20 Years of HIV/AIDS Research

Today, the Grand Duchess visited a photographic exhibition titled Le Sida, 20 ans de recherche au Luxembourg: l’espoir s’affirme. The exhibition was organised by the CRP-Santé and the National Service of Infectious Diseases, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg on the occassion of the 20th anniversary of the Laboratory of Retrovirology. The Grand Duchess, who is  the honorary president of the "Research Foundation against AIDS", toured the facility and listened to a couple of speeches given on the occassion.

For more information and a picture, venture over to the website of the cour. RTL covered the event in their evening news.


Source: CGD

A Visit to Pétange

Yesterday, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa visited the nursing home Saint Joseph in Pétange that has specialised in helping older people with dementia. The visit was part of a number of intergenerational meetings between the elderly, children and adolescents. 
  
To start her visit, the Grand Duchess was presented with information about the history and infrastructure of the nursing home by its director. Afterwards, she engaged in exchanged with those present and participated in group activities that were prepared by residents of the nursing home and children from the nursery Kordall. A reception topped of the visit.

Galleries of pictures are available on the website of the cour and on the website of Manuel Dias. (Psst, I you look carefully, you will see that the gallery of Manuel Dias also includes a few visuals of the the grand ducal couple's visit to the Edward Steichen exhibition.)


Source: Cour grand-ducale

Finally, News from China

The Hereditary Grand Duke and the Hereditary Grand Duchess have quietly finished up their first economic mission together.

Photo: Ministère de l'Economie et du Commerce extérieur

During the last couple of days, Stéphanie and Guillaume met with different politicians and businessmen, witnessed the signings of various business and collaboration agreements and attended a couple of seminars.

Photo: Ministère de l'Economie et du Commerce extérieur

Together with a delegation of businessmen and politicians from the Grand Duchy, they visited Chongqing, Suzhou and Shanghai, after the first day had led them to Beijing and Tianjin.

Photo: Ministère de l'Economie et du Commerce extérieur

For a few more pictures, venture over to Wort and have a look. Tageblatt also added another few pictures to their gallery.


Source: Wort

Please Enjoy This Blog On This Blog

We certainly haven't been without fault over the years, but something is repeatingly coming up that bothers us: Simply taking posts from our blog and reposting it all over the internet. It is a matter that probably many owners of blogs on royalty - I know that for a fact - and many other topics had to deal with, and it's simply annoying. Our blog has an extensive copyright section and we feel that it is time to draw even more attention to it.

It is neither allowed to just copy and paste articles from the blog to another place, nor is it legal to translate those posts with Google Translate, Babelfish or [insert any internet translator you know] into other languages. It has come to our attention that this is especially the case with various Spanish speaking forums, namely Cotillando, Charlemos, and Foros Realeza.

In the past and over the last few weeks, we have been trying to deal with the matter discreetly. We have been trying to contact both the posters and forum owners. Sadly, without much success.

We were told that forum owners are not responsible what is posted on their forum, which in fact they are! Have a look at the General Site Rules and Terms of Service of the provider of your Internet forum software. vBulletin, for example, tells us the following.

(...) No spreading of any copyrighted material (vBulletin or other) is to take place on this site without the expressed permission of the copyright holder, which must be attached to the material. (...) (General Site Rules)

In the past it has also happened that posters who had taken information from the blog without so much as a credit, told us that blogs are no legitimate source as we "simply take information from somewhere else" and repost them in another shape. Even though that might be the case in the daily work of the grand ducal family, we just do what newspapers, books, etc do; we take information and put them in a shape but we do not simply copy and paste them. Many posts require hours or days of research from sources that are not available online.

Even though it might not seem like that to some, we actually spend a lot of time online to find news that aren't on the front page. Even putting information together in another language actually requires time and effort. Sometimes we actually reveal news ourselves; it was this very blog that first reported about the engagement of Archduke Christoph and his Adelaide long before it was official news or the birth of little Count Leopold.

If you wish to share a post from the blog please just post a link to the blog. Do not copy, paste or translate entire posts or portions of posts!

Grand Ducal Couple at the Museum

Yesterday, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa visited an the exhibition "The Bitter Years" by Luxembourgish born American artist Edward Steichen. The photography exhibition was first shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1962, at the moment it is exhibited at the Centre National Audiovisuel in Dudelange.

Edward Steichen was born as Éduard Jean Steichen in the Grand Duchy in 1879. Together with his parents he migrated to the United States as an infant. For more information about him, have a look here. For pictures of the grand ducal couple at the museum have a look at Wort.


Source: Wort

Grand Duchess Welcomes President of ICRC

Today, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, who is the president of the Luxembourgish Red Cross, welcomed Peter Maurer at the palais for an audience. Since July 1st, Mr Maurer is the new president of the International Committee of the Red Cross. For a picture have a look on the website of the cour.


Source: CGD

No News from China *

Here I selfishly thought that the recent wedding might have changed a thing or two. Even though the (internet community's, at least) interest in Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and especially new Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie is high, it seems that the coverage of their activities has reached a new low. Or to put it simply, it's back to where it was pre-wedding and pre-engagement.

Guillaume's economic missions have always been some kind of slow news - him visiting the Middle East have usually been delightful exceptions. This time it's no different and so we will probably end up with a handful of visuals, usually provided by the cour, the government or the Ministère de l'Economie et du Commerce extérieur. Welcome to following the grand ducal family!

