Count Henri Marie Ghislain de Merode (1782–1847) was a member of the Belgian Senate and writer.
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Life
Henri de Merode was born in Brussels on 15 August 1782, the eldest of the four sons of Charles de Merode (1762–1830) and Marie d'Ongnies de Mastaing, princess of Grimbergen. He inherited the titles prince of Grimbergen, count of Merode and of the Holy Roman Empire, marquis of Westerloo and prince of Rubempré. He was also awarded the titles of Grandee of Spain and Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold. In about 1794 he fled with his father from the revolutionary French forces taking over the Austrian Netherlands and moved to elsewhere in the Holy Roman Empire. He returned to the general area of Brussles, now part of the French Republic, with his father in 1800. On 26 August 1805 he married Louise-Jeanne de Thézan du Poujol (1787–1862). His father was made mayor of Brussels (1805-1809) and member of the Senate of the French First Empire (1809–1814) and the family was therefore awarded the title of Count of the First French Empire. His father was also member of the Provisional Government of Belgium (1814–1815) under William of Orange.
Having declined to serve in public office under the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, Merode supported the aims of the Belgian Revolution, in which his younger brothers Félix and Frédéric played an active role, but sat out the fighting on an estate in France.
In the 1831 Belgian general election, the first since the declaration of independence in 1830, he was elected to the Belgian Senate. The following year, his wife was appointed as lady-in-waiting to Queen Louise. In 1835, King Leopold sent him to Vienna as an extraordinary ambassador to extend condolences on the death of Francis II and congratulating Ferdinand I of Austria on his accession, while also officially communicating the birth of Leopold, Duke of Brabant (the future Leopold II of Belgium). Merode was re-elected senator in 1839 but resigned his seat. He died in Brussels on 23 September 1847.