Category Archives: Luxembourg Royals

Grand Duke Adolphe of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Born on July 24, 1817, in Biebrich Palace in Wiesbaden, Duchy of Nassau, now in Hesse, Germany, as Adolf Wilhelm August Karl Friedrich, His Highness The Hereditary Duke of Nassau. Adolphe was the eldest son and the third of the eight children of Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau and his first wife Princess Louise of Saxe-Hildburghausen.

Adolphe had three brothers and four sisters:

From his father’s second marriage to Princess Pauline of Württemberg, Adolphe had four half-siblings:

Adolphe before 1830; Credit – Wikipedia

On August 20, 1839, Adolph’s father died and Adolph began a 27-year reign of the Duchy of Nassau. Adolph married Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia, daughter of Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich of Russia and granddaughter of Paul I, Emperor of All Russia, on January 31, 1844. The couple was very happy and delighted when Elizabeth soon became pregnant with their first child, but the happiness did not last. On January 28, 1845, 18-year-old Elizabeth died while giving birth to a daughter who also died. With the blessing of Elisabeth’s uncle Nicholas I, Emperor of All Russia, the grief-stricken Adolphe used Elisabeth’s dowry to build the Russian Orthodox Church of Saint Elizabeth in Wiesbaden where Elisabeth’s remains were buried.

Grand Duchess Elisabeth Mikhailovna of Russia; Credit – Wikipedia

On 23 April 1851, Adolphe married for a second time to Princess Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau. They had five children, but only two lived to adulthood:

Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau; Credit – Wikipedia

The Duchy of Nassau supported the Austrian Empire in the Austro-Prussian War (1866). After Austria lost the war, the Duchy of Nassau was annexed to Prussia and Adolph lost his duchy. Adolph did make an agreement with Prussia for a severance payment and was also able to keep several of his palaces.

During its history, Luxembourg has been a part of a number of countries. At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Luxembourg was made a Grand Duchy and united with The Netherlands. In 1839, following the Belgian Revolution, the Treaty of London partitioned territories and created the new Kingdom of Belgium and the new Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was still united with the Netherlands and King Willem I of the Netherlands was still the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. This rule continued 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. Through the Nassau Family Pact,  Adolph became the Grand Duke of Luxembourg on November 23, 1890.

Grand Duke Adolphe and Grand Duchess Adelheid-Marie of Luxembourg; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

73-year-old Adolphe was a Protestant in a Catholic country and knew little about Luxembourg, so he left the governing to his prime minister. On November 17, 1905, at the age of 88, Adolphe died at his summer home Schloss Hohenburg in Lenggries, Kingdom of Bavaria, now in the German state of Bavaria. Grand Duke Adolphe was buried at the burial chapel of Schloss Weilburg, a former residence of the House of Nassau and Dukes of Nassau-Weilburg, now in the German state of Hesse.

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King Willem II of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Credit – Wikipedia

Willem II, King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (Willem Frederik George Lodewijk) was the eldest child of Willem I, King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Princess Wilhelmine of Prussia. He was born on December 6, 1792, at Noordeinde Palace, The Hague, Dutch Republic. Willem had one brother and two sisters:

Willem in 1815; Credit – Wikipedia

Willem was the only one of his siblings to be born in their homeland. When he was two years old, his family was forced into exile when the French invaded and occupied the Dutch Republic during the Napoleonic Wars. Willem spent his childhood at the Prussian court where he received military training, served in the Prussian Army, and then attended Oxford University in England. In 1811, he entered the British Army and was an aide-de-camp to Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.  He was popular with the British troops who nicknamed him “Slender Billy.” Willem returned with his father to the Netherlands in 1813 after the French retreated following their defeat in the Battle of Leipzig. He served in the Allied Army after Napoleon’s escape from his exile in Elba. Willem took part in the Battle of Quatre Bras (June 16, 1815) and the Battle of Waterloo (June 18, 1815), where he was wounded. In 1815, he officially became the heir apparent with the title Prince of Orange when his father was proclaimed King of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The injury to the Prince of Orange at Waterloo (1815); Credit – Wikipedia

