Sunday, April 15, 2012

Passing Out *

Last Friday, Archduke Alexander, youngest son of Princess Marie-Astrid and husband Archduke Carl-Christian of Austria, and Prince Wenceslas, second son of Prince Jean and his former wife Helene Vestur, showed of their soldiering skills while passing out (no, that does not imply fainting) from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

In doing so they followed in the footsteps of many of their relatives. Their uncle Grand Duke Henri, Wenceslas' father Prince Jean and their cousins Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Prince Josef of Liechtenstein completed their training at Sandhurst, while Prince Felix started out but couldn't finish due to a knee injury. Also, their beloved grandfather Grand Duke Jean had military training in the United Kingdom and joint the Irish Guards to fight in World War II.

Theoretically, both Alexander and Wenceslas could now join the Luxembourgish army as they have been commissioned into Sandhurst on behalf of Luxembourg, though practically I'm not sure whether they qualify as one has to be fluent in French, German and Luxembourgish in speech and writing to join the military in the Grand Duchy.

Grand Duke Henri, Prince Louis and Princess Tessy were on hand to celebrate with Wenceslas and Alexander, as were Princess Marie-Astrid, Archduke Carl Christian, their son Archduke Christoph and his fiancée Adélaïde, and their daughter Archduchess Garbriella as well as Prince Jean and Helene Vestur with their children Princess Marie-Gabrielle and Prince Constantin. Pictures of all of them can now be found over at RTL, on the website of the cour and at Wort.


Source: RTL, CGD, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

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