He was a member of the noble
de Lannoy family. He was the son of Guillebert I van Lannoy and Catherine of Molembais. His brothers were
Guillebert of Lannoy and
Baldwin of Lannoy, also founding Knights of the Golden Fleece. As a young knight, he travelled to
Jerusalem and joined an expedition against the
Tatars, who occupied
Muscovy. Back in Europe, he served
John the Fearless. Hugo also fought in 1415 against the English in the
Battle of Agincourt, where he was captured. After his release, he entered as a diplomat in the service of
Philip the Good and helped arrange the marriage between
Jacqueline, Countess of Holland and
Humphrey of Gloucester. When Jacqueline married in secret with
Frank van Borssele, Philip the Good annexed the counties of Holland, Zeeland and Hainaut. Hugo van Lannoy became the first Burgundian
Stadtholder of Holland and Zeeland. At the age of 68, Hugo fought against the
Revolt of Ghent (1449–1453) between 1452 and 1453. He died without children and was buried in
Lille. ==References==