From December 1813 – May 1814, Willem was engaged to Princess Charlotte of Wales, daughter of the future King George IV of the United Kingdom. Charlotte broke off the engagement, married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, later King Leopold I of Belgium, and tragically died, along with her son, due to childbirth complications. Willem married Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna of Russia, youngest sister of Alexander I, Emperor of All Russia, on February 21, 1816, at the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia. The bride’s brother had arranged the marriage to foster good relations between Imperial Russia and the Netherlands.

Willem and Anna had five children:

Willem II and Anna Pavlovna with their family. From left to right: the future Willem III, Alexander, Willem II, Anna Paulovna, Sophie and Hendrik; Credit – Wikipedia

While Willem was heir to the throne, he was the defense minister in his father’s government. He stayed in the southern provinces in Brussels for six months of the year and in The Hague, the seat of government, for the other six months.  In 1829, Willem was appointed Vice President of the Council of State and Chairman of the Council of Ministers. In these positions, he was formally the chief adviser to his father. In 1830-1831, the Belgian Revolution resulted in the secession of the southern provinces from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. Willem came to the Dutch throne on October 7, 1840, when his father King Willem I abdicated due to constitutional changes he did not agree with, anger over the loss of Belgium, and his desire to make a morganatic second marriage with Henriëtte d’Oultremont after the death of his wife Wilhelmine. King Willem II’s inauguration ceremony took place on November 28, 1840, in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.

The inauguration of William II on 28 November 1840 by Nicolaas Pieneman; Credit – Wikipedia

During Willem II’s reign, the power of many monarchs diminished. The revolutions of 1848 and 1849, in which Louis-Philippe of France was deposed and other European monarchs were forced by violence to make concessions, made him fear for his throne. Willem decided to institute a more liberal government, believing it was better to grant reforms instead of having them imposed on him on less favorable terms later. Jokingly, Willem said he turned from conservative to liberal in one night. He chose a committee headed by the prominent liberal Johan Rudolf Thorbecke to create a new constitution that resulted in a constitutional monarchy.

On February 13, 1849, King Willem II addressed the new parliament for the first time. It was noted that he looked ill and his voice was weak. Willem decided to spend some time in his favorite town Tilburg. He said of Tilburg, “Here I can breathe freely and I feel happy” and he commissioned the construction of a palace, which would function as his country residence. On March 13, 1849, Willem said goodbye to his wife and drove in a carriage to Rotterdam to visit a steam yacht under construction. At the top of some stairs, he became confused, his boot became stuck in his cloak, and he fell.

Once Willem reached Tilburg, his health problems got worse. Willem was no longer able to concentrate on state papers. For two days, he was seriously short of breath. On March 17, 1849, Willem’s condition was very critical. Around three o’clock in the afternoon, Willem had such a severe attack of breathlessness that he jumped into his doctor’s arms. The king was put back into his chair, and then he died.

The access to the royal crypt in the foreground; Credit – By Sander van der Wel from Netherlands – Royal grave tomb and the grave of Willem van Oranje, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28146859

King Willem II was buried at the Royal Crypt of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands. In February 1865, Queen Anna became seriously ill and subsequently died at The Hague on March 1, 1865. She remained Russian Orthodox her entire life and her funeral service was conducted according to her religion’s rites. Her remains are buried at the Royal Vault of the Nieuwe Kerk in Delft, the Netherlands.

Queen Anna Pavlovna as a widow, next to the bust of her husband King Willem II; Credit – Wikipedia

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The Grand Ducal Palace, Luxembourg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

source: Wikipedia

source: Wikipedia

The Grand Ducal Palace, Luxembourg

The Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City is the official palace of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and is used for official and ceremonial functions. Owned by the State, it is one of two palaces placed at the disposal of the Grand Duke, in accordance with the Constitution of Luxembourg. The other is Berg Castle, where the Grand Ducal Family actually resides.

