Luxembourg: Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume to become Lieutenant-Representative in October 2024

In his speech on Luxembourg's national day 23 June 2024, Grand Duke Henri announced that his eldest son, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, is to become Lieutenant-Representative (regent/acting head of state) in October 2024. In this way the Hereditary Grand Duke will have some time to prepare for his role until the day comes when his father decides to abdicate.

The then Hereditary Grand Duke Henri was appointed Lieutenant-Représentant of His Royal Highness Grand Duke Jean by decree of 3 March 1998 (published in Memorial on 4 March 1998) and became Grand Duke when his father abdicated on 7 October 2000. Before becoming Lieutenant-Représentant, Henri was an ex officio member of the Council of State from 1980.

Article 42 of the Constitution of Luxembourg says:

The Grand Duke may have Himself represented by a Prince of the blood, who shall bear the title of Lieutenant of the Grand Duke and who [shall] reside in the Grand Duchy.

This representative shall take an oath to observe the Constitution before exercising his powers.

Luxembourg: Princess Alexandra gives birth to a girl

The Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg announced today that Princess Alexandra and her husband Nicolas Bagory have become parents to their first child, a daughter who has been named Victoire. The baby girl, who is the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg's 8th grandchild, was born in Paris on 14 May 2024.

Le Grand-Duc et la Grande-Duchesse ont la grande joie d’annoncer la naissance de leur petite-fille Victoire, premier enfant de leur fille Alexandra et de leur gendre Nicolas, née ce mardi 14 mai à Paris.

La mère et l’enfant se portent bien.

Princess Alexandra and Nicolas Bagory were married on 22 April 2023, followed by a religious celebration on 29 April 2023. 

The updated line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg (top ten):

1. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, b. 1981
2. Prince Charles of Luxembourg, b. 2020
3. Prince François of Luxembourg, b. 2023
4. Prince Félix of Luxembourg, b. 1984
5. Princess Amalia of Nassau, b. 2014
6. Prince Liam of Nassau, b. 2016
7. Prince Balthazar of Nassau, b. 2024
8. Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg, b. 1991
9. Victoire Bagory, b. 2024
10. Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg, b. 1992

Luxembourg: Birth of Prince Balthazar Felix Karl of Nassau

The Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg announced today the birth of Prince Prince Félix and Princess Claire of Luxembourg's third child, who has been named Balthazar Felix Karl:

The birth of Prince Balthazar Felix Karl

08.01.2024

It is with great joy that we announce the birth of our son.

The prince was born on 7th January 2024 at the Maternité Grande-Duchesse Charlotte.

The newborn Prince will be named Balthazar Felix Karl.

He weighs 3,220 kg and measures 50 cm.

Prince Balthazar and Princess Claire are in perfect health.

Félix and Claire

with Amalia and Liam

Prince Félix, b. 1984, is the second son of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg. Prince Félix married Claire Lademacher, b. 1985, in 2013. Their first child, Princess Amalia, was born in 2014, while their second child, Prince Liam, was born in 2016. Their child child, Prince Balthazar, was born yesterday 7 January 2024 at the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital (in French Maternité Grande-Duchesse Charlotte), which is a part of Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg in Luxembourg. He is the seventh grandchild of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and no. 7 in the line of succession.

The updated line of succession to the Grand Ducal throne of Luxembourg (top ten only):

1. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg, b. 1981)
2. Prince Charles of Luxembourg, b. 2020
3. Prince François of Luxembourg, b. 2023
4. Prince Félix of Luxembourg, b. 1984
5. Princess Amalia of Nassau, b. 2014
6. Prince Liam of Nassau, b. 2016
7. Prince Balthazar of Nassau, b. 2024
8. Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg, b. 1991
9. Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg, b. 1992
10. Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, b. 1963

Updated on Wednesday 10 January 2024 at 13.30 (spelling of the name has been changed from Balthasar with an "s" to Balthazar with an z in the Grand Ducal Court's official communique after this blog article was published on 8 January 2024 at 19:58).