Meanwhile, while we (not so) patiently keep waiting with our fingers crossed, have a look at another three pictures of the first day over on the website of China Radio International. In case you have been more successful on your picture hunt of the hereditary grand ducal couple in China, please let us know. Woohoo, another two over at Xinhua.

The Hereditary Grand Ducal Couple in China

New Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie and Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, alongside a Luxembourgish delegation of polticians and businessmen, have made their way to China for an economic mission. The economic mission, that will take the newly weds through various Chinese cities this week, started in Beijing and Tianjin.

Photo: Ministère de l'Economie et du Commerce extérieur

The economic mission is marking the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Grand Duchy. On the occassion the bubbly flowed as a reception was given. The delegation also met with the Chinese minister of trade, Chen Deming. Stéphanie and Guillaume were also present for the signing of a contract between Luxembourgish brewery Bofferding and Chinese retailer BHG, that from now on will sell the beer in China.

Photo: Ministère de l'Economie et du Commerce extérieur

Together with minister Etienne Schneider, the two afterwards participated in a conference organised together with the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) in Tianjin.

A few more pictures are available at L'essentiel. Surely, more will come up as the evening progresses. So stay tuned...


Source: Ministère de l'Economie et du Commerce extérieur

Luxarazzi 101: Claire Lademacher

Although we had some initial misgivings about Claire Lademacher, the team of Luxarazzi is now firmly on Team Claire. We hope that after you read this article that you will feel inclined to join us as cheerleaders on Team Claire (and Team Lademacher, in general). For years we've only known Claire as the girlfriend of Prince Felix, but she is much more than just that. 

Claire together with Lawrence Frankopan, who was one of Hereditary
Grand Duke Guillaume's witnesses to his recent wedding, and Princess
Alexandra a few years ago. (Photo: Oreste)

While there is no doubt that Claire is wealthy and attractive many people aren't aware that she is also intelligent, well educated and very hard working. 

Claire Lademacher is far from average. Her father made a fortune, estimated at around 600 million euros, during her adolescence. Perhaps because her father made his own fortune instead of inheriting it, he and his wife instilled the values of education and hard work into their children.

Claire is currently a visiting researcher and scholar at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She is visiting from the Pontifical University Regina Apostolorum in Rome, Italy where she is a doctoral candidate (PhD). In addition to undertaking research for her thesis at the institute, Claire also serves as a guest lecturer on topics related to bioethics and organ donation. The positions as visiting researchers at the Kennedy Institute of Ethics are highly competitive. It is normal for the CV to stretch more than ten pages filled with advanced educational credentials, work experience and prestigious internships. 

Claire is working on her doctoral thesis at the Pontifical University Regina Apostolorum (PURA) where she recently completed her M.A. in Bioethics. The topic of her thesis is the bioethical evaluation of consent for organ donation with particular reference to Germany, Austria, and the United States. While she was a graduate student at the university she served as an intern with the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights. 

Claire and Félix in 
Miami earlier this year
(Photo: Getty Images)

The urge to study bioethics didn't come naturally to Claire. She became interested after she had already completed her bachelor's degree at the American University of Paris and began her working career at the Munich offices of Conde Nast Publications. Conde Nast is the publisher of lifestyle magazines like Vanity Fair, Vogue, and GQ. She later worked for IMG in Berlin.

Before she entered the American University of Paris she received her International Baccalaureate with honors at College Alpin International Beau Soleil in Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland where her contemporaries included Prince Felix and his cousin Princess Maria-Anunciata of Liechtenstein.

Born on 21 March 1985 in Filderstedt, she grew up near Frankfurt a.M., Claire is the daughter of mega-wealthy German software magnet and philanthropist Hartmut Lademacher and his wife Gabriela. Hartmut is a self-made millionaire who understands the meaning of hard work  He began his career at IBM in 1973. When he left IBM in 1990, after 17 years of employment, he had obtained the position of Manager of Project Marketing. He left IBM to establish his own business. Together with two other former IBM managers he established LHS (Lademacher Hertel Specifications) a company that specialized in billing and customer care for mobile networks. Within just a few years the company became a leader in the field and was turning out millions in profit and had established offices all over the world. He retired as CEO in 1999 but continued various supervisory positions (Chairman of the Supervisory Board, et al...) until LHS was purchased by Ericsson in 2007. 

Photo: Oreste

In 1995 Hartmut moved his family and part of his business to Atlanta, Georgia. He chose this location in part because he wanted to ensure that the children of his international employees would have access to a first rate intentional school. Like many of his employees, Hartmut sent his children to the Atlanta International School. The school was engaged in a fundraising drive so that they could build a performing arts center. When it became apparent that they would not meet their fundraising deadline the Lademacher's contributed one million dollars to the school. The construction of the facility continued on schedule and was named the Lademacher Performing Arts Center in honor of their generosity. The family continues to support the school. They were recently honored for their  generous support of the school's sports center. 

Even though Hartmut Lademacher is no longer associated with the business that he founded and guided to global success he has not retired from the business world. He now operates Sales Management und Marketing Deutschland GmbH (SMM). He has a diverse business holding. Mr. Lademacher has developed and maintained a business practice that gives back the communities where he engages in business. For example, when he purchased and refurbished a 300 year old castle in Croatia and built two accompanying marinas he used local staff, construction personal and building materials. It was his goal to contribute to the local economy and infrastructure. The castle and marina now make up a luxury hotel. Hartmut is heavily involved in tourism and wine production. He owns the 5 Star Le Mirador Kempinski hotel in Switzerland  and has other luxury properties in Germany, Spain and France. He owns and refurbished a castle and vineyard in the St. Tropez region. 

