Category Archives: Luxembourg Royals

A New Baby in Luxembourg!

Prince Felix with Princess Claire with their two eldest children Princess Amalia and Prince Liam, 2023; Credit – The Grand Ducal Court

Prince Felix of Luxembourg, the second child and the second of the four sons of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, and his wife Princess Claire have announced the birth of their third child, a son, Prince Balthasar Felix Karl of Nassau. Prince Balthasar was born on  January 7, 2024 at the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. He weighed 3,220 kg/7.1 lbs. and measured 50 cm/19 in. and is seventh in the line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg.

The press release read:

We are happy to announce the birth of our son, born on January 7, 2024 at the Grand-Duchesse Charlotte Maternity Hospital.
The newborn Prince will be named Balthasar Felix Karl.
It weighs 3,220 kg and measures 50 cm.

The baby and Princess Claire are in perfect health.

Félix and Claire
with Amalia and Liam

The couple already had two children:

  • Princess Amalia Gabriella Maria Teresa of Nassau (born June 15, 2014)
  • Prince Liam Henri Hartmut of Nassau (born on November 28, 2016)

Read more about the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg at Unofficial Royalty: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Index.

Breaking News: Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg and Nicolas Bagory are expecting their first child

Nicolas Bagory and Princess Alexandra Photo Credit – © Grand Duke’s House / Sophie Margue https://www.facebook.com/courgrandducale

On December 18, 2023, the Grand Ducal House of Luxembourg announced that Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg and Nicolas Bagory are expecting their first child in the spring of 2024.

The announcement said: “Their Royal Highnesses the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess are delighted to announce that Princess Alexandra and Mister Nicolas Bagory are expecting their first child. The birth is scheduled for spring. The Grand Duke, the Grand Duchess as well as the members of the two families join in this great happiness.”

Princess Alexandra, born February 16, 1991, is the fourth child of the five children and the only daughter of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg,

On November 7, 2022, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa of Luxembourg announced the engagement of Princess Alexandra to Nicolas Bagory. Nicolas was born on November 11, 1988, and grew up in Brittany, France. Alexandra married Nicolas in a civil ceremony in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg on April 22, 2023, followed by a religious ceremony at Saint Trophy in Bormes-les-Mimosas, Var, France on April 29, 2023.

Ancestors of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg; Credit – Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue

On the side of his father, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Prince Guillaume has an impressive set of royal ancestors. Among his ancestors are Kings of Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, and Sweden, and of course rulers of the Principality of Luxembourg.

King Miguel I of Portugal and Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg are Guillaume’s great-great-great-grandparents two times and also his great-great-great-great-grandparents. When Miguel’s father King João VI of Portugal died in 1826, his elder brother Pedro became King of Portugal.  Pedro was king for only two months, abdicating in favor of his daughter Queen Maria II.  Miguel served as regent for his niece Maria and then claimed the Portuguese throne in his own right in 1828. This led to a difficult political situation, during which many people were killed, imprisoned, persecuted, or sent into exile, finally culminating in the Portuguese Liberal Wars. Ultimately, Miguel was deposed in 1834 and lived the last 32 years of his life in exile in the Duchy of Baden.

Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg was never Queen of Portugal because she and Miguel did not marry until 1851. When Miguel died in 1866, all his children were under the age of fifteen.  Adelaide continued to raise their children and arranged some rather brilliant marriages for them despite their dubious status. Through the marriages of their many children and grandchildren, Miguel and Adelaide are the ancestors of the current monarchs of Belgium, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg, as well as pretenders to the thrones of Austria, Bavaria, Italy, and Portugal.

Guillaume’s mother Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, was born Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla in Havana, Cuba. Her parents José Antonio Mestre y Álvarez and María Teresa Batista y Falla de Mestre were both from Cuban bourgeois families of Spanish descent.

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg (born November 11, 1981)

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty,  Wikipedia, Leo’s Genealogics Website, The Peerage, or Geni.

Parents

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla, parents; Credit – Wikipedia

Grandparents

Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium, paternal grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Grandparents

Leopold III, King of the Belgians and Princess Astrid of Sweden, great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Grandparents

Prince Carl of Sweden and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark, great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

Miguel I, former King of Portugal and Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, two times great-great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Sources:

Prince François of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2023

Prince François of Luxembourg; Credit – StudioByC / Celine Maia

Prince François of Luxembourg was born on March 27, 2023, at Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. He is the second of the two sons of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy, and is third in the line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg after his father and his elder brother. François’ paternal grandparents are  Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg born Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista Falla. His maternal grandparents are Count Philippe de Lannoy and Alix della Faille de Leverghem, both from noble Belgian families.