Civil wedding of Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg and Nicolas Bagory

The civil wedding of Princess Alexandra, only daughter of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, and Nicolas Bagory, son of Thomas Bagory and Gwenaëlle Podeur, took place at the City Hall in Luxembourg City yesterday, Saturday 22 April 2023. Mayor Lydie Polfer conducted the ceremony. Afterwards the couple greeted the people from the balacony at the Grand Ducal Palace.

In the early evening a reception was held at the Grand Ducal Palace in honour of the newly-weds.

The religios ceremony will take place on Saturday 29 April 2023 in the Église Saint-Trophyme in Bormes-les-Mimosas, Southern France.

At the official website you can see many wonderful photos from yesterday:

• On way to the City Hall: https://monarchie.lu/en/royal-wedding-way-city-hall
• Wedding ceremony at the City Hall: https://monarchie.lu/en/royal-wedding-ceremony-city-hall
• Leaving the City Hall: https://monarchie.lu/en/royal-wedding-leaving-town-hall
• Reception at the Grand Ducal Palace: https://monarchie.lu/en/royal-wedding-reception
• Family photo: https://monarchie.lu/en/royal-wedding-family-pictures

Luxembourg: Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie to become parents again

The Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg announced today that the Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie are expecting their second child. The baby is expected in April 2023.

Communication du Maréchal de la Cour

Leurs Altesses Royales le Grand-Duc et la Grande-Duchesse ont l’immense joie d’annoncer que le Grand-Duc héritier et la Grande-Duchesse héritière attendent Leur deuxième enfant.

La naissance est prévue pour le mois d’avril.

Le Grand-Duc, la Grande-Duchesse ainsi que les membres des deux familles s’unissent à ce grand bonheur.

The couple's first child, Prince Charles, was born on 10 May 2020. The future prince or princess will become Grand Duke Henri's 6th grandchild.

HRH Prince Charles Jean Philippe Joseph Marie Guillaume of Luxembourg

The Grand Ducal Court announced this morning the birth of Prince Charles, the firstborn child of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie:

THE MARSHALL OF THE COURT COMMUNICATES

The Crown Prince and Crown Princess are delighted to announce the birth of their son at the Maternité Grande-Duchesse Charlotte in Luxembourg on Sunday May 10 2020 at 5:13.

He will be called Charles Jean Philippe Joseph Marie Guillaume.

The child weighs 3,190 kg and is 50 cm.

The Crown Princess and her child are both doing well.

The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess look forward to introducing him to the people of Luxembourg.

The pregnancy was announced on 6 December 2019. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume married the then Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy in 2012. Prince Charles is no. 2 in the line of succession to the Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg.

Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (1921–2019)

Grand Duke Jean at the wedding of his grandson Prince Louis in 2006. Photo: Schnékert/Wikimedia Commons.

Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, who served as head of state of Luxembourg from 1964 to 2000, died early in the morning of 23 April 2019, the Grand Ducal Court has announced.

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of my beloved father, His Royal Highness Grand Duke Jean, who has passed away in peace, surrounded by the affection of his family.

Grand Duke Jean died a week after he was hospitalised for a lung infection. The exact time of death, 00.25, was given in a declaration by Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, later on 23 April. A national mourning will last until the day of the funeral, 4 May 2019. The death was also formally announced in Mémorial, the Legal Gazette of Luxembourg.

Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d'Aviano, Prince of Luxembourg (as well as Prince of Bourbon-Parma and of Nassau), was born at Schloß Berg in Luxembourg on 5 January 1921 as the eldest son and child of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg (1896–1985) and Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma (1893–1970). His siblings were Elisabeth (1922–2011), Marie Adelaide (1924–2007), Marie Gabriele (b. 1925), Charles (1927–1977) and Alix (1929–2019).

Following school in Luxembourg and England, Prince Jean received the title Hereditary Grand Duke by decree of 4 January 1939 in connection with his 18th birthday the day after. When Luxembourg was invaded by German troops in 1940, Jean and his family fled to France, later to Portugal before finally being transported to the United States. He studied law and political science at the Quebec University in Canada before joining the British forces in 1942. He took part in the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944 and came home to Luxembourg in September 1944. He later took part in several battles before the Germans surrendeded in May 1945. In April 1945 he welcomed his mother Grand Duchess Charlotte home to Luxembourg.

