Tuesday, May 31, 2016

A Couple of Things We Missed

Occasionally, some events slip by, unnoticed at the time but still worth mentioning after the fact.

Photo: Volksblatt / Volksblatt.li
On May 9th, Hereditary Prince Alois attended the 11th Entrepreneur Day event, with the theme "Success With New Business Models." The event saw approximately 600 attendees from Liechtenstein, Austria, and Switzerland, with a range of speakers that included German economist Hans-Werner Sinn, Swiss business writer Alexander Osterwalder, and German neuropsychologist Lutz Jäncke.

More about the event here and here, and photos here.

Additionally, on May 14th (Whit Saturday) Prince Hans-Adam officially received the European Charles IV Award from the Sudeten German Homeland Association, as announced. The award was given in Nuremberg, Germany, at the Sudeten German congress. A heavily watermarked photo here.

Liechtenstein Attendance at the Haberler Conference

Photo: Forum Freie Gesellschaft / forum-freie-gesellschaft.de
On May 20th, Prince Philipp and Prince Michael were in attendance at the 12th annual International Gottfried von Haberler Conference at the University of Liechtenstein in Vaduz. The event, organized into three sessions, was focused around the theme "Über Zentralbanken, Schuldenpolitik und den geprellten Bürger" ("Central Banks, Fiscal Policy and the Betrayed Citizen"). Prince Michael gave the opening address and the farewell address. The annual conference is organized by ECAEF, or the European Center of Austrian Economics Foundation.

More about the conference here and here, as well as a video here.

For previous blog posts about the Haberler conference, see here, here, and here on the blog.

UPDATE: It turns out that Prince Hans-Adam and Prince Nikolaus were also at the conference.

Princess Nora at the Liechtenstein Olympic Committee

On Monday, Princess Nora attended a meeting of the Liechtenstein Olympic Committee (LOC), during which Isabel Fehr was chosen as the new president of the organization. The previous president, Leo Kranz, stepped down on April 23rd but was selected as an honorary member of the Liechtenstein committee during Monday's event. Princess Nora also gave a speech, commenting positively on the long-time hard work of LOC members.

A little more information here. No photos of Nora at this time, but they'll be added if they're made available.

Monday, May 30, 2016

Princess Margaretha Attends Concours Reine Élisabeth

On Saturday, Princess Margaretha was in Brussels to attend the Concours Reine Élisabeth, along with Queen Mathilde of the Belgians and her daughter Princess Elisabeth. This event, among the most prestigious music competitions in the world, features competitors for violin, piano, voice, and cello. (Previously, composers also competed, up until 2012.) Princess Margaretha was there for the piano finals.

For previous attendances - and attendees - at the Concours Reine Élisabeth, see here on the blog.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Guests at Prince Noah`s First Communion

Photo: Cour grand-ducale / Olivier Polet
A completely unsorted and incomplete list of the guests at Prince Noah's first communion:

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg
Grand Duchess Maria-Teresa of Luxembourg

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg
Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg

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

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

Archduke Imre of Austria
Archduchess Kathleen of Austria
Archduchess Maria-Stella of Austria
Archduchess Magdalena of Austria

Hélène Vestur, former wife of Prince Jean

Prince Albert-Henri de Merode
Princess Marie-Christine de Merode
Prince Louis de Merode
Princess Marie-Blanche de Merode
Prince Tassilo de Merode

Diego Fernández de Córdova y Cerveró
Eleonore de Potesta, granddaughter of Princess Elisabeth of Luxembourg
Rafael Fernández de Córdova y de Potesta