The Town Hall in 1834. source: Wikipedia

The palace began as a town hall, with the earliest mention in 1418 in official documents. In 1554, the building was destroyed in an explosion when lightning had struck the nearby church and set off an explosion of gunpowder which was stored there. Much of the city was destroyed. The left wing, which still exists, was rebuilt in 1573. The town hall again suffered significant damage during the siege of Luxembourg in 1683-1684. It would be over 40 years before the city had the finances to rebuild in 1728. Expansion took place in the 1740s, which included removing the stone balustrade on the balcony and replacing it with the wrought iron which still exists today, and the building of the right wing, known as “La Balance”. The building became the home of the French central administration in 1795, and then the Prefecture of the Forestry Department in 1800.

It was 1815 when the old town hall became the seat of government and a Royal Palace, during the personal union with the Kings of the Netherlands. It was used as a residence of the Governor, Prince Willem Frederik Hendrik of the Netherlands. Several neighboring houses were purchased to allow for the expansion of the palace, which included the construction of the Chamber of Deputies on the right side of the palace in 1859.

The interior was renovated in 1883 in preparation for a visit by King Willem III and Queen Emma of the Netherlands (who were also Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg). Following the end of the personal union with the Netherlands in 1890, Adolphe, Duke of Nassau became the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and took up residence at the Grand Ducal Palace. He undertook a complete transformation of the palace, building a new wing to contain guest accommodations and private apartments for his family.

View image | gettyimages.com

During the German occupation during World War II, the palace was used by the Nazis as a concert hall and tavern. By the end of the war, the building had suffered significant damage and most of the furniture and art collection had been destroyed. It was on April 14, 1945, that Grand Duchess Charlotte returned from exile, and greeted the people of Luxembourg from the balcony. (The above photo shows Grand Duchess Charlotte and most of her family following their return to Luxembourg.) The palace once again became the seat of the Grand Ducal Court but has not been used as a regular residence since. Over the years, the palace has undergone several renovations, including an extensive restoration in the 1990s to both the interior and exterior of the buildings.

The Balcony. photo © Susan Flantzer

The Balcony. photo © Susan Flantzer

Today, the palace contains the offices of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, the Hereditary Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duchess, and the Grand Ducal Court. The State Rooms are used for meetings and audiences, and the palace is the site of official and State visits from foreign Heads of State. For several months in the summer, the palace is open to the public.

The ground floor of the palace includes the formal entrance hall, the Armor Room, and the Grand Staircase.

The Grand Hall. source: Le Quotidien

The Grand Hall. source: Le Quotidien

The first floor includes the Grand Hall, which is the site of many official functions, and the room from which the Grand Ducal Family appears on the palace balcony. This is where the Grand Duke welcomes ambassadors and swears in his ministers, and where formal photographs are taken with visiting Heads of State. The Grand Hall was the site of the abdication ceremonies for Grand Duchess Charlotte in 1964, and Grand Duke Jean in 2000.

 

Adjoining the Grand Hall is the Yellow Room. This room has often been used for the Grand Duke’s Christmas message, as well as smaller audiences with guests. Other rooms on the first floor are the Hall of Kings, the Chart Room, and the formal Dining Room. In a separate wing (not open to the public) are the former private living quarters of the Grand Ducal family.

Learn more about the other Luxembourg Royal Residences here!

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Maria Ana of Portugal, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal was born on July 13, 1861, at Schloss Bronnbach in Bronnbach, Wertheim am Main in the Grand Duchy of Baden now in the German state of state of Baden-Württemberg.  She was the sixth of the seven children of the deposed King Miguel I of Portugal and Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg.   Maria Ana’s siblings were:

Maria Ana grew up mostly in Austria and Germany due to her father’s exile from Portugal. Despite the family’s status as ex-royalty, Maria Ana and her sisters all married well due in large part to the efforts of their mother. Ironically, before her engagement to Guillaume, Maria Ana was slated to become the bride of Protestant Alexander of Orange, the heir to the throne of the Netherlands. Alexander died before the two became officially engaged. She was also considered as a possible bride for Rudolf, the Crown Prince of Austria.

