Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine

Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine

Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine (December 12, 1712 – July 4, 1780) was the son of Leopold Joseph, Duke of Lorraine and Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans.

When his elder brother Francis Stephen, Duke of Lorraine, married the Archduchess Maria Theresa, daughter of Emperor Charles VI, Charles Alexander entered the Imperial service in 1737.

During the War of the Austrian Succession, he was one of the principal Austrian military commanders, and was most notable for his defeat by Frederick the Great at the Battle of Chotusitz, fought in 1742, and the Battle of Hohenfriedberg in 1745. He was also defeated by Maurice de Saxe at the Battle of Rocoux in 1746.

On January 7, 1744, he married Maria Theresa's only sister, Maria Anna of Habsburg, thus making him doubly Maria Theresa's brother-in-law, and the pair were jointly made Governors of the Austrian Netherlands. Although Maria Anna died later that year, Charles himself continued as governor until his own death in 1780. He also became Grand Master of the Teutonic Order in 1761.

During the Seven Years' War he commanded the Austrian army at the Battle of Prague, where he was again defeated. He subsequently defeated a smaller Prussian army in 1757 at the Battle of Breslau before being once again vanquished by Frederick II of Prussia at the Battle of Leuthen.

After this last defeat, Charles was replaced by Leopold Josef Graf Daun and retired from military service.