Additionally, he stays active in the world of business as (at least) a member of the board of directors of Le Mirador, WHS Capital AG, WHS Consulting AG and Wilhelm Hermes Steinkipper AG. He also owns H.L. Aircraft Leasing Company.

He also is an active philanthropist in his home region. Both Claire's parents originate from a rural area west of Cologne. Apart from building a shopping center and a high tech center, her father has given large sums of money to local sports clubs. Among the blessed ones are first division handball club VfL Gummersbach, who once a powerhouse struggled financially in the 90's, as well as the SV Schönenbach, his 11th division hometown football club.

Claire and Félix at a benefit gala 
in Miami earlier this year
(Photo: Social Miami)

Gabriela Lademacher's academic achievements echo those of her daughter. She has advanced degrees in sociology and art history. She has also completed extensive legal studies. She is an avid supporter of the Städelschule Portikus eV. foundation, that supports the "Staatliche Hochschule für Bildende Künste" in Frankfurt a.M. by financing different projects with money or commodity contributions as well as groups of students so they can realize their work. Somehow she also finds time to be active in cultural policy and issues related to refugees. She works to promote all kinds of art. 

We feel like it is best not to reveal too much information about Claire's brother, but we can assure you that he is well educated and industrious. He is gainfully employed in the fields of private equity and venture capital.

Her parents are now dividing their time between Germany, mainly Berlin and Frankfurt, and Atlanta, GA, United States.

A few years ago, the family lived in Königstein im Taunus, a small town North-East of Frankfurt, famous for both its scenery and for being a preferred residential area for the rich working in the German financial capital Frankfurt. Interestingly, Königstein is also what brings us back to the Grand Ducal Family: Since 1806 the town has been part of the Duchy of Nassau and the Grand Duke also holds the title of a Count of Königstein.

What do you think? Are you on Team Claire with us?


Sources: Bunte, Creative Loafing Atlanta, Businesswire, Georgetown University, UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights, Atlanta International School, Radial Stiftung, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Edgar Online, Kupoge, The Adriatic Times, Culture Bot, Art Net, Academia, Oberbergische Volkszeitung

The Wedding in Coins and Stamps

The Banque centrale du Luxembourg is giving out a new coin commemorating the wedding of the Hereditary Grand Duke and the new Hereditary Grand Duchess. The picture above is a first drive and apparently not definite yet.

I know that a lot of people were wondering why the Grand Duke can also be seen on the coin. The simple explanation: Because he has to; Luxembourgish law requires that the head of state is visible on all coins.

Additionally, Guillaume and Stephanie will go postal again, another stamp featuring a wedding picture will be issued in a few weeks.

Dutch Tulips and More Audiences

Last week, the Grand Duchess had another two audience; on the 15th and 16th of November respectively. For the first one, she welcomed the president of the fund labeling agency LuxFlag at the palais. A day later, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa received two delegates from the organisation ErwuesseBildung, that is run by the Christian centre of adult education of the Catholic church in Luxembourg.

On a Grand Ducal family related note, Luxembourg's mayor Xavier Bettel and the Dutch ambassador Petrus Wouterus Kok planted the last of 1.300 tulips in the gardens of the Villa Vauban. They were a gift to the city of Luxembourg by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands during her state visit back in March. A bit cliché, I know, but I bet it will look stunning in spring next year when the tulips start to blossom.


Source: Wort, CGD

More (possible) wedding details

It seems Archduke Christoph, the third child of Princess Marie-Astrid and Archduke Carl-Christian to tie the knot, will indeed get married in Nancy. (We already reported about Nancy being a possible wedding venue.) The same poster, who claims to know friends of the bride, French brunette Adélaïde Drapé-Frisch, has now revealed that the two will marry at the Basilique Saint-Epvre at 11am on December 29th. (At least the date is correct in any case.)

The neogothic church St. Eprve was built in the 19th century and is situated in the old town of Nancy. On November 26th, 1874, the church was elevated to minor basilica by Pope Pius IX. The basilica is dedicated to St. Eprve (English: Saint Aprus, German: Sankt Aper), bishop of Toul.


Source: Kiki de France on Noblesse & Royautés

Luxarazzi 101: Queen Victoria Eugenia's Aquamarine Tiara

Photos: Getty Images

For the pre-wedding gala dinner of the hereditary grand ducal couple, the groom's aunt Princess Sibilla brought out one, if not the biggest suprise of the evening: Queen Victoria Eugenia's Aquamarine Tiara.

This tiara was once owned by Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain, hence its name. A born Princess of Battenberg and granddaughter of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, she married King Alfonso XIII of Spain in 1906. Rumour has it, that the Queen, who was also known by her nickname Ena, had seen a similar tiara and dropped a few hints to her husband. [Oh, don't we all wish for someone who we can drop a few tiara hints to?!...]

Queen Ena

The tiara, that was purchased by King Alfonso XIII from Spanish jeweller Ansorena, has undergone quite a transformation over the last 100 years or so. In it's first setting, it did not even include aquamarines, but instead drop pearls. (Above left.) Some time after that, Queen Ena decided to change the tiara to accommodate Brazilian aquamarines. (Above right.)

Queen Victoria Eugenia eventually gave the tiara to her oldest daughter Infanta Beatriz, who married Alessandro Torlonia, Prince of Civitella-Cesi, in 1935, which brings us slowly but steadily to how it ended up on Princess Sibilla's head.