On June 21, 1893, Maria Ana married Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg at Schloss Fischhorn in Zell am See, Austria.  Guillaume was the eldest son of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and his second wife Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau.  Adolphe, formerly the Duke of Nassau, was the first sovereign Grand Duke of Luxembourg from the House of Nassau following Luxembourg’s break from the Netherlands in 1890. Guillaume grew up Protestant among a Catholic majority in Luxembourg. When it came time to find a bride, Guillaume searched for Catholic princesses believing a Catholic land needed a Catholic monarch and he settled on Maria Ana.  The couple had six daughters:

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

In 1905, Guillaume succeeded his father as Grand Duke of Luxembourg.  At that time, the succession in Luxembourg was Salic, meaning a woman could not become monarch. When it became clear that Maria Ana would not have further children, Guillaume named his would-be successors the Counts of Merenburg (products of a morganatic union) to be ineligible for the throne. Marie-Adélaïde became her father’s heir, succeeding him as the first sovereign Grand Duchess of Luxembourg in 1912. She abdicated in 1919 in favor of her sister Charlotte, from whom the current Luxembourg grand ducal family descends.

Maria Ana and her daughters in 1920; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Maria Ana served as regent of Luxembourg for her daughter Marie-Adélaïde during Guillaume’s long illness from 1908-1912 and also served as the regent for Marie-Adélaïde during the first few months of her reign. Maria Ana fled the country with her family when the German Army invaded Luxembourg in 1940. She died in New York City on July 31, 1942, of a stomach ailment and was temporarily interred at Calvary Cemetery in Queens in New York City. Her remains were later returned to Luxembourg and buried at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.

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Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma, Prince of Luxembourg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma, Prince of Luxembourg; Credit: Wikipedia

Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma, Prince of Luxembourg

Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma was the husband of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg. He was born Prince Félix Marie Vincent of Bourbon-Parma on September 28, 1893, at Schwarzau Castle, in Schwarzau am Steinfeld, Austria. His parents were Robert I, Duke of Parma and his second wife, Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal.

Felix had had eleven siblings:

  • Maria della Neve Adelaide (1885 – 1959), a Benedictine nun at the Monastery of Solesmes, France
  • Sixtus (1886 – 1934), married Hedwige de La Rochefoucauld, had issue
  • Xavier, Duke of Parma (1889 – 1977), married Madeleine de Bourbon-Busset, had issue, the Carlist claimants to the Spanish throne descend through this line
  • Francesca (1890 – 1978), Benedictine nun at the Monastery of Solesmes, France
  • Zita, Empress of Austria (1892 – 1989), married Karl I, Emperor of Austria, had issue
  • René (1894 – 1962), married Princess Margrethe of Denmark, had issue including Anne who married King Michael I of Romania
  • Maria Antonia (1895 – 1937), Benedictine nun at the Monastery of Solesmes, France
  • Isabella (1898 – 1984), nun
  • Luigi (1899 – 1967), married Princess Maria Francesca of Savoy, had issue
  • Henrietta Anna (1903 – 1987), unmarried, was deaf
  • Gaetano (1905 – 1958), married and divorced Princess Margarete of Thurn and Taxis, had issue

From his father’s first marriage to Maria Pia of the Two Sicilies, Felix had twelve half-siblings. Six of the siblings were mentally disabled and two died in infancy. The twelfth child was stillborn and Maria Pia died in childbirth at the age of 33.