Charles-Louis de Potesta, grandson of Princess Elisabeth of Luxembourg

Elisabeth de Potesta, granddaughter of Princess Elisabeth of Luxembourg

François Antony, Princess Tessy's father
Régine Antony, Princess Tessy's mother

Patty de Kroon, Princess Tessy's sister

Ronny Antony, Princess Tessy's brother

Madame Heidemann, Princess Tessy's grandmother

Saturday, May 28, 2016

The Brotherhood of the Travelling Tie

Photos: Christian Aschman / Luxemburger Wort / Wort.lu
Remember our post from about a year ago? About Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, Prince Félix and Prince Louis, a.k.a. the "Brothers in Ties", wearing (and possibly sharing) the same tie?
Photo: Roland Miny / Pressphoto.RTL.lu
Well, we got a new member for brotherhood of the travelling tie: Grand Duke Henri himself! He sported the same Nassau-coloured as his sons did on previous occasions for his grandson Noah's communion this morning.
And you know the funniest thing of it all? Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume wore the tie this afternoon for the 125th anniversary of the Nassau-Luxembourg dynasty. Three possible scenarios: 
1) "Oh papa, you are wearing the same tie? Let me change into another one but I'll wear this one in the afternoon to change things up!" 
2) "Oh papa, your tie really looks more Nassau than mine! Can I borrow your's for this afternoon?" 
3) "Oh papa, some wine spilled over my tie, can I borrow your's for this afternoon? It also looks very Nassau-esque!"

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa Supports Friendship Luxembourg

On Friday evening, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa attended an academic session the mark the 10th anniversary of Friendship Luxembourg. In 2002, Runa Khan was part of founding Friendship in Bangladesh, which focuses on supporting many of the poorest people living in that country. Then in 2004, the Grand Duchess visited Bangladesh, and the idea of a branch in Luxembourg was born. Friendship Luxembourg, founded in 2006, works to support the efforts of Friendship in Bangladesh by putting the same organizational values into practice.


Guillaume and Stéphanie Celebrate Nassau Dynasty in Schengen

Photo: Lex Kleren / Luxemburger Wort / Wort.lu
After Prince Noah's first communion and family luncheon at Château de Berg, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie were off to Schengen. What they did there? Celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Nassau-Luxembourg dynasty with some guests from Germany (and a year late, for those who will tell me in an instant that Duke Adolph of Nassau indeed became Grand Duke of Luxembourg in 1890.)

Photo: Lex Kleren / Luxemburger Wort / Wort.lu
The guests from Germany was the Bürgergarde from the city of Weilburg, ancestral home of the Grand Ducal Family. The 'civil guard', a guard of honour, was founded on the occasion of the wedding of Duke Wilhelm of Nassau (1792-1839) and Princess Louise of Saxe-Hildburghausen (1794-1825), great-great-great-great-grandparents - I hope I haven't forgotten anyone - of the Hereditary Grand Duke.

In Schengen, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume inspected the guard of honour from Weilburg and hopped on the MS Princesse Marie-Astrid together with his wife and several dignitaries to witness a ceremony to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the dynasty Weilburg-Nassau. Afterwards, the Hereditary Grand Duke (who changed into one of his Nassau-coloured ties from this morning) and the Hereditary Grand Duchess (who wore the same dress by Temperley London) unveiled a memorial plague near a lime tree from Weilburg, which was planted last fall. To round off the day, the grand ducal duo opened a travelling exhibition entitled "Dynastie Luxemburg-Nassau". The exhibition will be shown in 18 Luxembourgish municipalities and Weilburg over the coming months.

Heaps of visuals of the event at RTL and Wort. RTL also has a video as does HR inluding a very short German interview with Guillaume and Stéphanie.

Official Pictures of Prince Noah's Communion

Prince Noah celebrated his first communion today and the cour released a few official photographs of the day. More information about all the things going on in our previous post. Looking at the pictures, it seems that Grand Duke Jean, Prince Félix and Princess Claire did not attend the celebrations, same goes for Archduke Carl-Christian and Archduchess Marie-Astrid - here's hoping everyone is well!

All photos by: Cour grand-ducale / Olivier Polet.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Prince Noah Celebrates First Communion

All photos: Luc Deflorenne / Luxemburger Wort / Wort.lu
How time flies! This morning, Prince Noah, the second son of Prince Louis and Princess Tessy received his First Communion at the parish church of Nommern in the canton of Mersch not far from Colmar-Berg. The mass was presided over by Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich and concelebrated by the Archbishop emeritus Fernand Franck, the grand ducal chaplain François Muller, priest Albert Franck of Gilsdorf, as well as the curate of the parishes of Mersch priest Romain Richer and Father Alexander Ezechukwu. The master of the ceremonies was priest Jean-Pierre Reiners. Altar servers were children from the parishes of Dudelange, Erpeldange/Bous, Lipperscheid, Tuntange and Welfrange. 