It was Infanta Beatriz who brought the tiara in the setting that we know today: interlocking circles with dangling aquamarine briolettes, allegedly because the tiara in its original setting was too fragile to include the new aquamarine stones. The design resembles that of the Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara, owned by the British royal family, though bigger and thus with more room for the aquamarines.

Infanta Beatriz, who died in 2002, left the tiara and the whole parure - consisting of an enormous necklace, a bracelet, earrings, a ring and a stomacher - to her two daughters, Sandra, who was the wife of the late Count Clemente Lecquio di Assaba and Olimpia, who was married to the late Paul-Annik Weiller. Both ladies have worn the tiara and/or parts of the parure on different occassions.

Earlier this year, a Spanish publication wrote that King Juan Carlos of Spain had approched the Torlonia sisters asking whether he could buy the parure back to give it to his wife, Queen Sofia, as a present for their 50th wedding anniversary. Though I personally did not believe the story due to various reasons, rumours went wild but thankfully Princess Sibilla put a definite stop to them by wearing the tiara, the stomacher and the earrings.

In case the name Weiller in connection with Donna Olimpia Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi did not already ring a bell for you: Princess Sibilla was born Sibilla Weiller and is one of the six children of Donna Olimpia and the late mega-rich businessman Paul-Annik Weiller. Sometime around or after Sibilla's wedding, that was lavishly celebrated with some 1,300 guests at Versailles, to Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte's youngest son, Prince Guillaume, her father actually got her another tiara: an art deco piece made of diamonds that was worn by her sister-in-law Countess Diane de Nassau at the pre-wedding dinner.

Microfinance #4: A Plus for Luxembourg

Last Friday, the Grand Duchess attended a round table conference with the topic "The microcredit: A plus for Luxembourgish enterprises". The event was organised by the FEALU (Female Entrepreneurship Ambassadors Luxembourg) and took place in the course of the microfinance week. More information and pictures are available on the official website of the grand ducal family.


Source: CGD

Members of the Family in Vienna

Two days ago, Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein was in Vienna to deliver a speech as part of the European Prize Coudenhove-Kalergi 2012 ceremony. This year's award was given to the president of the European Council Herman van Rompuy. The award ceremony was held to kick off the festivities of 90 years of Paneuropa. Prince Nikolaus is the vice-president of the European Society Coudenhove-Kalergi.

In 1923, Count Richard Nikolaus von Coudenhove-Kalergi published the manifesto "Paneuropa", that presented the idea of a unified European State. The same year the Paneuropean Union was founded. In more recent years it became closely associated with the late Archduke Otto of Austria, the last crown prince of the Austro-Hungarian empire, also known as Otto von Habsburg, who was the president from 1973, when he took over from Count Richard Nikolaus von Coudenhove-Kalergi, until 2004.

The Paneuropean Union is probably most famous, at least where humble me lives, for organising the Pan-European Picnic at the Austro-Hungarian border in August 1989. Otto von Habsburg, Hungarian Minister of State and reformer Imre Pozsgay and the other organisers distributed flyers to East-Germans on holiday in Hungary to come join the picnic. During the course of the picnic the border between Hungary and Austria was opened for about three hours allowing more than 600 East Germans to flee via Austria to Western Germany - marking the start of the fall of the Iron Curtain. Until the fall of the Berlin Wall about three months later about 70.000 East-Germans would cross the Austro-Hungarian border to flee to the West.

At least two of Archduke Otto's children, namely Archduke Karl, head of the Habsburg-Lorraine family, and Archduchess Walburga (also known as Walburga Habsburg Douglas) were also in Vienna for the three day event. Archduke Imre, son of Otto's nephew Archduke Carl-Christian and his Luxembourgish wife Princess Marie-Astrid and thus nephew of aforementioned Prince Nikolaus, also was among the guests.


Source: Profimedia, Paneuropa, Moi

Meanwhile in Liechtenstein and France

Prince Robert, cousin of Grand Duke Henri and owner of the Domaine Clarence Dillon and thus of the famous wine estates Château Haut-Brion and Château La Mission Haut-Brion, has enhanced his properties. As it became known now, the prince bought the Domaine Allary Haut-Brion (formerly Domaine de la Passion Haut-Brion) that borders his own estates. In March 2008 the value of the land on the estate now belonging to Prince Robert was estimated at a value of £900,000.

Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, husband of Luxembourg's Princess Margaretha, has also been busy during the last couple of weeks and months. The principality is looking for an unbundling of the state and the church. Prince Nikolaus, who is the brother of the Prince Hans-Adam II. and his country's non-resident ambassador to the Holy See, was asked by Liechtenstein's government to head a delegation that negotiated a concordat with the Vatican to achieve a secularisation. Yesterday evening, Prince Nikolaus took part in a special non-public session of the country's parliament.


Sources: Liechtensteiner Vaterland, The Drinks Business

Microfinance #3: The Honeymooners Are Back!

The newly-weds Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie are back from their oh so secret honeymoon (will we ever know where they went?!...) and joined Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa for their first post-wedding engagement today.

Photo: Serge Waldbillig / Luxemburger Wort / Wort.lu

Together the four welcomed Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, at the palais. Mr Yunus is currently in Luxembourg for the Week of Microfinance, events of which the Grand Duchess has attended during the last couple of days and will continue to do so in the next couple of days. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa has been involved in the business of social business and microfinance for many years, during the last two or three years she was often joined by her oldest son.


Source: Wort

Prince Jean Attends Exhibition

On Tuesday November 13th, Prince Jean attended the opening of the exhibition "La Maison Royale de Bourbon des Deux Siciles" portraying (surprise, surprise) the history of the royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, an Italian cadet branch of the House of Bourbon. The official website of Prince Jean of France, Duke de Vendôme has a report and pictures of the event that took place in Paris. More pictures are available at Getty Images.

