Charles, Count of Limburg Stirum

Charles Gaëtan Corneille Marie François-Xavier Ghislain, Count of Limburg Stirum (15 September 1906-14 June 1989), Count of the Holy Roman Empire, Belgian Senator, Grand Master of the House of H.M. King Leopold III, Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, was born in Huldenberg, Belgium.

Life

Charles was the second son of Evrard, Count of Limburg Stirum (29 October 1868 - 8 May 1938) and Louise, Baronne Gericke d'Herwijnen (17 April 1881 - 6 September 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.

During World War II, he fought as a captain with the Belgian panzer troops and was made prisonner by the Germans. Released, he took an active part to the armed resistance 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, 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 13 June 1932 in Krimic (Bohemia) Marie Kunigunde Princess of Lobkowicz, a daughter of Jaroslav, 11th Fürst of Lobkowicz, Duke of Raudnitz (26 March 1877 - 24 October 1953) and Marie-Thérèse Countess of Beaufort-Spontin (6 August 1885 - 22 February 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 Westerholt und Gysenberg.

Notable Orders and Decorations

* Belgian
** Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown
** Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold II
** Knight of the Order of Leopold
** War Cross 1940 w/ bronze lion
** Volunteer Medal 1940-1945
** Commemorative Medal of the War 1940-1945 w/ crossed swords
** Prisoner of War Medal 1940-1945
** Resistance Medal 1940-1945
** Honorary Insignia of Work.

*Foreign
** Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
** Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (U.K.)
** Grand Cross of the Pontifical Order of St Gregory the Great
** Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown (Luxembourg)
** Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross (Brazil)
** Grand Cross of the Order of the Rising Sun (Japan)
** Grand Cross of the Order of the House of Orange (The Netherland)
** Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (Austria)
** Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (Senegal)
** Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star (Sweden)
** Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (Denmark)
** Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav
** Grand Cross of The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand
** Grand Officer of the Order of the Yugoslav Flag
** French Liberation Medal
** etc.

Ancestry

External links

* [http://www.thepeerage.com/p10009.htm#i100087 Entry at ThePeerage.com]