July 4, 1780 – Death of Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine
On July 4, 1780, Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine died at the age of 68. A member of the influential House of Lorraine, he was closely connected to European royalty through both blood and politics, and played a steady role in the Habsburg administration during the 18th century.
Charles Alexander is best remembered for his long service as governor of the Austrian Netherlands (roughly modern Belgium and Luxembourg). Though not known as a brilliant battlefield commander, he was a capable administrator who helped maintain Habsburg authority in a region often marked by political tension and economic complexity. His leadership focused more on stability and governance than military ambition.
As a brother-in-law of Empress Maria Theresa, he stood within the inner circle of Habsburg power. His death marked the end of a relatively calm but important administrative era in the Austrian Netherlands, just a decade before the revolutionary upheavals that would reshape Europe.