  • Marie Louise (1870 – 1899), married Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria, had issue including Tsar Boris I of Bulgaria
  • Ferdinando (born and died 1871) died in infancy
  • Luisa Maria (1872 – 1943), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Enrico, Duke of Parma (1873 – 1939), unmarried, mentally disabled, Titular Duke of Parma 1907-1939, his brother Elias took up the role as regent and head of the family
  • Maria Immacolata (1874 – 1914), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Giuseppe, Duke of Parma (1875 – 1950), unmarried, mentally disabled, Titular Duke of Parma 1939-1950, his brother Elias continued the role as regent and head of the family
  • Maria Teresa (1876 – 1959), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Maria Pia (1877 – 1915), unmarried, mentally disabled
  • Beatrice (1879 – 1946), married Pietro Lucchesi-Palli, had issue
  • Elias, Duke of Parma (1880- 1959), married Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria, had issue; Head of the Ducal Family of Parma (1950–1959)
  • Maria Anastasia (born and died 1881), died in infancy
  • Stillborn child (September 22, 1882), Maria Pia died in childbirth

Felix served in the Austrian Army while his elder brothers fought with the Belgians, but resigned in November 1918 after the war had ended. Following his marriage, he served as President of the Luxembourg Red Cross from 1923-1932, and later again from 1947-1969. Felix served as Colonel of the Luxembourg Volunteers Company from 1920, and during World War II, served as Inspector-General of the Luxembourg Army.

 

On November 6, 1919, Prince Félix married his first cousin, Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, first in a private civil ceremony held at the Grand Ducal Palace, followed by a religious ceremony held at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Felix retained his title as Prince of Bourbon-Parma and was also created a Prince of Luxembourg in his own right. The couple settled at Berg Castle in Berg, Luxembourg, and had six children:

 

When the Germans invaded Luxembourg in 1940, Félix and his family fled the country, traveling to France, and Portugal before he sailed with his children to the United States. They settled temporarily at the Long Island, New York estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post, who had become a family friend during the time her husband served as US Ambassador to Luxembourg and Belgium. After several months, they were reunited with the Grand Duchess in Montreal, Canada. The Prince spent much of the war with his children, while his wife traveled to London where her government-in-exile had been established. They were all reunited in 1945 upon the family’s return to Luxembourg.

Félix spent the remainder of his life supporting his wife, and helping to bring more prominence to the small Grand Duchy. In 1964, Charlotte decided to abdicate, and their son Jean became the new Grand Duke. Félix and Charlotte spent their remaining years at Fischbach Castle, devoted to their grandchildren and extended family.

 

Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma, Prince of Luxembourg, passed away at Fischbach Castle in Fischbach, Luxembourg on April 8, 1970. He was buried in the Royal Crypt at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.

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Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

photo: Wikipedia

Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg

Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg was the sovereign from January 14, 1919 until November 12, 1964. She was born Princess Charlotte Adelgonde Élise/Elisabeth Marie Wilhelmine on January 23, 1896, at Berg Castle in Luxembourg, the second of six daughters of Grand Duke Guillaume IV of Luxembourg and Infanta Maria Ana of Portugal.

Charlotte had five sisters:

At that time, Luxembourg did not allow female succession. However, having only six daughters, Guillaume IV had the laws changed to allow his daughters to succeed him. Upon his death in February 1912, Charlotte’s elder sister Marie-Adélaide succeeded as Grand Duchess. However, Marie-Adélaide’s actions during World War I and her perceived close relationship with the Germans forced her to abdicate the throne in January 1919. Charlotte became the reigning Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.

 

On November 6, 1919, Grand Duchess Charlotte married her first cousin, Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma. He was the son of Robert I, Duke of Parma, and his second wife, Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal. One of 24 children of his father’s two marriages, Felix was the younger brother of Empress Zita of Austria. Following a rather small and private civil ceremony in the morning, a large religious ceremony was held at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. The couple lived at Berg Castle, and had six children:

Embed from Getty Images 

Luxembourg was a neutral country under the terms of the Treaty of London 1839. Despite this, just as they had done in World War I, German forces invaded Luxembourg in May 1940, and the Grand Duchess along with her leading ministers decided to place themselves under the protection of France. Charlotte and her family took up residence in southwest France but were soon forced to leave due to the German advances. They settled in Portugal but were soon on the move again. Charlotte went on to London where she began making radio broadcasts to the people of Luxembourg, something for which she would become well-known during the war.

