Charles of Lorraine, prince of Commercy

Charles de Lorraine, Prince de Commercy (11 July 1661 – 15 August 1702), was a field marshal of the Holy Roman Empire and a military advisor to Prince Eugene of Savoy. His paternal grandmother was Catherine Henriette de Bourbon, an illegitimate daughter of Henry IV of France.

Commercy was never married and had no children. He died during the War of Spanish Succession in the Battle of Luzzara. He was Duke of Joyeuse but after Charles entered into the service of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, Louis XIV confiscated the duchy and gave it to Charles' younger brother Jean Paul.

Military career Initially Charles of Lorraine joined the French army. In May 1684, he abandoned the French army, in order to join the troops of the Holy Roman Empire. In 1692 he was promoted to cavalry general. In the same year he took part in the siege of Embrun, during which he was shot. On 12 May 1696 he was promoted to imperial Field Marshal and led Austrian troops in the War of the Spanish Succession. He took part in the Battle of Carpi and in the Battle of Chiari on 1 September 1701. On 1 February 1702 he was one of the commanders of the during the Battle of Cremona. He died on 15 August 1702 during the Battle of Luzzara in Cremona, after being shot several times. Charles of Lorraine was buried in Nancy in the graveyard of the House of Lorraine.

Ancestry