The mass started at 10am this morning and included music by the Chorale de Fischbach under the direction of John Daems, trumpet player Guy Conter from Esch-sur-Alzette and organist Marc Loewen of the parish churches in Bridel and Lintgen.
Naturally the day brought out an array of members of the Grand Ducal Family, relatives and friends. Present to witness the occasion were (at least): Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa; Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie; Prince Louis and Princess Tessy with Prince Gabriel and the star of the day himself, Prince Noah. In addition, there were Archduke Imre with wife Archduchess Kathleen and daughters Maria-Stella and Magdalena; Prince Jean's former wife Hélène Vestur; Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla with their four children and members of Princess Tessy's family. 

Also among the guests: Prince Albert-Henri and Princess Marie-Christine de Merode with their children Louis, Marie-Blanche and Tassilo; Eleonore de Potesta with husband Diego Fernández de Córdova y Cerveró and son Rafael; Charles-Louis de Potesta; Lady Elizabeth Anson; as well as William and Rosie Stancer with son Jock. (We'll make a proper guest list once more pictures of the day have become available.)

For now, check Wort and RTL for the first visuals of the day. Late this afternoon, the cour will also release pictures from the churches interior - so make sure to check back this evening or tomorrow!

Princely Family Fights for Inherited Land in Czech Republic

An interesting court case in the Czech Republic continues: About three years ago the Princely Family learned that Prince Franz Josef II was still registered as the owner of almost 100 plots of land near Říčany, and so they - or rather the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation - applied for inheritance. (More on why this was such a big thing in our post about the Beneš Decrees.) A district court approved their claim and the plots were subsequently transferred to the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation in the land register. 

After the Czech state became aware, they filed lawsuit against the Foundation as they believed the transferal of the land to the Princely Family to be unlawful based on the Beneš Decrees. In the first instance, the Foundation lost the case in last November but appealed the verdict. Last week, the second instance also decided in favour of the Czech state. A spokesman for the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation, namely Max Hohenberg (or Prince Max of Hohenberg), said that they will go through all four Czech judicial authorities to fight for the land. 

More information in this article of Berner Zeitung.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Grand Duke Henri Visits an Educational Trail

Photo: Lex Kleren / Luxemburger Wort / Wort.lu
Today Grand Duke Henri was in Ettelbruck to visit the educational trail Ditgesbaach, as the patron of natur&ëmwelt Fondation Hëllef fir d'Natur. The organization, which was founded in 1982, has the goal of managing and preserving nature reserves, from wetlands to grasslands to vineyards, and more. The foundation currently owns more than 1000 hectares of land.

Grand Duke Henri has been patron since 2008.

A little more information about the visit at Wort. Also, a video from RTL.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Guillaume & Stéphanie: Seven(-ish) Days in the U.S. of A.

The Ministry of the Economy today published a press release about the recent mission de prospection - still don't know a good translation for it - and here's a rough translation of what Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie have been up to during the past few days. 

Photo: Sweet Feet Photography
The Hereditary Grand Duke, Minister Etienne Schneider and their delegation arrived in the United States of America on May 19, when they were received by Karen Peetz, president of BNY Mellon, which is investing in new technologies by creating a digital collaborative "open source" environment primarily targeted to the financial sector. They later discussed the economic situation in its US, European and Luxembourg contexts at a luncheon with members of the Economic Club of New York and other senior executives. They also paid visits to Betworks incubator in New York and the headquarters of Major League Baseball (MLB) Advanced Media.

The following day, the delegation including everyone's favourite Hereditary Grand Duke (ha, the advantages of coming from the world's only Grand Duchy!) visited Industry City in Brooklyn, a renovated former warehouse and home to startups, artists and restaurants. The companies visited included Ombligo, which is active in the circular economy. The company recycles or repairs servers and computers, enabling it to offer digital equipment at lower prices. 