Meanwhile, Charlotte’s husband and children had sailed to the United States, on a US Navy ship sent for them by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Arriving in July 1940, they settled at Hillwood, the Long Island estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post (a close friend of the Grand Duchess), and remained there for a few months before moving on to Canada. In October 1940, Charlotte and her mother settled in a home at 1305 Pine Avenue in Montreal and were soon joined by the rest of her family. In March 1941, she purchased the former Alexander Stewart House on Embassy Row in Washington DC. The house served as the base for the Luxembourg Legation, and also as the residence of Charlotte’s mother, the Dowager Grand Duchess Maria Ana. Charlotte later sold the house to the Luxembourg government in 1962.  The building remains the Luxembourg Embassy.  Sadly, in July 1942, the Dowager Grand Duchess passed away in New York City.  She was initially buried in Calvary Cemetery in Queens, NY, and following the war, her remains were moved to the Grand Ducal Crypt at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Luxembourg.

Grand Duchess Charlotte returned to London in 1943 and remained there for the duration of the war. Finally, on April 14, 1945, Charlotte returned to her homeland, and the family took up residence at Fischbach Castle, which had suffered significantly less damage than the other royal properties – Berg Castle and the Grand Ducal Palace. Her focus now became the rebuilding of Luxembourg, and bringing the tiny nation to a more prominent profile in Europe. Through the remainder of her reign, she entertained world leaders and paid visits to many others. Her efforts to gain Luxembourg a place on the world’s stage were successful. In 1949, under Charlotte’s guidance, Luxembourg was one of the founding members of NATO.

Embed from Getty Images

In April 1961, Charlotte transferred many of her constitutional duties to her son Jean, although she remained Head of State. Three years later, on November 12, 1964, Grand Duchess Charlotte formally abdicated the throne of Luxembourg, and Jean became the new reigning Grand Duke. Charlotte and her husband celebrated their 50th anniversary in 1969, and he passed away a few months later, on April 8, 1970, at Fischbach Castle.

Grand Duchess Charlotte made her last public appearance in May 1985, at a visit from Pope John Paul II held at the Grand Ducal Palace. She died two months later, on July 9, 1985, at Fischbach Castle. She was 89 years old. Her funeral was held at Notre-Dame Cathedral, following which her remains were interred in the Grand Ducal Crypt at the cathedral.

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Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

photo: Wikipedia

Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

Princess Joséphine-Charlotte Stéphanie Ingeborg Elisabeth Marie José Marguerite Astrid of Belgium was born on October 11, 1927, at the Royal Palace of Brussels in Brussels, Belgium. She was the eldest child, and only daughter, of King Leopold III and Princess Astrid of Sweden. Her two younger brothers were:

 

Joséphine-Charlotte was christened at the Church of St. Jacques-sur-Coudenberg in Brussels, Belgium. Her godparents were:

The family lived at Stuyvenberg Castle, on the Royal Domain at Laeken, Brussels, Belgium. In 1934, her grandfather King Albert I, an avid mountain climber, died in a climbing accident, and her father became Leopold III, King of the Belgians. The following year, her mother Queen Astrid was killed in an automobile crash in Switzerland. Soon after, the family moved to the Royal Palace of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium where they would later be held under house arrest following the German invasion of Belgium in 1940.

Princess Joséphine-Charlotte was primarily educated at the palace, and also attended boarding school briefly before the war began. In 1941, while the family was confined to the Palace of Laeken, her father secretly married Lilian Baels, who was given the title Princess de Réthy. Three more children were born from this marriage, Joséphine-Charlotte’s half-siblings:

After the war, Joséphine-Charlotte finished her studies in Switzerland, where the family had settled after the war, pending the “Royal Question” of her father’s actions during the war. She was able to return to Belgium in 1949 and worked toward the restoration of her father’s reputation, and for his return to the Belgian throne. The following year, a referendum was held to determine if the King should return. With a winning percentage, King Leopold III returned to the country. However, he soon transferred his powers to his elder son, Baudouin, and then formally abdicated the following year.

