View source for Jean Philippe Eugène de Mérode

[[File:Jean-Philippe-Eugène de Mérode-Westerloo.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Equestrian portrait of Jean-Philippe-Eugène de Merode-Westerloo by J. van Schuppen]]
[[File:Bildnis_von_Isabella_Margarete_Franziska_(-1701)_Herzogin_von_Sdchleswig-Holstein-Rethwisch.jpg|thumb|250px|Jean Philippe's mother: Isabella of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön-Rethwisch]]
'''Jean-Philippe-Eugène, Count de Mérode, 5th Marquess of Westerloo''' (22 June 1674 in [[Brussels]] &ndash; 12 September 1732 in Merode castle) was a soldier and ''[[Feldmarschall]]'' of the [[Holy Roman Empire]] and a prominent member of the [[House of Merode]]. In Flemish and Dutch sources, he is known as Jan Filip van Merode-Westerloo.

==Biography==
Jean-Philippe-Eugène de Mérode was the only surviving child of Maximilian de Mérode-Pietersheim (1627-1675) and his wife and cousin, Isabella-Margaretha de Mérode-Westerloo (1649–1701).<ref>https://gw.geneanet.org/azerty7?lang=en&pz=eloi&nz=lecomte&p=jean+philippe+eugene&n=de+merode&oc=3</ref> His father died one year after his birth and his mother remarried with the [[Joachim Ernest, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön#Family|Joachim Ernest II]], [[Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön-Rethwisch|Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Rethwisch]]. He was an army commander who guided Jean-Philippe towards a military career. At the age of five Jean-Philippe was already present at the siege of [[Oran]] in North Africa.

During the consecutive wars which raged in the [[Spanish Netherlands]], Jean-Philippe switched sides a few times to maintain his possessions. First, he and his ''Regiment of Westerloo'' served the anti-French coalition under King [[William III of England]] and King [[Charles II of Spain]]. In 1694 he was made Knight in the [[Order of the Golden Fleece]].

During the [[War of Spanish Succession]] he served the new [[House of Bourbon|Bourbon]] King [[Philip V of Spain]] and fought on the side of the French and Bavarians under [[Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria]], new [[Governors of the Habsburg Netherlands|governor of the Southern Netherlands]]. He played an important role in the [[Battle of Eckeren]] in 1703.

The next year he fought in the [[Battle of Blenheim]] on the side of the French under [[Camille d'Hostun, duc de Tallard|Tallard]] and [[Ferdinand de Marsin|Marsin]]. The battle was a great defeat and Mérode narrowly escaped death.

After the battle, Mérode retired to his castles in [[Westerlo]], Pietersheim and [[Merode, Germany|Merode]]. From then on, he served the new rulers of the Southern Netherlands: the Austrian Emperors [[Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph I]] and [[Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles VI]]. In 1717 he was rewarded with the title of [[Field Marshal]].

Mérode had a difficult character and had personal conflicts with [[Prince Eugene of Savoy]] and the [[Marquis de Prié]].

== Marriage and children ==
He married first in 1701 in Bayonne in 1701 with Maria-Theresia de Aragon y Pignatelli (1682-1718), the daughter of Nicolas [[House of Pignatelli|Pignatelli]], Duke de Monteleone and [[List of viceroys of Sardinia|Viceroy of Sardinia]]. They had three children of whom only Isabella-Marie (1703-1780) survived infancy, marrying both times a Count [[Czernin family|Czernin von und zu Chudenitz]].

Maria-Theresia died of [[Smallpox]] on 9 August 1718. 

Mérode married again on 29 September 1721 with Princess Charlotte Wilhelmine Amalie Alexandrina of [[Nassau-Hadamar]] (1703–1740), daughter of [[Francis Alexander, Prince of Nassau-Hadamar]].

Children : 

* Jean-Guillaume-Augustin (16 June 1722 - 7 January 1763), married Princess Eléonore de [[House of Rohan|Rohan]] (1728-1792), daughter of [[Charles de Rohan, Prince of Rochefort]] (1728-1792), 
* Johanna-Christina (7 May 1724 - ?), a nun in [[Maubeuge]].
* Marie-Elisabeth-Félicité (2 July 1728 - ?), a nun in [[Thorn Abbey]].
* Philippe-Maximilien (4 July 1729 - 25 January 1773), married Marie Catherine de [[Merode family|Merode-Montfort]] (1743-1794), had offspring.
** His grandson was Werner de Merode-Westerloo (1797-1840), whose daughters were
*** [[Antoinette de Mérode-Westerloo|Antoinette]] (1828–1864), who married [[Charles III, Prince of Monaco]]
*** [[Louise de Mérode|Louise]], mother of [[Maria Vittoria del Pozzo della Cisterna]], Queen consort of Spain (1870-1873)   
* Maria-Theresia (8 June 1730 - ?)
* Maria-Josepha (21 February 1730 - ?)

== Memoirs ==
Jean-Philippe-Eugène de Merode-Westerloo is best remembered for his memoirs, which were published by his great-grandson [[Henri de Merode]], and which are a valuable source of information on the [[Battle of Blenheim]], as seen from the side of the defeated.  

* Jean-Philippe-Eugène de Merode-Westerloo: ''Mémoires du Feld-Maréchal Comte de Mérode-Westerloo, Chevalier de la Toison d'Or, Capitaine de Trabans de l'Empereur Charles VI''. - 2 volumes, Brussels, 1840.

== Literature ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
* {{cite book  |title=Military Memoirs of Marlborough's campaigns 1702-1712  |location=London  |year=1998  |publisher=Greenhill Books  |isbn=1-85367-330-7  |oclc=652038985  |last1=Parker  |first1=Robert  |last2=Mérode-Westerloo  |first2=Count  |translator-last1=Chandler  |translator-first1=David  |editor1-last=Chandler  |editor1-first=David}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merode-Westerloo, Jean-Philippe-Eugene de}}
[[Category:17th-century nobility from the Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:Austrian army commanders in the War of the Spanish Succession]]
[[Category:Knights of the Golden Fleece]]
[[Category:Field marshals of Austria]]
[[Category:1674 births]]
[[Category:1732 deaths]]
[[Category:Merode family|Jea]]
[[Category:Generals of the Holy Roman Empire]]
[[Category:Spanish army commanders in the War of the Spanish Succession]]