François has one elder brother:

Prince François, held by his grandmother Grand Duchess Maria Theresa with his grandfather Grand Duke Henri, his parents and his brother on the day of his baptism; Credit – House of the Grand Duke / Sophie Margue

On June 3, 2023, at Fischbach Church, near Fischbach Castle, the home of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie, Prince François was baptized during a mass presided over by Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, Archbishop of Luxemburg.

François’s godparents were:

He was given the names:

  • François: This is the first time the name has been used as a first name in the grand ducal family. François is one of the middle names of Prince Robert of Luxembourg, a paternal first cousin of Grand Duke Henri. François is the French version of Francis, the name of Pope Francis, the head of the Roman Catholic Church when François was baptized. It is also the name of several Catholic saints.
  • Henri: for his paternal grandfather Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg
  • Louis: possibly for his paternal uncle Prince Louis of Luxembourg
  • Marie: in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a common name among male and female Roman Catholic royalty
  • Guillaume: for his father

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Baptême de S.A.R. le Prince François (2023) Cour Grand-Ducale. Available at: https://monarchie.lu/fr/actualites/bapteme-de-sar-le-prince-francois (Accessed: 29 June 2023).
  • Flantzer, Susan. (2014) Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/prince-guillaume-hereditary-grand-duke-of-luxembourg/%C2%A0 (Accessed: 29 June 2023).
  • H.R.H. Prince François (2023) Cour Grand-Ducale. Available at: https://monarchie.lu/en/grand-ducal-family/hrh-prince-francois (Accessed: 29 June 2023).
  • Toureille, Claire. (2023) Royal Family of Luxembourg Baptise Little Prince Francois, Daily Mail Online. Available at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-12157341/Royal-family-Luxembourg-baptise-little-Prince-Francois.html (Accessed: 29 June 2023).

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City; Credit – By Francisco Anzola – Notre Dame, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32183261

Notre Dame Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Luxembourg City, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Luxembourg was under Habsburg rule from 1444 – 1794 and then under French rule from 1794 -1815. At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Luxembourg was made a Grand Duchy and united in a personal union with the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The King of the Netherlands was also the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg remained in personal union with the Netherlands until the death of King Willem III of the Netherlands in 1890. His successor was his daughter Wilhelmina who could not inherit the throne of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg due to the Salic Law which prevented female succession. The new Grand Duke of Luxembourg was Adolphe who had been Duke of Nassau until it was annexed to Prussia in 1866. The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg was then, and still is, a member of the House of Nassau-Weilburg.

The Jesuit College of Luxembourg and its church in 1686; Credit – Wikipedia

The late Gothic style church was originally built for the Jesuit College of Luxembourg, (link in French) a Catholic Jesuit secondary school for boys. The church cornerstone was laid in 1613 and the church was consecrated and dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary in 1621. In 1773, the Jesuit order was suppressed and the school became the secular Luxembourg Athenaeum which is still in existence. At that time, the Habsburg ruler, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria gave the church to Luxembourg City.

The church became a parish church in 1778 under the name St. Nicolas and St. Thérèse, In 1801, the church once again changed its name to St. Peter before receiving its final name in 1848, Notre-Dame, French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In 1870, when Luxembourg became a diocese, Notre-Dame Church became Notre-Dame Cathedral and Nikolaus Adames became the first Bishop of Luxembourg. In 1988, the Diocese of Luxembourg was raised to an Archdiocese and Jean Hengen became the first Archbishop of Luxembourg.

Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City; Credit – By Ich (Jeff Croisé) – Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33037478

From 1935 to 1938 the cathedral was enlarged and expanded using the plans of the Luxembourgish architect Hubert Schumacher (link in German) who also supervised the construction. The west tower, the original tower of the Jesuit church which contains the bells, was joined by two new towers, the east tower and the central tower which stands over the transept. A crypt was built under the choir for the tombs of the Bishops and Archbishops of Luxembourg.

Interior of Notre-Dame Cathedral; Credit – By Johnny Chicago at lb.wikipedia – Own workTransferred from lb.wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=644978

Another crypt was built for the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg. The entrance to the Grand Ducal Crypt is marked by a gate with two bronze lions on either side designed by the Luxembourgish sculptor and painter Auguste Trémont (link in French).