Raised to become Grand Duke and head of state of Luxembourg, Jean served as a member of the State Council for 10 years from 1951 before becoming  Lieutenant-Représentant («Lieutenant Representative», i.e. Regent) in 1961. Jean became Grand Duke upon his mother's abdication on 12 November 1964 and served until he himself abdicated on 7 October 2000 on behalf of his eldest son Henri.

Grand Duke Jean, 1967. Photo: Ron Kroon/Wikimedia Commons.

The then Hereditary Grand Duke Jean married on 9 April 1953 Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium (1927–2005), daughter of King Leopold III of the Belgians (1901–1934–1951–1983) and Queen Astrid, née Princess of Sweden (1905–1935). They had 5 children – Marie Astrid, b. 1954, Henri, b. 1955, Jean and Margaretha, b. 1957, and Guillaume, b. 1963 – and 22 grandchildren. (Someone else has to give the total number of great-grandchildren!)

As Grand Duke Jean's great-grandfather Grand Duke Adolf (1839–1905), formerly Duke of Nassau, was an elder brother of Princess Sophie (Sofia) (1836–1912), who in 1857 married Prince Oscar of Sweden, later King Oscar II, Jean was a third cousin of King Harald V of Norway. At the same time Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte was a first cousin of King Harald as their mothers Astrid and Märtha née Princess of Sweden were sisters. From this follows that Grand Duke Henri and the future King of Norway, Haakon, are 2nd cousins.

Then people of Luxembourg is mournng their beloved former head of state and war hero. He held the same position in Luxembourg as Queen Elizabeth II does in the United Kingdom – even if he had retired, he «had always been there» for generations of people. Loyally he spent his whole life in service of his country. «Der stille Monarch», «the quiet Monarch», as Luxemburger Wort writes today. «Er war ein großes Stück Luxemburg» («He was a large piece of Luxembourg»), as one citizen expressed earlier today. «He was one of us», has also been said. Someone the people could identify themselves with. Both royal and distant and close at the same time.

An epoch has reached its end.

Obituary in Telegraph.co.uk  23 April 2019: Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, benevolent ruler who served in Normandy landings, took part in the liberation of the Grand Duchy and had close ties to Britain – obituary

Luxembourg: Louis and Tessy divorced

The Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg announced on 5 April 2019 that the divorce between Prince Louis and Princess Tessy became final the day before, 4 April 2019.

The divorce was covered by the local press, among others Wort.lu, following the statement and has also been written about in other blogs, like Marlene Koenig's (go also here) and Luxarazzi (see also a follow-up). But «for the record» I mention it also in my own blog.

Prince Louis married Tessy Antony in 2006. The decision to get a divorce was made public in January 2017, and a decree nisi was granted om 17 February 2017. Since then the former couple has been in a conflict over the financial settlement, which now is solved.

According to the press statement referred to above, Tessy has as a result of the divorce ceased to be a Princess of Luxembourg with the style Royal Highness, and she will not represent the Grand Ducal family anylonger. It's been a while, anyway. For the sake of the children, Prince Gabriel and Prince Noah of Nassau (born 2006 and 2007 respectively), Tessy will be allowed to use the hyphenated surname Antony-de Nassau taking effect from September 2019. I am not sure why she has to wait so long, but it might be because Luxembourg law concerning name changes works that way. She is referred to as «Mrs. Tessy Antony» in the statement, but if it takes so long to get a new surname in Luxembourg, how is it possible to lose the surname de Nassau so quickly? She seems to believe that she is a Princess until September, although this is in conflict with the said press statement and house law. The name of her Instagram account is «Tessy from Luxembourg», by the way, while she at present calls herself «Tessy Antony, Princess de Luxembourg» on Twitter. I hope there will be more information on the issue in due time.

Updated on 8 April 2019 at 23:53 (reference to Tessy's Twitter account added).

Royal December Summary

This December month has been rather busy due to Christmas preparations and work load, and I have not been able to write about the various events as I had wanted to. Here is a summary of the events I wish to write about.