On May 22, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Minister Schneider made a fleeting visit to the Luxembourg American Cultural Center and the Roots & Leaves Museum in Belgium, Wisconsin. That day Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie also joined the delegation.

Photo: Ministère de l'Économie
The next day, they were all back in New York City were they hosted a reception dedicated to the ICT sector, which was held at Luxembourg House. The event brought together members of the FEDIL business delegation with the leaders of some twenty US companies.

May 24 saw a seminar on cyber-security and respect for privacy organised by Kaye Scholer LLP as well as Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie and Etienne Schneider having luncheon with Leonard levie, President of the Board of AIAC Group, owner of Eurofoil Luxembourg SA. The climax of the second to last day in the U.S. was the Luxembourg-American Business Award

The mission promoting the Grand Duchy as a business place ended yesterday with a breakfast seminar organised by the Luxembourg Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (LPEA) as well as more food at a luncheon with representatives of Venture Capital Funds to promote Luxembourg a little more.

As it is quite the norm whenever it comes to travels to the U.S. we didn't get to see a whole lot of visuals of it. However, make sure to (re)visit our posts about some of the individual days (all linked above) to see all that's available. (Pssst, we updated some of the posts with new links since they were originally published!)

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Louis and Tessy at Banquet for Hungarian President

Photo: Real Casa di Borbone delle Due Sicilie
Prince Louis and Princess Tessy attended a banquet hosted by the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George in Great Britain and Ireland in honour of János Áder, President of the Republic of Hungary, at Drapers Hall last night. (Phew, long sentence!) The event celebrated the return of a relic of Saint and Martyr Thomas à Becket from Hungary to the United Kingdom. Looking particularly lovely, Princess Tessy sported the sash of the Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolph of Nassau (though it should be worn over the other shoulder and the star is missing). Prince Louis, too, looked quite nice in his black tie though without any order (and thus no complaint from me).

A bit of information for all of us not up on all of the Catholic saints: Thomas à Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. The relic is usually held at the Basilica of Esztergom, Hungary’s most important Catholic church. They are now being shown in the United Kingdom for the first time in 800 years during a elaborate week-long “pilgrimage” to Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Canterbury Cathedral via Rochester Cathedral. The return of the relics aims to foster the reconciliation between Anglicans and Roman Catholics. The event was jointly organised by the Embassy of Hungary in London together with the Roman Catholic Church of England and Wales and the Church of England

8th Luxembourg-American Business Award

Ein von Philip Crowther (@philipindc) gepostetes Foto am

Last night saw Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie attending the 8th Luxembourg-American Business Award at the New York Athletic Club. The couple is currently on a economic mission aimed at seeking out new sales leads and promoting the Grand Duchy on the U.S. East Coast. For previous posts on the mission de prospection, have a look here, here and here.

The winner of this year's Business Award handed out by the Hereditary Grand Duke was Ampacet. The company, who also operates in Dudelange, Luxembourg, is a producer of plastics color and additive concentrates including slip agents, UV inhibitors, anti fogs and foaming agents. They operate 24 manufacturing sites in 17 countries around the world as well as four research and development centres. The event also included a gala dinner and entertainment.

More visuals of the night at Tageblatt.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

A Monday Night Out in New York City

Photo: The Soho House
Some more new from the United States: After visiting Wisconsin on Sunday, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie have made their way to New York City. On Monday night, they hosted a delegation from the Luxembourg Business Federation's IT Community at a private reception at Luxembourg House together with Deputy Prime Minister Etienne Schneider and Consul General Jean-Claude Knebeler.

The event saw  technology advisor to the White House and now Sovereign advisory on financial media, real estate technology and fintech, David Drake, Chairman of LDJ Capital, discuss cryptocurrency, cyber security and cyber-physical strategies and policies for countries and nations.

Hereditary Princess Sophie Supports Caritas Liechtenstein

Photo: Daniel Schwendener / Vaterland / Vaterland.li
On Tuesday, Hereditary Princess Sophie was at Gasthaus Löwen in Bendern for the annual meeting of Caritas Liechtenstein. The organization provides financial support, including interest-free loans, to those facing severe money troubles. This support goes to those in Liechtenstein, but has also expanded to help those outside the country who struggle in the midst of ongoing political conflict. Within Liechtenstein, Caritas provides at least one contact person in each area to ensure that individuals within the principality can reach someone locally.