Other royal guests, apart from the Grand Duke's brother, include the Duchess of Vendôme, Prince Laurent of Belgium, the Duke and Duchess of Castro, Prince Antoine and Princess Elisabeth of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Prince Alvaro and Princess Antonella of Orléans, the Count and Countess of Paris as well as the Princess Napoléon.


Source: Website of the Duke of Vendôme

The Grand Duke and His Aunt at the Movies

Yesterday evening, Grand Duke Henri attended the opening night of the Brazil Film Festival in Luxembourg to watch two different films from the South American country. He was joined by his maternal aunt Princess Marie-Esméralda of Belgium, half-sister of the late Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte, and her husband Salvador Moncada.

Before actually watching the films, the Grand Duke and his relatives happily chatted to the crowds at a cocktail reception at the cinema Utopolis in Kirchberg.

Princess Marie-Esméralda was present because her foundation financed one of the screened films. The documentary "La Visite du Roi" portrays the visits of King Leopold III's to the Xingu territory in central Brazil. Afterwards another film titled "Xingu", which shows the fight of the Villas Bôas brothers to make the area a national park.

Pictures can be found on the website of Wort.


Source: Wort

Microfinance #2: The Award

Tonight, the 4th European Microfinance Award was handed over to the Philippine microfinance institution Aski. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa was on hand to give the award to this year's winner. Together with two other organisation, one from Kyrgyzstan and another one from Bolivia, Aski will share €100.000 to continue with their fabulous work.

The European Microfinance Award is organised jointly by the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Luxembourg Round Table on Microfinance and the European Microfinance Platform to promote microfinance initiatives and highlight their contribution to the development of the sector. This year's award highlighted the work in the field of "Microfinance for Food Security".

Pictures can be found on the website of Tageblatt and at Wort.


Source: Tageblatt, European Microfinance Platform

Microfinance #1: The Women's World Banking

Yesterday, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa welcomed the president and CEO of the Women’s World Banking (WWB), Mary Ellen Iskenderian, as well as two of her colleagues Madelaine Bear and Carola Saba at the palais. Currently there is a week of microfinance going on in the Grand Duchy, so during the next couple of days there will be more microfinance and social business related events on the agenda of the Grand Duchess. Pictures of yesterday's event are available on the website of the cour.


Source: Cour grand-ducale

Luxarazzi 101: The Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg

Before, during and in the aftermath of the grand ducal wedding last months, there were questions arising about the new Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie and her life before we got to know her, so this post is trying to answer some of those questions...

Photo: Cour grand-ducale

The Hereditary Grand Duchess was born as Countess Stéphanie Marie Claudine Christine de Lannoy on February 18th, 1984 in Ronse, Belgium. She is the daughter of Philippe, Count de Lannoy (*1922) and Alix, Countess de Lannoy (1942-2012) and has seven older siblings, Count Jehan, Count Christian, Nathalie Hamilton, Countess Gaëlle, Count Amaury, Count Olivier and Isabelle de le Court. She grew up on the family estate in Anvaing in the Belgian province Hainaut.

Then Countess Stéphanie started her primary education at the Dutch-speaking school Sancta Maria in Ronse. The first two years of her secondary education, she spent at the Collège Sainte-Odile in Lambersart, Northern France. Afterwards she transferred to the Brussels-based Institut de la Vierge Fidèle.

She graduated from secondary education in 2002. Afterwards she spent a year in the Russian capital Moscow to learn Russian and take violin classes. After returning from Russia, she then spent 3 months in Munich to learn German.

Photo: Cour grand-ducale

She started her university education at the Université catholique de Louvain, where she would spend the next three years to study Germanic Philology. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree with distinction. After graduating, she moved to Berlin, Germany, where she attended the Humboldt University for her Master’s studies. She wrote her Master’s thesis in German about the influence of German romanticism on Russian literature using the examples of E.T.A. Hoffmann and Alexander Pushkin.

After finishing up university, she decided to stay in Berlin for a year and did an internship at the L'Agence Wallone à l'Exportation at the Belgian embassy. When she returned to Belgium, she started to work in an investment firm in Brussels. During this time she lived at her family's home in the Belgian capital.

Photo: Cour grand-ducale

Since a young age, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie had an interest in classical music; she can play piano and violin herself. During her teenage years she discovered a passion for literature, which she likes to read in its original language. Besides her native French, she is fully fluent in German and English. Of course she is learning Luxembourgish and also has some knowledge of Russian and Dutch.

Being involved in voluntary work, Stéphanie has made many trips with youth groups. In her free time, she enjoys skiing and swimming.

On April 27th, 2012, she was introduced to the public when she announced her engagement with Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume. The two had been a couple for a few years, after being introduced by mutual friends a few years earlier. Even though there was an instant connection, the two lost track of one another before finally starting to date.

Photo:
Christian Aschman / Cour grand-ducale

Upon her marriage to the Hereditary Grand Duke – civilly on October 19th and religiously on October 20th, 2012 – she gained Luxembourgish citizenship. From the religious wedding on, she is known as “Her Royal Highness Princess Stéphanie, the Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Hereditary Princess of Nassau and Princess de Bourbon de Parme”.

Since June 2012, she has been a member of the board of directors of the Fondation du Grand-Duc et de la Grande-Duchesse. Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie has expressed the wish to dedicate some of her time fighting solitude in all age groups.