• 1 December 2017: The christening of Prince Gabriel, second son of Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia, took place in the Royal Chapel at Drottningholm Palace outside Stockholm. The christening was officiated by Archbishop emeritus Anders Wejryd, assisted by Bishop and Chief Court Chaplain Johan Dalman and Court Chaplain and Rector of the Royal Court Parish Michael Bjerkhagen. Normally the christening would have been officiated by Archbishop Antje Jackelén, but she had obligations abroad. Prince Gabriel's sponsors were Princess Madeleine, Sara Hellqvist (one of Princess Sofia's sisters), Oscar Kylberg (friend and business partner of Prince Carl Philip), Carolina Pihl (friend and business partner of Princess Sofia) and Thomas de Toledo Sommerlath (cousin of Prince Carl Philip). Guests attending the christening ceremony and the reception can be viewed here.
• 5 December 2017: In the case between Prince Louis of Luxembourg, Princess Tessy of Luxembourg and The Telegraph Media Group Ltd., the England and Wales High Court ruled that details of the former royal couple's financial matters as well as details of their divorce settlement were not allowed to be published. The explanatory note to the court decision said:  «1. The Applicant Husband and the Respondent wife are engaged in financial remedy proceedings before the High Court of England and Wales. Those proceedings are ongoing. 2. The purpose of this order is to seek to protect the confidentiality of the parties' financial arrangements and their negotiations within the context of their financial remedy proceedings, pending resolution of the same by agreement or determination of the court. 3. In the circumstances, the court has ordered that the matters set out at Paragraph 6 of this order shall not be published pending the conclusion of the financial remedy proceedings between the parties.» Prince Louis and Princess Tessy, who were married in 2006 and have two sons together, broke up in the summer of 2016 and a decree nisi was granted om 17 February 2017.
• 5 December 2017: King Michael died in his residence in Arbonne, Switzerland, 96 years old. King Michael was King of Romania twice, from 1927 to 1930 and again from 1940 until his abdication was forced upon him by the communist regime in late 1947 and he was forced into exile. He earned his people's respect and popularity especially for, when he felt his position was strong enough, launched a coup d'etat against the fascist dictator Ion Antonescu and brought Romania over to the allied countries. Then king was awarded the Legion of Merit in 1946. The citation can be read here. After the communist regime fell in 1989, the was on several occasions refused entry to his homeland, but in 1997 his citizenship was restored and he was allowed to visit Romania again. King Michael was married to Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parme (1923–2016) in Athens, Greece and had 5 daughters. I had the pleasure of meeting both King Michael and Queen Anne as well as their daughter Princess Margarita and her husband Radu Duda during their visit to Oslo in 1997. A man of principles, King Michael for a long time felt loyal to the last monarchist constitition of 1923, which stipulated agnatic succession and in case of the lack of a male heir, the succession would revert to the House of Hohenzollern. However, in 2007 King Michael changed his mind and signed a document named the Fundamental Rules of the Royal Family of Romania, by which he designated his eldest daughter Princess Margareta as his heir. No-one would doubt that Princess Margarita would be his heir if Romania had restored the monarchical form of government. The question many monarchists and royal watchers ask is if the king should personally decide on the order of succession and include and exclude members as he saw fit. Normally succession questions are a state affair, not the king's personal toy. The last ten years of his life was partly shadowed by scandals within his family, and his own handling of the succession question and treatment of his grandson Nicholas de Roumanie-Medforth-Mills has received critical comments. Concerning the fundamental rules, The Telegraph in its obituary wrote that «As Romania is now a republic with a president, the document has no legal standing.» That is of course correct as of now. However, the Parliament of Romania is currently considering to pass a law giving the royal family a special status and by which the fundamental rules would be acknowledged. In her declaration to the Romanian people Princess Margarita referred to herself as «Custodian of the Crown of Romania».
• 15 December 2017: The remains of Queen Elena of Italy (1873–1952) were brought from Montpellier, France to the family mausoleum at the Sanctuary of Vicoforte in northern Italy. Two days later the remains of her husband King Vittorio Emanuele III (b1869–r1900–1946–d1947) were transferred from Egypt. Parts of the royal family had wanted the former king to be buried in the Pantheon in Rome, but this was refused by the authorities.
• 16 December 2017: The funeral service for King Michael took place in Romania. The program can be read at the official website of the royal family. The list of representatives of reigning and former reigning royal families can be read here. The courts of Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark and Monaco did not send any representatives. Concerning Norway, the main reason for the absence of representation, other than that there has – as far as I understand it  – been little contact between the two families over the years, was that the king was to attend the consecration of Kari Veiteberg, the new Bishop of the bishopric of Oslo at 11 a.m. on Sunday 17 December, and he would not have made it back in time for that event if he had gone to Romania. The Crown Prince could of course have attended.
• 18 December 2017: According to the newspaper Romania Insider, «Romania’s governing parties ponder referendum on constitutional monarchy».
• 24 December 2017: The King and Queen of Norway celebrated Christmas at Kongsseteren («the Royal Lodge») in Oslo together with Princess Märtha Louise, Ari Behn and their daughters, while the Crown Prince family spent Christmas at Skaugum in Asker. Ari Behn, who is on good terms with his former in-laws after his marriage to Princess Märtha Louise broke down in 2016, commented in an interview earlier this month: «I am still part of the family». In an interview with TV2, Behn said: «This will be Christmas no. 2 in my new situation. Last year the children were with me, so this will be the first Christmas with the royal family after the divorce». On 5 August 2016 the Norwegian Royal Court announced that Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn were going to divorce. The court did not reveal when the formal separation took place. According to the Norwegian marriage act section 21, «Each of the spouses may demand a divorce when they have been separated for at least one year.» This would mean that the divorce was granted some time in 2017, but the royal court has not stated exactly when the royal marriage was finally dissolved.
• 25 December 2017: King Harald, Queen Sonja, Princess Märtha Louise and her two youngest daughters attended church service at Holmenkollen Chapel. The Crown Prince family attended the Christmas service in Asker Church the day before.