A little more at Vaterland.

Monday, May 23, 2016

Guillaume and Stéphanie Trace Luxembourg Roots in the U.S.

Photo: Sweet Feet Photography
Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie are en mission de prospection in the United States of America at the moment. While it remains a mystery what they did for the first few days, the couple arrived safely in Belgium, Wisconsin yesterday. Belgium is the home of the Luxembourg-American Cultural Centre and heart of the Luxembourgish community in the U.S. Ironically, there is also a Luxemburg in Wisconsin though the ties to Luxembourg of Luxemburg don't seem to be as strong as it is the case with Belgium. (Still with me?)

In Belgium, the Hereditary Grand Duke and the Hereditary Grand Duchess visited the Grand Duke Henri Plaza as well as the Roots and Leaves Museum of the Cultural Centre following in the footsteps of Grand Duke Henri, Prince Félix, Prince Louis and Prince Sébastien who did so on a boys-only-and-no-Guillaume-trip in 2009. About yesterday's visit Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume said, "Walking through your town raises an odd feeling inside of all of us. It's very strange, a feeling of deja vu, a sense of familiarity despite all being unknown." 

About 50,000 Luxembourgers left the Grand Duchy between 1850 and 1900 in search of a better life. Interestingly, many of their descendants are now applying for dual citizenship and thus the Hereditary Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duchess met many fellow countrymen and -women yesterday.

For more pictures and videos of the Wisconsin visit have a look at Sweet Feet Photography, Tageblatt, L'essentiel, WISN and Fox 6.

Henri Receives the Speakers of the EU Parliaments


On Monday afternoon, Grand Duke Henri received in audience the Speakers of the EU Parliaments. These 36 dignitaries are currently meeting in Luxembourg for the Speakers Conference, which was organized by the Chambre des Députés and runs from the 22nd to the 24th.

A few more photos on Flickr and a little more about the conference and its agenda here.

State Visit from Romania

Mark your calendars, there's a state visit (and hopefully tiaras) coming up! Between June 6 and 7, the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis and his wife Carmen will make a state visit to the Grand Duchy. During their stay, they will be hosted by Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. Usually a state visit to Luxembourg also brings of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie for some of the events, if they are not otherwise occupied.

Guillaume and Stéphanie Arrive in Belgium (No, Not That One)

Photo: Jonah Kaplan / Twitter
Did you know Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie have been in the United States on an economic mission for a few days now? You did not? You are forgiven considering that there are about zero visuals of them touring the U.S. However, their magic ability to avoid about any camera whatsoever is about to come to an end: The Hereditary Grand Duke and the Hereditary Grand Duchess arrived to Belgium, Wisconsin today. The town in Ozaukee County is the centre of the Luxembourgish migrant community in the United States and home of the Luxembourg-American cultural centre. 

Considering that there are about three local news reporters already on their track, we'll have plentiful to catch up with tomorrow. Until then, check out Jonah Kaplan of TMJ4 and Jenna Sachs of WITI Fox 6 on Twitter.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Lascurain Corcuera/Mérode Wedding

Photo: Reforma
Time for a noble wedding: Early last month, on April 2, Prince Charles-Adrien de Mérode married Guadalupe de Lascurain Corcuera. Charles-Adrien, or Chaz, is the son of Prince Charles-Louis de Mérode and his wife née Countess Clotilde d'Oultremont. You might recall that we already covered the weddings of his sisters Blanche and Marguerite a few years ago and so it's no surprise that Luxembourgish (and likely Liechtenstein) attendance was plentiful. 

