Henri de Merode was born in Brussels on 15 August 1782, the eldest of the four sons of (1762–1830) and Marie d'Ongnies de Mastaing, princess of Grimbergen. He inherited the titles prince of Grimbergen, count of Merode and of the Holy Roman Empire, marquis of
Westerloo and
prince of Rubempré. He was also awarded the titles of
Grandee of Spain and Grand Cordon of the
Order of Leopold. In about 1894 he fled with his father from the revolutionary French forces taking over the Austrian Netherlands and moved to elsewhere in the Holy Roman Empire. He returned to the general area of Brussles, now part of the French Republic, with his father in 1800. On 26 August 1805 he married Louise-Jeanne de Thézan du Poujol (1787–1862). His father was made
mayor of Brussels (1805-1809) and member of the
Senate of the French First Empire (1809–1814) and the family was therefore awarded the title of
Count of the First French Empire. His father was also member of the
Provisional Government of Belgium (1814–1815) under
William of Orange. Having declined to serve in public office under the
United Kingdom of the Netherlands, Merode supported the aims of the
Belgian Revolution, in which his younger brothers
Félix and played an active role, but sat out the fighting on an estate in France. . In the
1831 Belgian general election, the first since the declaration of independence in 1830, he was elected to the Belgian
Senate. The following year, his wife was appointed as
lady-in-waiting to
Queen Louise. In 1835,
King Leopold sent him to Vienna as an extraordinary ambassador to extend condolences on the death of
Francis II and congratulating
Ferdinand I of Austria on his accession, while also officially communicating the birth of Leopold, Duke of Brabant (the future
Leopold II of Belgium). Merode was
re-elected senator in 1839 but resigned his seat. He died in Brussels on 23 September 1847. == Family and children ==