Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine
Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine was born on December 12, 1712, in Vienna, Austria. He was the youngest son of Leopold Joseph, Duke of Lorraine, and his wife Princess Élisabeth Charlotte of Orléans. As a young man, Charles Alexander served in the Austrian military and fought in several wars. In 1744, he was appointed Governor of the Austrian Netherlands (modern-day Belgium) and worked to modernize and improve the region. In 1748, Charles Alexander was made governor of the Duchy of Tuscany in Italy, which he governed for the next 20 years. During his time in Florence, he oversaw a flourishing of the arts and sciences, and commissioned several important artistic and architectural projects. In 1765, Charles Alexander returned to the Austrian Netherlands as governor, where he continued to focus on improving the region's infrastructure and economy. He died in Brussels on July 4, 1780, at the age of 67. Despite his many accomplishments, Charles Alexander is remembered as a somewhat reserved and austere figure. However, he was widely respected for his intelligence, leadership, and dedication to public service.