Both Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, who was one of the witnesses and held a speech in Spanish, and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie travelled to Mexico City, the bride's home, for the wedding. They were joined by Prince Félix and Prince Sébastien and likely a few other members of the Luxembourg and Liechtenstein families, considering that there were about 600 guests. One relative who was there was Count Amaury de Lannoy, brother of the Hereditary Grand Duchess.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Prince Hans-Adam Discusses the Self-Determining State

Photo: Roger Askew / Oxford Union / The Clarion Review
Prince Hans-Adam sat down with Jonathan Price of the Clarion Review for an interview about the role of the small state and the opportunities for self-determinism in 21st-century Europe. The interview took place at the Oxford Union.

Within the interview, Prince Hans-Adam acknowledged "that large states are inevitable," but also noted the place of smaller nations, such as Liechtenstein, in bringing balance to the global conversation. The Prince also discussed his book The State in the Third Millennium and the importance of local governance for strengthening democracy.

The full interview here.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Guillaume and Stéphanie Head to United States

More foreign travels for the Grand Ducal Family: Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie will head to the United States for an economic and trade mission. The Hereditary Grand Duke will visit the U.S. between May 19 and 25. Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie will join the delegation on May 22 for a visit to the Luxembourg American Cultural Society in Belgium (yes, the irony), Wisconsin. Together they will make their way to New York City to attend the Luxembourg American Business Award.

Tessy Speaks at Women, Wealth, Philanthropy Conference

On Monday, Princess Tessy was one of the speakers at the Women, Wealth, Philanthropy conference, organized by the Global Legal Post in London. The event was part of the Luxury Law Summit and featured presentations on wealth creation and philanthropy in the 21st century and whether or not women have a different "style of giving," among other topics. 

A little more about the event here.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Second Day of Czech Visits Revisited

Photo: ČTK/Kamaryt Michal
Let's have another look at the second day of both Grand Duke Henri's and Hereditary Prince Alois' visits to Prague over the past two days. We've had a bit of a mix-up when it came to covering the events and actually covered the first day twice, here and here (and can you blame us after all the news-less weeks we've had to endure?! In all seriousness though: many apologies for the confusion!) 

The second day in the Czech Republic was all about a mass at St. Vitus Cathedral marking the 700th anniversary the birth of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV of the House of Luxembourg. Grand Duke Henri and Hereditary Prince Alois were joined by Czech president Milos Zeman and Prince Albert II of Monaco for the event, which also saw the unveiling of an unusually long exhibition of the Czech crown jewels which can be seen from the May 15 to 29.

Pictures and videos are available on several Czech websites including Denik, TA 3 and iDNES.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Henri and Alois in Prague: Day 2

Photo: Blesk.cz
On May 14th, Czech Republic President Miloš Zeman met three European royals: Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, and Prince Albert II of Monaco. All were there to recognize the 700th anniversary of the birth of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. (Luxarazzi 101 readers will remember that Charles IV was the son of John the Blind and a member of the House of Luxembourg.)

The Czech President met first with Grand Duke Henri and then with Hereditary Prince Alois, and finally with Prince Albert. The meeting itself was private, although photos were taken before the private conversation.

For more about Day 1 in Prague, see the earlier Luxarazzi post, which discusses Grand Duke Henri's reception of the Charles IV award.

More about Day 2 here, including photos of Alois (and, later, with Albert) with President Zeman.


Prince Luitpold of Liechtenstein Has Died

Photo: Trachten-Musikkapelle Reifling / Kleinezeitung.at

Prince Luitpold of Liechtenstein, 76, passed away on May 11, in Judenburg, Austria, where he has lived and been active in philanthropic projects for many years. These projects include Simultania Liechtenstein and the Styrian Forest Association.

He was born Prince Luitpold Rudolf Georg Hubertus, the elder child of Prince Aloys Géza Georg Hubert Maria and Hertha-Maria Gräfin Wolffskeel von Reichenberg. Prince Luitpold married twice (first to Ulrike Gräfin von Habsburg-Lothringe, and second to Edith Pelchen) and had two sons from his first marriage, Friedrich and Carl. He is survived by his younger son Carl and his wife Edith. His great-great grandfather was Prince Eduard Franz of Liechtenstein, the 11th child and 5th son of Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein.

The service will be held on May 21 at the Church of St. Nicholas in Judenburg. Prince Luitpold's widow has requested donations to Simultania Liechtenstein in lieu of flowers.

More information here.