Entrance to the Grand Ducal Crypt; Credit – By Joachim Specht – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44552120

Because the first three Grand Dukes of Luxembourg were also Kings of the Netherlands and Protestant, they were buried at the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) in Delft, the Netherlands, the traditional burial place of the Dutch Royal Family. Grand Duke Adolphe, his wife Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau, and their son Grand Duke Guillaume were also Protestant and were all buried at the Castle Chuch of Schloss Weilburg, the former residence of the Counts and Dukes of Nassau-Weilburg, now in Weilburg, Hesse, Germany. However, because the majority of his subjects were Roman Catholic, Grand Duke Guillaume married the Roman Catholic Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal and their six daughters were raised in the Catholic religion. Since then, the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg has been Roman Catholic.

Interior of the Grand Ducal Crypt; Credit – Par Abbaca — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74928427

Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde of Luxembourg, who reigned 1912 – 1919, was the first family member to be buried in the Grand Ducal Crypt after she died of influenza in 1924 at the age of 29. However, there are royal remains in the Grand Ducal Crypt that are much older. In 1945, the remains of Jean of Bohemia, Count of Luxembourg, King of Bohemia were removed from his burial place and reinterred with military honors in the Grand Ducal Crypt of Notre-Dame Cathedral. Born in Luxembourg in 1296, Jean is famous for having died while fighting in the Battle of Crécy at age 50, after having been blind for a decade. He is considered a Luxembourg national hero.

Tomb of Jean of Bohemia, Count of Luxembourg, King of Bohemia; Credit – By Dudva – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79558829

Royal Weddings at Notre-Dame Cathedral

Wedding of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy in 2012; Credit – Grand Ducal Court, photo: Vic Fischbach

Royal Burials at Notre-Dame Cathedral

Grand Duke Jean’s coffin resting in the Ducal Crypt after his funeral in 2019. Memorial plaques for family members are on the wall; Photo – www.cathol.lu

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Notre-Dame Cathedral, Luxembourg – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre-Dame_Cathedral,_Luxembourg> [Accessed 11 September 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan and Mehl, Scott, 2012. Luxembourg Royal Burial Sites. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/luxembourg-royal-burial-sites/> [Accessed 11 September 2021].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2021. Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Luxembourg — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cath%C3%A9drale_Notre-Dame_de_Luxembourg> [Accessed 11 September 2021].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2021. Collège jésuite de Luxembourg — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coll%C3%A8ge_j%C3%A9suite_de_Luxembourg> [Accessed 11 September 2021].

Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue, former fiancée of Prince Louis of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer 
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

On April 6, 2021, the Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg announced the engagement of Prince Louis of Luxembourg and Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue. Prince Louis is the third of the four sons and the third of the five children of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Marie Teresa of Luxembourg (born Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista). Less than a year later, on February 22, 2022, the couple announced that they were amicably ending their four-year relationship. Louis and Scarlett-Lauren issued an official statement which said: “We have decided not to pursue our romantic relationship, while remaining deeply bound by friendship and tenderness. It is a decision we have made together upon serious reflection.”

Born in Bordeaux, France on August 8, 1991, Scarlett-Lauren is the daughter of Pierre Sirgue, (in French) a French lawyer specializing in health law, and Scarlett Berrebi, a French lawyer specializing in family law. She is a lawyer in her parents’ law firm Berrebi and Sirgue (in French)  with offices in Paris and Bordeaux, and Louis works as a mediator in the same law firm. Scarlett has an older sister Elisabeth Defforey (born 1987, Elisabeth Sirgue) and a younger brother Archibald Sirgue (born 1997), both mediators.

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Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue and Prince Louis of Luxembourg attend the “Children For Peace” Auction Gala Dinner at Le Grand Bistro de Breteuil on March 11, 2020 in Paris, France

Scarlett-Lauren attended the Paris Descartes University in Paris, France. She then studied law at the Professional Bar Training School (link in French) under the jurisdiction of the Paris Court of Appeals. As part of her training, Scarlett-Lauren worked as a legal assistant in a law firm from 2013 – 2014, and then as a lawyer at the Paris Court of Appeals from 2015 – 2016. Scarlett-Lauren was admitted to the Paris Bar in 2014 and, in 2016, was sworn in with full privileges as a lawyer. She began her career as a lawyer alongside her mother in family law but then moved on to victims’ law, still in her parents’ law firm.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Monarchie.lu. 2021. Fiançailles de S.A.R. le Prince Louis avec Mademoiselle Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue | Cour grand-ducale. [online] Available at: <https://monarchie.lu/fr/actualites/fiancailles-de-sar-le-prince-louis-avec-mademoiselle-scarlett-lauren-sirgue> [Accessed 6 April 2021].
  • Linkedin. 2021. Scarlett-Lauren Sirgue. [online] Available at: <https://fr.linkedin.com/in/scarlett-lauren-sirgue-629428189?trk=public_profile_browsemap_profile-result-card_result-card_full-click> [Accessed 6 April 2021].

checked 5/28/2021

Ancestors of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg; Credit – Wikipedia

Grand Duke Henri has an impressive set of royal ancestors. Among his ancestors are Kings of Belgium, Denmark, Portugal, and Sweden, and of course rulers of the Principality of Luxembourg.