Wedding Guest List

After wading and wading and wading and wading through tons of pictures of the wedding of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and his new wife née Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy, I have come up with an exhaustive (and exhausting) guest list. I suspect that I have missed many guests or that I might have misidentified some of them, so my apologies if that happened. Added to my own identification are people from the released guest list, plus people that were pointed out to me by others (thanks to everyone!).

Photo: Christian Aschman / Cour grand-ducale

I know that some of the titles are not entirely correct; of course it should be “Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg” or “The Grand Duke of Luxembourg”. Nevertheless, to avoid confusion, every person is listed as “*Title* *Name* of *Place*”. In some case there was no appropriate translation into English, so the title in the original language stayed.

I’m also aware that in some European countries nobility is abolished. So technically, it would be “Georg-Friedrich Prinz von Preußen” which is the actual name of “Prince Georg-Friedrich of Prussia”. As I’m not in Austria and thus not under Austrian law, all archdukes and -duchesses are listed as archduke and -duchesses and not as “*Name* Habsburg-Lothringen”. As I’m sure that some, if not many, of them aren’t Austrian citizens and I have no clue what their actual last name of the country in question is. (No, I have never seen their passports. Outrageous, I know.)

The guests are in alphabetical order by their last name / country of origin, starting with the immediate families of the groom and bride. All wives are listed with their husbands names / titles, even though some of them might still be styling themselves with their maiden names / titles. Wives of noble descendent are mentioned as “née *Title* of *Place*” because I think it is interesting to see the family connections and interrelatedness. Under-aged children are listed with their parents.


Family of the groom

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa
and Grand Duke Henri
(Photo: RTL)

Prince Félix of Luxembourg

Prince Louis of Luxembourg
Princess Tessy of Luxembourg
Prince Gabriel de Nassau

Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg

Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg

Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg

Archduke Carl-Christian of Austria
Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria, née Princess of Luxembourg

Count Rodolphe de Limburg-Stirum
Countess Marie-Christine de Limburg-Stirum, née Archduchess of Austria

Archduke Imre of Austria
Archduchess Kathleen of Austria

Archduke Christoph and his fiancée
Adélaïde (Photo: RTL)

Archduke Christoph of Austria
Adélaïde Drapé-Frisch

Archduke Alexander of Austria

Archduchess Gabriella of Austria

Prince Jean of Luxembourg
Countess Diane de Nassau

Princess Marie-Gabrielle de Nassau

Prince Constantin de Nassau

Prince Wenceslas de Nassau 

Prince Carl de Nassau

Prince Nikolaus von und zu Liechtenstein
Princess Margaretha von und zu Liechtenstein, née Princess of Luxembourg

Princess Maria-Anunciata von und zu Liechtenstein

Princess Marie-Astrid von und zu Liechtenstein

Princess Sibilla and Prince Guillaume
with their children Leopold, Charlotte,
Paul-Louis and Jean (Photo: RTL)

Prince Josef von und zu Liechtenstein

Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg
Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg
Prince Paul-Louis de Nassau
Prince Léopold de Nassau
Princess Charlotte de Nassau
Prince Jean de Nassau

Prince Robert of Luxembourg
Princess Julie de Nassau

Marc Cunningham
Charlotte Cunningham, née Princess of Luxembourg

Hélène Vestur, former wife of Prince Jean of Luxembourg

Charlotte and Marc Cunningham,
she is the daughter of Prince Charles

Mr Luis Mestre, brother of the Grand Duchess
Mrs Nicole Mestre

Maike Mestre

Luis Mestre

Mrs Catalina Esteve, sister of the Grand Duchess

Natalia Esteve

Katarina Esteve

Victoria Esteve

Mr Antonio Mestre, brother of the Grand Duchess


Family of the bride 

Count Philippe de Lannoy

Count Christian and Countess Luisa
de Lannoy (Photo: RTL)

Count Jehan de Lannoy
Countess Caroline de Lannoy
Countess Louise de Lannoy

Count Christian de Lannoy
Countess Luisa de Lannoy

Mr John Hamilton
Mrs Nathalie Hamilton, née Countess de Lannoy
Antonia Hamilton
Charlotte Hamilton
Madeleine Hamilton

Countess Gaëlle de Lannoy

Countess Isabelle,
sister of
Count Philippe
(Photo: RTL)

Count Amaury de Lannoy

Count Olivier de Lannoy
Countess Alice de Lannoy

Mr Jean-Charles de le Court
Mrs Isabelle de le Court, née Countess de Lannoy
Isaure de le Court
Lancelot de le Court

Countess Chantal de Lannoy

Countess Isabelle de Lannoy

Count Claude de Lannoy
Countess Claudine de Lannoy, née Countess d’Ursel

Dominique and Lydia
de Schaetzen (Photo: RTL)

Mr Ladislas della Faille de Leverghem
Mrs Anne della Faille de Leverghem, née de Schietere de Lophem

Knight Dominique de Schaetzen
Mrs Lydia de Schaetzen, née della Faille de Leverghem

Mr Claude de Goussencourt
Mrs Dominique de Goussencourt, née della Faille de Leverghem

Mr Arnaud della Faille de Leverghem
Mrs Marie-Pascale della Faille de Leverghem, née de Grand Ry


Royal and noble (-related) guests

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi

Countess Maria Beatrice von und zu Arco-Zinneberg, née Archduchess of Austria-Este

Countess Anna von und zu Arco-Zinneberg

Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinneberg

Princess Dainé d'Arenberg
(Photo: RTL)