Prince Louis Attends a Literary Evening in London

Photo: Chronicle.lu
On Thursday, Prince Louis visited the residence of the Luxembourg Ambassador to the UK, Patrick Engelberg, for a literary evening in celebration of crime writing. The special guests for the event were authors Ruth Dugdall (Nowhere Girl) and Daniel Pembrey (The Candidate). Both featured Luxembourg as the setting in their novels.

Around 50 people attended the event, which also included a charity auction. A little more at Chronicle.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia Died Aged 91

Photo: Sovereign Military Order of the Dragon
Prince Alexander Pavlov Karadjordjevic died at the age of 91 in Paris on Thursday morning, May 12. The Yugoslavian prince was the husband of Princess Barbara of Liechtenstein, a cousin of Prince Hans-Adam II. Born on August 13, 1924, Prince Alexander was the son of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia and Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark. He was firstly married to Princess Maria-Pia of Savoy, four children come from his first marriage. He secondly married Princess Barbara in 1973, the couple share a son, Prince Dušan; all three of them are pictured on the right. 

Luxembourg-Liechtenstein Duo in Prague

Photo: AFP
Both Grand Duke Henri and Hereditary Prince Alois are in Prague at the moment where both of them will attend celebrations to mark the 700th birthday of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV tomorrow. Charles IV, who was born on May 14, 1316, was the second King of Bohemia from the medieval House of Luxembourg, and the first King of Bohemia also to become Holy Roman Emperor. He was the oldest son of John "the Blind" of Bohemia, who is buried at the Cathédral Notre-Dame de Luxembourg.

Photo: IKR
The Luxembourg-Liechtenstein duo already arrived in the Czech Republic today, where both of them met with the President Miloš Zeman two hold bilateral talks. Grand Duke Henri was also awarded with the Charles' Award by the city of Prague and the Charles University. With the award dedicated to Charles VI the city and university honour personalities from the worlds of culture, science and politics. It hasn't been awarded in 14 years. The Grand Duke was given the award to honour the the historical ties between Luxembourg and Bohemia.

More information and pictures at Vaterland, Wort, Lidovky, Volksblatt, CTK #1 and CTK #2.

Alois Awards Princely Medical Officer

Photo: Volksblatt / Volksblatt.li
On Thursday at Vaduz Castle, Hereditary Prince Alois honored Dieter Meier as Princely Medizinalrat, or Princely Medical Officer. Meier was awarded for his long-time contributions to the health and social care system. The Hereditary Prince performed the title ceremony on behalf of Prince Hans-Adam.

A little more at Volksblatt.

Day 3 in Finland: Visiting a Super University in Espoo

On Day 3 of the state visit to Finland, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa had another busy schedule. The couple traveled to Espoo, which is the second largest city in Finland after Helsinki but also sits along the eastern border of Helsinki and shares many of its nearly 270,000 residents with the greater metropolitan area of the capital city.

In Espoo, Henri and Maria Teresa paid a visit to Aalto University, which is considered Finland's first super university as it merged three other universities in 2010: the Helsinki University of Technology, the Helsinki School of Economics, and the University of Art and Design Helsinki. While there, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess spoke to students about their fields of study, with a particular focus on those engaged in researches in innovation.

A little more from Wort. Still awaiting photos of the university visit.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Guillaume and Stéphanie Visit Haus Omega

Today, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie visited the hospice Haus Omega, which is part of Omega 90. The visit included a presentation, a tour of the facilities, and the opportunity to meet with patients there.

No pictures at present. They'll be added if they're made available, although it's uncertain if photos will be released of this particular event.

Henri and Maria Teresa: Day 2 in Finland

Photo: SIP / Luxemburger Wort / Wort.lu
The second day of the Luxembourg state visit to Finland saw Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa at Finlandia Hall, where the Grand Duke delivered a speech at an economic seminar.  The event was organized jointly by the Finnish and Luxembourg Chambers of Commerce, along with Luxembourg for Finance and the Export Promotion Agency of Finland (FinPro)

After this, the Luxembourg delegation met with President Niinistö and other Finnish ministers, and later with the Harry Bogomoloff, Mayor of Helsinki.