Updated on Thursday 28 December 2017 at 07.50 (I had for some reason forgotten to write King Vittorio Emanuele's numeral!).

HRH Prince Liam Henri Hartmut of Nassau

The Grand-Ducal Court of Luxembourg announced today that the son of Prince Félix and Princess Claire of Luxembourg has been given the names Liam Henri Hartmut. In accordance with the decree of 21 September 1995, the child has received the title Prince of Nassau and the style of Royal Highness.

The press release in English translation:

The Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess are pleased to announce, together with Prince Félix and Princess Claire, that the name of their grandson is His Royal Highness Prince Liam Henri Hartmut of Nassau.

Prince Liam, who was born in Geneva on 28 November 2016, is the second child of Prince Félix and Princess Claire of Luxembourg. It is easy to guess that the second name Henri is after Liam's grandfather Grand Duke Henri, and the third name Hartmut after Princess Claire's father Hartmut Lademacher.

Liam is an Irish short form of Uilliam, a derivative of William, Wilhelm (Willahelm) and Guillaume. As both Prince Liam's uncle and grand uncle have the name Guilluame, I guess Liam is a sensible way of not creating too much confusion. I suppose that the name in French is pronounced differently than in English.

Second child for Prince Félix and Princess Claire of Luxembourg

The Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg has announced that Princess Claire, wife of Prince Félix, gave birth to their second child, a boy, at Clinique Générale-Beaulieu in Geneva, Switzerland on 28 November 2016 one minute to 4 a.m.

The newborn prince, whose name is not made public yet, is fourth in line to the Grand Ducal throne of Luxembourg (after his uncle Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, his father Prince Félix and his elder sister Princess Amalia, who was born on 15 June 2014).

Prince Félix, second son of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, married Claire Lademacher in 2013.

Last time updated on Tuesday 29 November at 11.50 (time of birth was obviously a.m., not p.m.).

Royal birth in Luxembourg

The Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg released the following announcement earlier today, 16 June 2014:

Their Royal Highnesses Grand‐Duke and Grand‐Duchess of Luxembourg are very pleased to announce the birth of Prince Félix and Princess Claire’s first child.

