Auguste Marie Raymond d'Arenberg

Prince Auguste was born on 30 August 1753 in Brussels to the Duke of Arenberg, a field-marshal in the Austrian army and a Seven Years' War veteran. His brother was Louis Engelbert, 6th Duke of Arenberg. ==Career==

Though the House of Arenberg had long aligned itself with the Austrian army, The Duke requested permission from Queen Maria Theresa for Prince Auguste to join the French service, which she granted. In 1770, at age 17, Prince August attended the wedding of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, which made him a lifelong defender of Marie Antoinette. but not before Peyron stabbed him in the lung with his sword. During this time, Prince Auguste became a member first of the Estates General, then of the Constituent Assembly. However, he lost command of his regiment by the National Assembly and he eventually left France, choosing instead to join the Austrian army as major-general. Outside of his military service, he also worked as a diplomat on several occasions. Prince Auguste attempted to return to France after his brother became a senator and count in the First French Empire but was prevented from doing so by Napoleon. He remained in Vienna until moving to Brussels in 1814, where he was made lieutenant-general in the military by the new Dutch king. He retired after the Belgian Revolution in 1830. ==Personal life==

During his life, he had homes in Raismes, Valenciennes, and at Versailles. He married in 1776 and had one son. His granddaughter Eleanor married her cousin, Engelbert, 8th Duke of Arenberg, in 1868. After his retirement in 1830 he began collecting art for his residences. After his death in 1833, his collection was given to Prosper Louis, 7th Duke of Arenberg. ==References==