Princess Dainé d'Arenberg

Felipe, Prince of Asturias
Letizia, Princess of Asturias

Archduke Martin of Austria-Este
Archduchess Katharina of Austria-Este, née Princess of Isenburg

Archduke István of Austria
Archduchess Paola of Austria, née de Temesváry

Archduchess Yolande of Austria, née Princess de Ligne

Archduke Rudolf of Austria
Archduchess Marie-Hélène of Austria, née de Villenfagne de Vogelsanck

Archduchess Priscilla of Austria

Archduke Rudolf with his
mother née Princess Yolande de
Ligne, his wife Archduchess Hélène
and daughter Archduchess Priscilla
are in the background (Photo: RTL)

Archduchess Anna Gabriele of Austria, née Princess of Wrede

Archduke Karl-Peter of Austria
Archduchess Alexandra of Austria, née Princess of Wrede

Archduke Simeon of Austria
Archduchess Maria of Austria, née Princess of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

Archduke Michael of Austria
Archduchess Christiana of Austria, née Princess of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg

Margrave Maximilian of Baden
Margravinne Valerie of Baden, née Archduchess of Austria

Hereditary Prince Bernhard of Baden
Hereditary Princess Stephanie of Baden
 
Count Andreas of Bardeau
Countess Anita of Bardeau, née Princess of Hohenberg

Duke Max and Duchess
Elisabeth in Bavaria
(Photo: RTL)

Duke Max in Bavaria
Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria, née Countess Douglas

Prince Ludwig of Bavaria

King Albert II of the Belgians
Queen Paola of the Belgians

Queen Fabiola of Belgium

Prince Philippe of Belgium, Duke of Brabant
Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant

Princess Astrid of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este
Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este

Prince Amedeo of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este

Prince Laurent of Belgium
Princess Claire of Belgium

Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Parma, Duke of Parma

The Duke and Duchess of Parma with
Queen Margarita of Bulgaria
(Photo: RTL)

Princess Annemarie of Bourbon-Parma, Duchess of Parma

Princess Lydia of Bourbon-Parma, née Countess Holstein til Ledreborg

Baron Philipp von und zu Bodman
Baroness Blanche von und zu Bodman, née Princess de Mérode

Lady Brabourne


Dom Duarte Pio, Duke of Bragança
Dona Isabel, Duchess of Bragança, née de Castro Curvelo de Herédia

King Simeon II of Bulgaria
Queen Margarita of Bulgaria, née Dona Gómez-Acebo y Cejuela

Prince Kiril and his sister-in-law
Princess Miriam of Bulgaria
(Photo: RTL)

Prince Kiril of Bulgaria

Princess Miriam of Bulgaria, née de Ungría y López

Duke Rudolf of Croÿ
Duchess Alexandra of Croÿ

Duchess Gabriele of Croÿ, née Princess of Bavaria

Count Andrea Czarnocki-Lucheschi
Countess Isabella Czarnocki-Lucheschi, née Archduchess of Austria-Este

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
Prince Henrik of Denmark

Lawrence Frankopan,
friend and witness of
the Hereditary Grand Duke
(Photo: CGD)

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark

Don Lawrence Doimi de Frankopan

Charles de Fabribeckers de Cortils et Grâce
Anne-Marie de Fabribeckers de Cortils de Grâce, née Princess de Ligne

Don Diégo Fernandez de Cordova y Cervero
Éleonore de Potesta

Mr Jean Fruchaud
Mrs Tatiana Fruchaud, née Princess Radziwill

Prince Piotr Dmitrievich Galitzine
Princess Maria-Anna Galitzine, née Archduchess of Austria

Baron Baudouin Gillès de Pélichy

Prince Piotr Galitzine
and his wife née
Archduchess Maria-Anna
(Photo: RTL)

Baroness Elisabeth Gilles de Pélichy, née Princess de Ligne

King Constantine II of Greece
Queen Anne-Marie of Greece

Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece
Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece

Princess Caroline of Hanover, née Princess of Monaco

Fürst Karl Friedrich of Hohenzollern
Fürstin Katharina of Hohenzollern

Countess Antonia Holstein til Ledreborg

The Hon. Alexandra Knatchbull

Crown Prince Naruhito of Japan

Count Andreas of Bardeau
and his wife née Princess Anita
of Hohenberg, cousin of Grand
Duke Henri (Photo: RTL)

Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan
Princess Sarvath El Hassan of Jordan

Prince Rashid bin El Hassan of Jordan
Princess Zeina al Rashid of Jordan

Count Jefferson-Friedrich von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth
Countess Alexandra von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth, née Princess zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg

Claire Lademacher, girlfriend of Prince Félix

Fürst Hans Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein
Fürstin Marie von und zu Liechtenstein

Princess Nora von und zu Liechtenstein

Princess Isabelle von und zu Liechtenstein, née de l'Arbre de Malander

Prince Wenzeslaus von und zu Liechtenstein

Princess Alix de Ligne, née Princess of Luxemburg

Prince Wauthier de Ligne,
a cousin of the Grand
Duke, and his wife Princess
Régine (Photo: RTL)

Prince Michel de Ligne
Princess Eleonora de Ligne, née de Orléans e Bragança

Princess Alix de Ligne

Prince Wauthier de Ligne
Princess Régine de Ligne, Countess de Renesse

Prince Antoine-Lamoral de Ligne
Princess Minthia de Ligne, née Countess de Lannoy

Count Bruno de Limburg Stirum
Countess Christine de Limburg Stirum, née Countess de Lannoy