 

On April 9, 1953, Princess Joséphine-Charlotte married Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, the eldest child of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma. The two were second cousins once removed, through their mutual descent from King Miguel I of Portugal. The two had become engaged in October of the previous year, with the announcement made on December 26, 1952. Following a civil ceremony held at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, a religious ceremony was held at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Luxembourg City.

The couple settled at Betzdorf Castle, in eastern Luxembourg, where they raised five children:

On November 12, 1964, Grand Duchess Charlotte abdicated, and Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte became the new Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. The couple left Betzdorf and moved to Berg Castle, the traditional residence of the reigning Grand Duke. Both before and after their accession, Joséphine-Charlotte worked extensively with organizations focused on children and families as well as the arts. She served as honorary president of the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, and president of the Luxembourg Red Cross, and oversaw the 5-year restoration of the Grand Ducal Palace from 1991-1996.

 

On October 7, 2000, Grand Duke Jean followed his mother’s footsteps and abdicated in favor of his elder son, Grand Duke Henri. Jean and  Joséphine-Charlotte soon left Berg Castle and settled at Fischbach Castle in central Luxembourg. Sadly, in 2003 it was reported that Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte had been diagnosed with lung cancer and the planned ceremonies and celebrations for the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary were canceled. Just two years later, on January 10, 2005, Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte passed away at Fischbach Castle, surrounded by her family. She was 77 years old.

Her funeral was held at the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the site of her marriage nearly 52 years earlier, and was attended by a large contingent of foreign royals. In accordance with her wishes, her remains were then cremated, and her ashes were placed in the Grand Ducal Crypt at the Cathedral.

 

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Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Embed from Getty Images 

Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg

Prince Guillaume Marie Louis Christian of Luxembourg was born May 1, 1963, at Betzdorf Castle in Luxembourg. He is the youngest child of the five children of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium.

Guillaume has four older siblings:

Following his primary and secondary schooling in Luxembourg, Switzerland, and France, Prince Guillaume attended the University of Oxford, in England, and Georgetown University in the US, graduating from Georgetown in 1987. He worked for six months in the office of the Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC, and then two years for the Commission of the European Communities in Brussels, Belgium. In 1982, he became President of Lux-Development, the company that runs the bilateral and intergovernmental program of development assistance to the government of Luxembourg. In addition, he serves as a director of Arcelor-Mittal and Banque Générale du Luxembourg. He serves as patron of the Luxembourg Basketball Federation and the youth section of the Prince Guillaume Municipal Band of the city of Differdange.

Prince Guillaume is married to Sibilla Weiller, a distant cousin. Sibilla is a descendant of Queen Victoria via her youngest child Princess Beatrice. She is a granddaughter of Infanta Beatriz of Spain and a second cousin of King Felipe VI of Spain. Guillaume and Sibilla were married first in a civil ceremony held on September 8, 1994, in Sélestat, France, followed by a religious ceremony on September 24, 1994, at the Versailles Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Louis de Versailles). The couple had four children:

  • Prince Paul Louis of Nassau (born 1998)
  • Prince Léopold of Nassau (born 2000, twin of Charlotte)
  • Princess Charlotte of Nassau (born 2000, twin of Léopold)
  • Prince Jean of Nassau (born 2004)

In September 2000, Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla were injured in a serious car accident in France. For a period of time, Guillaume was in a coma. Due to the accident and the prince’s condition, his father’s planned abdication as Grand Duke of Luxembourg, scheduled for September 28, 2000, was postponed until the first week of October.

Prince Guillaume and his family live in Luxembourg and are often in attendance at major events in the Grand Duchy, as well as most family functions.