King Miguel I of Portugal and Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg are Grand Duke Henri’s great-great-grandparents two times and also his great-great-great-grandparents. When Miguel’s father King João VI of Portugal died in 1826, his elder brother Pedro became King of Portugal.  Pedro was king for only two months, abdicating in favor of his daughter Queen Maria II.  Miguel served as regent for his niece Maria and then claimed the Portuguese throne in his own right in 1828. This led to a difficult political situation, during which many people were killed, imprisoned, persecuted, or sent into exile, finally culminating in the Portuguese Liberal Wars.  Ultimately, Miguel was deposed in 1834 and lived the last 32 years of his life in exile in the Duchy of Baden.

Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg was never Queen of Portugal because she and Miguel did not marry until 1851. When Miguel died in 1866, all his children were under the age of fifteen.  Adelaide continued to raise their children and arranged some rather brilliant marriages for them despite their dubious status. Through the marriages of their many children and grandchildren, Miguel and Adelaide are the ancestors of the current monarchs of Belgium, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg, as well as pretenders to the thrones of Austria, Bavaria, Italy, and Portugal.

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (born April 16, 1955)

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty or Wikipedia.

Parents

Grand Duke Henri’s parents; Credit – Wikipedia

Grandparents

Leopold III, King of the Belgians and Princess Astrid of Sweden, maternal grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Grandparents

Albert I, King of the Belgians and Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Grandparents

King Miguel I of Portugal and Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, great-great-grandparents and great-great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

King Carl XV of Sweden and Princess Louise of the Netherlands, great-great-great-grandparents with their daughter Princess Louise of Sweden, Henri’s great-great-grandparent; Credit – Wikipedia

Sources:

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Prince Charles of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2021

Prince Charles of Luxembourg; Credit – Maison du Grand-Duc / Kary Barthelmey

Born May 10, 2020, at Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, Prince Charles is the second of the two sons of Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy. He is second in the line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg after his father. Charles’ paternal grandparents are Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg born Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista Falla. His maternal grandparents are Count Philippe de Lannoy and Alix della Faille de Leverghem.

Charles has one younger brother:

Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duchess Maria Theresa holding Prince François, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie, Prince Charles, and Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume; Credit – House of the Grand Duke / Sophie Margue

Charles was born during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital allowed partners to be present during birth and in recovery, with COVID-19 safety measures in place, so Prince Guillaume was present during his son’s birth. However, family members were not allowed to visit and so Prince Charles’ paternal grandparents Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa met their new grandson for the first time via a video call.

Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa meet their grandson via a video call; Credit – Cour grand-ducale/Sophie Mague

Embed from Getty Images

On September 19, 2020, at the Abbey of St. Maurice and St. Maurus of Clervaux in Luxembourg, Prince Charles was baptized in a Roman Catholic ceremony.

Prince Charles’ godparents were:

He was given the names Charles Jean Philippe Joseph Marie Guillaume.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Prince Charles Of Luxembourg (Born 2020). [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Charles_of_Luxembourg_(born_2020)> [Accessed 9 January 2021].
  • Luxtimes.lu. 2020. Luxembourg Royal Baby Boy Born On Sunday. [online] Available at: <https://luxtimes.lu/luxembourg/40646-luxembourg-royal-baby-boy-born-on-Sunday> [Accessed 9 January 2021].
  • Luxtimes.lu. 2020. Royal Baby Baptised In Clervaux Abbey. [online] Available at: <https://luxtimes.lu/luxembourg/41789-royal-baby-baptised-in-clervaux-abbey> [Accessed 9 January 2021].

First Cousins: Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (born 1955)

(All photos credits – Wikipedia unless otherwise noted)

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg was born on April 16, 1955, in Betzdorf Castle in Luxembourg. He is the eldest son and second child of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. Henri’s paternal grandparents were Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma. His maternal grandparents were King Leopold III of the Belgians and his first wife Princess Astrid of Sweden.  Henri married María Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla, who was born in Cuba and raised in New Jersey and New York City. The couple has four sons and one daughter. Henri has been Grand Duke of Luxembourg since his father abdicated in 2000.