The baby girl was born on 15 June 2014 at Maternité Grande‐Duchesse Charlotte in Luxembourg.

The little Princess will be named Amalia, Gabriela, Maria Teresa. On birth, the baby weighed 2,950 kilograms and measured 50 cm.

Prince Félix was at the side of his wife in the delivery room. Her Royal Highness and her baby are both doing well.

The Grand‐Duke and the Grand‐Duchess as well as Mr and Mrs Lademacher and both families are delighted with the news.

The exact time of the birth was for some reason not included in the announcement. Prince Felix is the second son of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg. He married Claire Lademacher on 17 September 2013 (religious celebration 21 September 2013). The pregnancy was announced by the court on 14 January 2014.

HRH Princess Amalia of Nassau, who is  third in line to the Grand-Ducal throne, is the third grandchild of the Grand Ducal couple. Prince Félix' younger brother Prince Louis and his wife Princess Tessy have two boys – Prince Gabriel (b. 2006) and Prince Noah (b. 2007).

I am not sure what has motivated the choice of Amalia as the baby's call name, but one can at least find several examples of Amalie or Amalia in the various Nassau lines. The other names (Gabriela Maria Teresa) are surely after Princess Amalia's grandmothers.

Prince Félix and Princess Claire of Luxembourg to become parents in June 2014

The Grand-Ducal Court of Luxembourg announced today, 14 January 2014, that Prince Felix and Princess Claire of Luxembourg are expecting their first child in June this year.

Princess Félix, the second son of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, married Claire Ladebacher on 17 September 2013 (civ.) in Königstein in Taunus, Germany and on 21 September 2013 (rel.) in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, France. The couple lives in Lourges, France.

The future royal baby, who will be third in line to the Grand-Ducal throne, will be the third grandchild of the Grand Ducal couple. Prince Félix' younger brother Prince Louis and his wife Princess Tessy have the boys Prince Gabriel (b. 2006) and Prince Noah (b. 2007).

See also Wort.lu and Luxarazzi.

A royal wedding and a Bernadotte birth

I thought I should combine two genealogical news into one blog article this time:

A. The civil wedding took place in Königstein im Taunus, Germany, between Prince Felix of Luxembourg, second son of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, née Mestre, and Claire Lademacher, only daughter and second child of Hartmut and Gabriele Lademacher, on Tuesday 17 September 2013. The religious wedding took place in La basilique de Sainte Marie-Madeleine in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, France on Saturday 21 September 2013.

A biography of the bride can be read here. For further information about the wedding celebrations, photos etc., go to the official website and the blog Luxarazzi. Prince Felix and Princess Claire's engagement was announced on 13 December 2012.

B. Count Edward Bernadotte af Wisborg and Countess Nathalie Bernadotte af Wisborg, née Frediani, became parents to a son, Leonardo Folke Bernadotte, on 15 September 2013, cf. the birth announcement in The Telegraph and  Svenska Dagbladet 22 September 2013. The baby boy was born in London.

Edward is the second son of Count Bertil Bernadotte af Wisborg and Countess Jill Bernadotte af Wisborg, née Rhodes-Maddox. Count Bertil is the youngest son of the late Count Folke Bernadotte af Wisborg (1895-1948) and Countess Estelle Bernadotte af Wisborg, née Manville.

(As mentioned at the Scandinavian Royals Message Board 19 and 22 Septembher 2013.)

Luxembourg: Wedding set for September 2013

The Grand-Ducal Court of Luxembourg announced on Monday 22 April 2013 that "the wedding of His Royal Highness Prince Felix of Luxembourg and Miss Claire Lademacher will be celebrated on Saturday 21st September 2013 at the Sainte Marie-Madeleine de Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume basilica in France.  The civil wedding will take place on 17th September at Königstein im Taunus in Germany."

The couple's engagement was announced on 13 December 2012. Ms. Lademacher is currently living in Rome, Italy, where she, according to the CV provided by the court, is working on her PhD on the ethical aspects of organ donation consent.

