svg, Jean II de Croÿ File:Charles Philippe de Croÿ wapen.svg, Charles Philippe de Croÿ File:Croÿ-Guillaume-de-Croÿ-1458-1521-comte-de-Beaumont.svg, Guillaume de Croÿ File:Croÿ-Emmanuel-de-1718-1784.svg, Emmanuel de Croÿ File:Wapen van Croy-Solre-Dülmen.svg, Croy-Solre-Dülmen

Members

(1365–1415) * Antoine de Croy, Comte de Porcéan (1385–1475) * Jean II de Croÿ (1390–1473) * Philippe I de Croÿ (1435–1511) * Philip I of Croÿ-Chimay (1436–1482) * Charles I de Croÿ (1455–1527) * William de Croÿ, advisor to Emperor Charles V (1458–1521) * William de Croÿ (archbishop) (1497–1521) * Philippe II de Croÿ (1496–1549) * Charles II de Croÿ (1522–1551) *

Philippe III de Croÿ Philippe de Croÿ, 3rd Duke of Aarschot, 4th Prince of Chimay, Count of Porcean (Valenciennes, 10 July 1526Venice, 11 December 1595), was Stadtholder of Flanders, and inherited the estates of the ancient and wealthy family of Croÿ. Becoming a so ...

(1526–1595) * Charles III de Croÿ (1560–1612) * Ernst Bogislaw von Croÿ (1620–1684) *

(1651–1702) * Louise Elisabeth de Croÿ-Havré (1749–1832) * Gustave de Croÿ-Solre (1772–1844) * Princess Isabella of Croÿ (1856–1931), married

Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen (Friedrich Maria Albrecht Wilhelm Karl; 4 June 1856 – 30 December 1936) was a member of the House of Habsburg and the supreme commander of the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I. Early life Fr ...

References

Sources

Georges Martin. ''Histoire et Généalogie Maison de Croÿ''. HGMC, 2002. Werner Paravicini. Montée, crise, réorientation. Pour unse histoire de la famille de Croy au XVe siècle, in: Revue belge de philologie et d'histoire 98 (2020), 2, pp. 149-355.

External links

*
Gotha International Croÿ-RœulxGotha International , Croÿ-DülmenWebsite about the Croÿ Castle in Aarle-Rixtel, the Netherlands (in Dutch)
{{DEFAULTSORT:House of Croÿ * Belgian noble families German noble families