Henri has 27 first cousins. He shares his first cousins with his siblings Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg, Archduchess of Austria; Prince Jean of Luxembourg; Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, Princess of Liechtenstein; and Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg.

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Grand Duke Henri’s Paternal Aunts and Uncles: Children of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma

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Grand Duke Henri’s Maternal Aunts and Uncles: Children of King Leopold III of the Belgians and his first wife Princess Astrid of Sweden

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Grand Duke Henri’s Maternal Half Aunts and Uncles: Children of King Leopold III of the Belgians and his second wife Lilian Baels

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PATERNAL FIRST COUSINS

Paternal First Cousins: Children of Princess Elizabeth of Luxembourg and Franz, Duke von Hohenberg

  • Princess Anita of Hohenberg (born 1958), married (1) Romee de La Poeze, Count d’Harambure, had three sons and one daughter, divorced (2) Count Andreas von Bardeau, no children
  • Princess Sophie of Hohenberg (born 1960), married Jean-Louis de Potesta, had two daughters and one son

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of Princess Marie Adelaide of Luxembourg and Karl Josef Graf Henckel von Donnersmarck

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of Princess Marie Gabriele of Luxembourg and Knud, 7th Count of Holstein-Ledreborg

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of Prince Charles of Luxembourg and Joan Douglas Dillon, daughter of United States Secretary of the Treasury C. Douglas Dillon

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Paternal First Cousins: Children of Princess Alix of Luxembourg and Antoine, 13th Prince de Ligne

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MATERNAL FIRST COUSINS

Maternal First Cousins: Children of King Albert II of Belgium and Paola Ruffo di Calabria


Philippe, King of the Belgians (born 1960)

Philippe has been King of the Belgians since the abdication of his father Albert II in 2013. He was educated at Trinity College at the University of Oxford and then attended graduate school at Stanford University in the United States earning his Masters degree in political science. Philippe married Mathilde d’Udekem d’Acoz and the couple has two daughters and two sons.

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Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este (born 1962)

Princess Astrid is named after her paternal grandmother Astrid of Sweden, wife of King Leopold III of the Belgians, who tragically died in a car accident at the age of 29. Astrid married Archduke Lorenz of Austria-Este, the eldest son of Archduke Robert of Austria-Este, the second son of Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria. The couple has two sons and three daughters.

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Prince Laurent of Belgium (born 1963)

Prince Laurent married British-born, but Belgian-raised Claire Coombs. The couple has one daughter and twin sons.

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Maternal Half First Cousins: Children of Princess Marie-Esmeralda of Belgium and Salvador Moncada

Embed from Getty Images 
Princess Marie-Esmeralda of Belgium with her husband Salvador Moncada with their children Leopoldo and Alexandra
  • Alexandra Léopoldine Moncada (born 1998)
  • Leopoldo Daniel Moncada (born 2001)

Alexandra and Leopoldo’s mother Princess Marie-Esmerelda of Belgium was the daughter of Leopold III, King of the Belgians and his second wife Lilian Baels. Lilian and Leopold married in a religious ceremony held in the chapel at the Palace of Laeken in 1941. The couple planned to hold a civil ceremony after the war, but instead held it in December of the same year, after discovering that they were expecting a child. There were several issues with the marriage which further damaged Leopold’s reputation with the Belgian people. First, the order of the ceremonies went against Belgian law, which states that a civil ceremony must take place before a religious one. Secondly, many Belgians felt that the marriage sullied the memory of Leopold’s first wife, their beloved Queen Astrid who had died in a car accident at the age of 29. Following the marriage, Lilian was given the title Princess de Réthy and was not styled as Queen. It was also decided that any children would be Prince/Princess of Belgium, but without any rights of succession. Leopold and Lilian had three children. Alexandra and Leopoldo are not in the Belgian line of succession and are not considered members of the Belgian Royal Family. They are private citizens and do not perform any royal functions. Their father Sir Salvador Moncada is a Honduran-British pharmacologist and they have lived in Belgian, Honduras, and the United States.