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Prince Guillaume, Princess Sibilla, and their children, at the wedding of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, 2012

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Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, Princess of Liechtenstein

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

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Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg was born Princess Margaretha Antonia Marie Félicité of Luxembourg. Born on May 15, 1957, at Betzdorf Castle in Luxembourg, she is the second daughter of the two daughters and the fourth of the five children of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. Through her birth and marriage, Princess Margaretha is a member of two currently reigning royal families.

Margaretha (standing) with her parents and siblings, 1971; Credit – Wikipedia

photo: Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor

Wedding of Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein photo: Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor

Princess Margaretha married Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, son of Franz Josef II of Liechtenstein and Countess Georgina von Wilczek on March 20, 1982, at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Their marriage would be the last between two reigning royal houses in Europe. They had four children:

  • Prince Leopold (born and died 1984)
  • Princess Maria-Anunciata (born 1985), married Emanuele Musini
  • Princess Marie-Astrid (born 1987), married Raphael Worthington
  • Prince Josef-Emanuel (born 1989), married María Claudia Echavarría Suárez
Princess Margaretha with her husband, daughters and younger son, 2010. photo: www.royaltyonline.blogspot.com

Princess Margaretha and Prince Nikolaus with their children, 2010. photo: www.royaltyonline.blogspot.com

Princess Margaretha is active in charity work. She is the patron of Dyslexia International, Princess Margaretha Luxembourgeois Girl Guides of Leudelange and the Crèche de Luxembourg.

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Prince Jean of Luxembourg

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

photo: Zimbio

Prince Jean of Luxembourg – Photo: Zimbio

Prince Jean Félix Marie Guillaume of Luxembourg was born May 15, 1957, at Betzdorf Castle in Luxembourg. He is the second son of the three sons and the third of the five children of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium.

Prince Jean has four siblings:

Prince Jean was educated in Luxembourg, Switzerland, and France before attending the Bell School of Languages in Cambridge, England. He then enrolled in the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, graduating in 1978. He continued his education at the University of Geneva, and Webster University, also in Geneva, and began working at a financial firm in New York City. He returned to Europe in 1985, and the following year earned an MBA from INSEAD in France.

photo: Nobles & Royalties

Prince Jean and his first wife, Hélène Vestur.  photo: Nobles & Royalties

On May 27, 1987, Prince Jean married Hélène Vestur at the Church of Saint-Philippe-du-Roule in Paris, France. Jean had given up his succession rights the previous year, just after the birth of the couple’s first child. So upon marriage, his wife and children took on the surname ‘de Nassau’ with no royal style or title. In 1995, they were raised to Count/Countess of Nassau, and in 2004, Grand Duke Henri elevated the children to Prince/Princess of Nassau, with the style of Royal Highness. However, they do not have any succession rights. Jean and Hélène divorced in 2004.

The couple had four children:

  • Princess Marie-Gabrielle of Nassau (born 1986), married Antonius Willms, had two sons
  • Prince Constantin of Nassau (born 1988), married Kathryn Mechie, had one son
  • Prince Wenceslas (born 1990)
  • Prince Carl-Johan (born 1992)

In 2009, Prince Jean married Diane de Guerre at the City Hall in Roermond, the Netherlands. She holds the title of Countess de Nassau. They have no children.

Prince Jean does not undertake any official duties for the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, however, he is often in attendance at private family functions. He works with the GDS-Suez Group and serves as Executive Vice President of the Suez Foundation, and a member of the board of Degrémont, a company that specializes in the production of clean and healthy drinking water. Degrémont is a subsidiary of Suez Environnement, SA. Continuing with his work in the area of water sanitation, Prince Jean purchased a subsidiary of Suez Environnement in 2006, and created Mea Aqua. This organization is focused on developing water and energy solutions in the Middle East and Asia.

Prince Jean and Countess Diane de Nassau at the 2013 wedding of his nephew, Prince Félix of Luxembourg. photo: Zimbio

Prince Jean and Countess Diane de Nassau at the 2013 wedding of his nephew, Prince Félix of Luxembourg. photo: Zimbio

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