Many had speculated that the wedding would take place in Germany where Prince Felix' fiancée comes from, and were of course right, as the civil wedding is the only valid one according to the authorities, while some might have been surprised that the religious celebration and main event will take place in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume in the Var departement in Southeastern France. Some have also found it somewhat surprising that Prince Felix, who is second in the line of succession to the throne, is not getting married in Luxembourg. I have no opinion on the matter, but as it has been pointed out, it has not been so unusual for princes of Luxembourg to marry outside the grand-duchy. Grand Duke Henri's younger brother Prince Guillaume married in Versailles, France, while Grand Duke Jean's brother Prince Charles married in Guilford in Surrey, England.

See also the blog Luzarazzi concerning the announcement and the five bishops having official roles at the religious celebration as well as the local newspaper Wort.lu.

The coat of arms of the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg

The coat of arms of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg was published by Grand Ducal decree 31 October 2012 in Mémorial, the Legal Gazette of Luxembourg (No. A 236, 9 November 2012).

The proposal to the new arms was given by the Heraldic State Commission (Commission héraldique de l’Etat) on 17 July 2012, with authority in act 23 June 1972 concerning national emblems.

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy married

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume was married to the Belgian countess Stéphanie de Lannoy at the City Hall in Luxembourg on Friday 19 October 2012. A gala dinner took place at the Grand Ducal palace in the evening.

The religious ceremony took place in the Notre-Dame Cathedral today at 11 p.m., followed by a reception at the Grand Ducal palace. I was only able to follow the events on the Norwegian TV channel NRK1 up to bride's arrival at the cathedral. The weather was great and the crowd was  impressive. The TV commentators could have been more informative when commenting on all the royals arriving for the wedding, though.

More details about the wedding and photos can be found at the official website, Gouvernement.lu and the local newspaper Wort.lu (German and English versions). See also NettyRoyal and Luxarazzi.

Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy became Princess of Luxembourg upon the civil wedding on Friday. The Grand Duke will soon issue a decree making her Hereditary Grand Duchess. As mentioned earlier, the new member of the Grand Ducal family has obtained Luxembourgian nationality by act 10 October 2012, published in Mémorial 15 October 2012 (no. 221, p. 3014). The preparatory works can be read here.

Norwegian TV coverage of the Grand Ducal Wedding after all

Last month I was told by the Norwegian TV channels NRK and TV2 that neither were going to broadcast the wedding (religious ceremony) of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy on Saturday 20 October 2012.

Today NRK informed me by e-mail that it had decided to cover the wedding after all. The TV guide is still not updated, but the information departement tells that the broadcast will last from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The religious ceremony in the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg starts at 11 a.m. 

No coverage of the Grand Ducal Wedding on Norwegian TV

We learned earlier this week that the French TV channel France 2 had dropped its planned coverage of the wedding between Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy on 20 October 2012 for budgetary reasons.

I have been in contact with the Norwegian TV channels NRK and TV2 and have been informed that they will not cover the religious ceremony either. Certainly one can expect that a short glimpse of the ceremony will be shown during the ordinary news shows, but Norwegian royalty-watchers will not be able to watch the wedding in its entirety.

The royalty-watchers might be saved by Swedish TV, but as of now I have no idea if SVT or TV4 will broadcast the wedding or not.

Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy to take Luxembourgish nationality

It can hardly be a great surprise to anyone, but according to Wort.lu yesterday (3 September 2012), Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy is to become a citizen of Luxembourg when she marries Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume.

The bill was filed in the Chamber of Deputies yesterday and is expected to be voted on in early October.

Wort.lu claims that the act will come into force on 20 October 2012, the day the religious celebration takes place in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg. However, I can't find anything in the bill that explicitly states when the act is to come into force. It would also make more sense - at least to me - if the act comes into force on the date of the couple's civil wedding on 19 October. I guess we will know for sure when the promulgated law is being published in the legal gazette (Mémorial).

The bill (no. 6474 (2011-2012) can be read here.

Updated on Wednesday 5 September 2012 at 08:10 (minor correction).