Princess Françoise de Lobkowicz, née of Bourbon-Parma

Prince Charles-Henri de Lobkowicz

Fürst Alois-Konstantin zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg
Fürstin Anastasia zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, née Princess of Prussia

Princess Xenia Galitzine
and husband Alberto Matta
(Photo: RTL)

Alberto Matta Maya
Xenia Galitzine de Matta, née Princess Galitzine

Count Christoph von Meran
Countess Marie-Charlotte von Meran, née Henckel Countess von Donnersmarck

Prince Charles-Louis de Merode
Princess Clothilde de Merode, née Countess d'Oultremont

Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco

Mr John Munro
Mrs Silvia Munro, née Countess Holstein til Ledreborg

Prince Jean-Christophe Napoléon

Prince Jean-Christophe
Napoléon and Princess
Alix de Ligne
(Photo: RTL)

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands

Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange
Princess Máxima of the Netherlands

Countess Sophie de Nicolay, née Princess de Ligne

King Harald V of Norway
Queen Sonja of Norway

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway
Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway

Prince Antonio de Orléans e Bragança
Princess Christine de Orléans e Bragança, née Princess de Ligne

Prince Antonio de Orléans
e Bragança and his wife
née Princess Christine de Ligne,
a daughter of Princess Alix
of Luxembourg
(Photo: RTL)

Prince Lelio Orsini d'Aragona

Kinga, Edle von Poschinger

Baron Jean-Louis de Potesta
Baroness Sophie de Potesta, née Princess of Hohenberg

Veronica de Pottere, Lensgrevinde Holstein til Ledreborg

Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia

Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al Thani of Qatar

Fürst Alexander von Quadt zu Wykradt und Isny
Fürstin Martina von Quadt zu Wykradt und Isny

Count Jacques Rogge
Countess Anne Rogge

Crown Princess Margarita of Romania
Prince Radu of Romania

The Prince and Princess
of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
(Photo: RTL)

Count Axel of Rosenborg
Countess Jutta of Rosenborg

Fürst Alexander zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn
Fürstin Gabriela zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, née Countess von Schönborn-Wiesentheid

Hereditary Count Damian of Schönborn-Buchheim
Hereditary Countess Deirdre of Schönburg-Buchheim

Count Massimiliano Secco d'Aragona
Countess Catharina Secco d'Aragona, née Archduchess of Austria

Crown Prince Alexander II of Serbia
Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia

Fürst Jost-Christian zu Stolberg-Stolberg 

The Crown Princess and Prince Daniel
of Sweden (Photo: RTL)

Fürstin Sylvianne zu Stolberg-Stolberg

Princess Louise zu Stolberg-Stolberg

Queen Silvia of Sweden

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
Prince Daniel of Sweden

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden

Mr Hugo Townsend
Mrs Yolande Townsend, née Princess de Ligne

The Duke and Duchess of
Vendôme (Photo: RTL)

Prince Jean of France, Duke of Vendôme 
Philomena, Duchess of Vendôme, née de Tornos y Steinhart

Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice and Piedmont 
Clothilde, Princess of Venice and Piedmont

Hereditary Countess Mathilde von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg, née Duchess in Württemberg

Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Sophie, Countess of Wessex

Fürst Mariano Hugo zu Windisch-Graetz
Fürstin Sophie zu Windisch-Graetz, née Archduchess of Austria


Clergy 

Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich
(left) and the apostolic nuncio Monsignor
Giacinto Berloco (Photo: RTL)

Monsignor Giacinto Berloco, Apostolic Nuncio of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Abbot Vincent della Faille de Leverghem

Brother Emmanuel della Faille de Leverghem

Abbot Pascal André Dumont

Monsignor Fernand Franck, Archbishop emeritus of Luxembourg

Canon Ernest Gillen

Canon Henri Hamus

Canon Georges Hellinghausen

Fernand Franck, archbishop
emiritus (Photo: RTL)

Monsignor Jean-Claude Hollerich S.J., Archbishop of Luxembourg

Abbot Dominique Janthial

The Right Reverend Father Abbot Michel Jorrot O.S.B, Father Abbot of Clervaux

Canon François Muller

Abbot Jean-Pierre Reiners, master of ceremonies

Abbot Romain Richer, ceremonial official


Dignitaries, politicians and others

Prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker
and his wife Christiane Frising-Juncker
(Photo: RTL)

Orignally, I planned to also list all the dignitaries and politicans to attend the wedding. But as the wedding had hundreds of guests, it would be tiring for me (and probably also you) to list them all. Just to give you a short run-down... Of course, prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker and his whole cabinet were there, as were loads of members of the parliament. There were even more politicians in form of mayors like the mayor of Luxembourg City Xavier Bettel.  Also in attendance were the presidents of the supreme and of the adminitrative courts of Luxembourg, as were the leading figures of the Luxembourgish army and the grand ducal police.

Additionally, there were some European dignitaries like Viviane Reding, European commissioner for justice, fundamental rights and citizenship, José Manuel Barroso, president of the European commission, and Vassilios Skouris, president of the European court of justice.

Edouard Vermeulen with
Princess Isabelle and Prince
Wenzeslaus of Liechtenstein
(Photo: RTL)

All resident ambassadors to the Grand Duchy were among the guests.

The cour grand-ducale and employees of the ministery of foreign affairs were out in full force to accompany the above mentioned guests.

Last but certainly not least, the designer of the dress Elie Saab, his wife Claudine and their son Elie Jr were also among the guests; as was Edouard Vermeulen, the man behind the Natan creations.