The Principality of Hornes was created on the October 16, 1677, and was awarded to Count Eugene Maximillian (1631-1709) of Hornes. He was elavated to the rank of Prince, as Prince Eugene Maximilien of Hornes, second prince of the Empire. He was the son of Count Ambrosius of Hornes. This Royal House

Royal House

A royal house or royal dynasty consists of at least one, but usually more monarchs who are related to one another, as well as their non-reigning descendants and spouses. Monarchs of the same realm who are not related to one another are usually deemed to belong to different houses, and each house is...

 was started in the 9th century, by Count Conrad 1st. The principality was an enclave of Liège

Liège

Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....

. This princely family was married into most of the royal families of Europe. This included the House of Bourbon

House of Bourbon

The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...

. In the 14th century it was married into the Royal House of Savoy

House of Savoy

The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...

. This marriage in 1514 was between Jacob III of Horn and Claudina of Savoy. Claudina of Savoy,was the daughter of Philip II of Savoy. Jacob III later married Anna of Burgundy in 1530. They were also kin to the royal family of Płock. The principality gained greater power with these marriages. The principality was close to the Duchy of Cleves

Duchy of Cleves

The Duchy of Cleves was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the town of Wesel, bordering the lands of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster in the east and the Duchy of Brabant in the west...

 and Thorn, Netherlands

Thorn, Netherlands

Thorn is a town in the municipality of Maasgouw, in the Dutch province of Limburg. It lies on the rivers Meuse and Witbeek. It's known as 'the white village' for its white-washed brick houses in the centre of town.-History:...

. It held territory in what is now modern Holland, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

,and France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. These were the villages of Auchy-au-Bois

Auchy-au-Bois

Auchy-au-Bois is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated west of Béthune and west of Lille, at the junction of the D94 and the D341 roads.-Population:...

, Lestrem

Lestrem

Lestrem is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A small farming and light industrial town, situated some north of Béthune and west of Lille, on the D122, D178 and D975 roads, by the banks of the Lawe River.-History:The town was all but...

 in France ruled from 1722 to 1766 and Floringhem in France from 1774 to 1789. It became allied to France, and thus suffered during the French Revolution

French Revolution

The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...

.