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This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Lundy, D. (2019). Main Page. [online] Thepeerage.com. Available at: http://www.thepeerage.com/. (for genealogy information)
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2019). Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com. (for biographical and genealogy information)
  • Wikipedia. (2019). Main Page. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/

Funeral of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Photo – Grand-Ducal Court / Claude Piscitelli

The funeral of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg took place on May 4, 2019, at the Cathedral Notre-Dame of Luxembourg in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. A military vehicle transported Grand Duke Jean’s coffin from the Grand Ducal Palace to the cathedral. The coffin was carried into the cathedral while soldiers and Boy Scouts formed an honor guard.

Photo – Guy Wolff / Luxemburger Wort

A Pontifical Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated by Jean-Claude Hollerich, Archbishop of Luxembourg. Princess Marie-Astrid, Grand Duke Jean’s eldest daughter, gave the first reading in French. A second reading was given by Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, Grand Duke Jean’s youngest son, in Luxembourgish. Grand Duke Jean’s grandchildren Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, Princess Marie-Gabrielle of Nassau, Princess Marie-Anunciata of Liechtenstein, Prince Paul-Louis of Nassau, and Archduchess Marie-Christine of Austria all participated in the reading of the universal prayer, speaking in French, Luxembourgish, or English. Jean-Claude Hollerich, Archbishop of Luxembourg used three languages delivering his sermon, praising Grand Duke Jean for his lifelong devotion, compassion, and love for his country, his family, and nature. The funeral ended with the playing of the Luxembourg national anthem “Ons Heemecht” (“Our Homeland”).

Five grandchildren of Grand Duke Jean delivered the universal prayer; Photo – Grand Ducal Court / Sophie Margue

During World War II, Grand Duke Jean joined the British Army as a volunteer in the Irish Guards. He completed his military education at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England, was commissioned as a second lieutenant and later was promoted to lieutenant. Jean landed near Bayeux, Normandy on June 11, 1944, five days after D-Day. He took part in the Battle for Caen and the liberation of Brussels. On September 10, 1944, he took part in the liberation of Luxembourg before participating in the invasion of Germany. In a very moving part of the funeral, members of the Irish Guards played the bagpipes as Grand Duke Jean’s coffin left the cathedral which moved his son Grand Duke Henri to tears.

Irish Guards playing the bagpipes; Photo – https://today.rtl.lu

The Irish Guards continued playing as Grand Duke Jean’s coffin was slowly carried to the forecourt in front of the cathedral. The coffin was then taken to the Ducal Crypt beneath the cathedral where Grand Duke Jean was laid to rest in the presence of close family members.

Grand Duke Jean’s coffin resting in the Ducal Crypt. Memorial plaques for family members are on the wall; Photo – www.cathol.lu

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Members of Grand Duke Jean’s family walk behind his coffin in the procession from the Grand Ducal Palace to the Cathedral Notre-Dame

Members of Grand Duke Jean’s family who attended his funeral:

Many members of current monarchies and former monarchies attended the funeral including representatives from all the other nine reigning European monarchies.  There was a large contingent from Belgium. King Albert II of Belgium was the brother-in-law of Grand Duke Jean as Jean had married his sister Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium. Philippe, King of the Belgians and his siblings Princess Astrid and Prince Laurent are first cousins of Grand Duke Jean’s son Grand Duke Henri and his other children.

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Members of the Belgian Royal Family arriving for the funeral

Grand Duke Jean’s sisters married into the Hohenberg, Henckel von Donnersmarck, Ligne, and Holstein-Ledreborg noble families and many representatives from those families attended the funeral. Grand Duke Jean had 51 first cousins from among several royal families such as the Bourbon-Parma, Habsburg (Austrian), Bavarian, and Bulgarian royal families and members of those families also attended his funeral. Besides members of royal families and other dignitaries, members of the public attended the funeral. Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa expressed their wish that the public should be able to attend the funeral. The number of available places was limited and were allocated in the order of registration of the interested persons.

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Queen Sofia and King Juan Carlos of Spain
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The Princess Royal and The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
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Princess Sarvath and Prince Hassan of Jordan, brother of the late King Hussein

Please note that the list below contains all the royal guests from reigning houses but it does not contain all the royal guests from non-reigning houses and other former monarchies.

REIGNING HOUSES

Belgium

Denmark

Jordan

Liechtenstein

Monaco

Morocco

Netherlands

Norway

Spain

Sweden

United Kingdom

NON-REIGNING HOUSES

Albania

Bulgaria

Greece

Portugal

Romania

Yugoslavia

OTHER FORMER MONARCHIES

Austria

Bavaria

Bourbon-Parma

Bourbon and Two Sicilies

France – Bourbon

France – Orléans

Prussia

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