Additionally, Grand Duke Henri received the Helsinki Medal of Honor, and to close out the day the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess laid a wreath at the Heroes Cross and at the grave of Marshal Mannerheim at Hietaniemi Cemetery.

More from Wort and Chronicle.

UPDATE:

In addition to the other events on Day 2, the Grand Ducal couple also attended a reception on Wednesday evening. This was held just after a concert featuring musicians from Luxembourg.

Photos of the reception and concert at Wort (somewhat confusingly with an article about the university visit on Day 3).

Hereditary Princess Sophie Honors the Red Cross

Photo: Volksblatt / Volksblatt.li
On Tuesday, Hereditary Princess Sophie was at the Vaduz Town Hall to honor workers with the Liechtenstein Red Cross during that last year. This was also Hereditary Princess Sophie's first year in the role of patron, having taken over the position from Princess Marie last year. Sophie made a point of thanking the attendees for their support, and she congratulated them for the tireless work that they do. She was joined by her husband's uncle Prince Nikolaus for the event.

A little more from Volksblatt.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Sparkling Suomi: A Tiara! And Elie Saab!

Photo: Office of the President of the Republic of Finland
Was there ever a state visit more deserving of a post simply focusing on the gala dinner? No there wasn't. This one to Finland just turned out to be one of the best kind state visits: For this evening's gala dinner hosted by the Finnish President and his wife in honour of their guests from Luxembourg, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa didn't only get out the Diamond Vine Leaves Tiara (#love) but also a gown by Elie Saab. Grand Duke Henri also looked his dapper self in white tie and the Order of the White Rose of Finland. Can't wait to see more pictures! That was quick: Wort has more pictures of the gala dinner!

(And yes, we were a bit impatient and already published a post about the day activities earlier today. If you haven't already done so already, just head back and see what happened today.)

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa Speaks on Inclusive Finance

Photo: Cour grand-ducale
On Tuesday morning, before going to Finland, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa a meeting for CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor), which highlighted opportunities for inclusive finance. The meeting brings together 80 individuals from various government and non-government organizations, to focus on opportunities for providing financial assistance to those who face poverty.

In particular, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa spoke about bringing financial improvement to the approximately 2 billion people worldwide with limited banking options. She said (from translation): "Everyone should have access to basic financial services...We have the tools to fight financial exclusion. We have the will. Also, do not avert our eyes from our objectives until the job is done."

Along with the United Nations, CGAP supports the objective of eliminating world poverty by 2030.

More from the Cour.

Guillaume and Stéphanie Launch "De mains de Maître"

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie, together with the Chamber of Trade and the Ministries of Economy and Culture, launched the exhibition De mains de Maître (Master's Hands) to discover talented young craftsmen and art designers from Luxembourg. The exhibition will be held between December 1 and 5, 2016. With the exhibition, the Hereditary Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duchess join a long list of members of the Grand Ducal Family who have supported the Grand Duchy's craftsmen and artists beginning with Grand Duchess Charlotte.

A lot more information about the initiative is available on the website of the cour.

Hello Suomi - State Visit to Finland, Day 1

Photo: Jean-Christophe Verhaegen / SIP
It's state visit time! This morning, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, accompanied by a delegation of politicians and business people, travelled to Finland for their three-day state visit to the land of a thousand lakes. (And yes, I totally used "Suomi" in the title because I have no idea what "Hello" means in Finnish. Can one of you enlighten us?)

Photo: Jean-Christophe Verhaegen / SIP
In Helsinki, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess did what one does on a state visit: At the airport, they were welcomed by the Finnish Minister of External Trade and Development, Lenita Toivakka. Then they proceeded to the presidential palace where they met with President Sauli Niinisto and his wife Jenni Haukio, their hosts for the coming days. Together they heard the national anthems and greeted the delegation before Grand Duke Henri and President Niinisto reviewed the guard of honour. After the traditional exchange of gifts, both couples appeared on the balcony. 

And that was apparently it - apart for the gala dinner, of course! (But we don't have pictures of that yet, so we'll cover it in an extra post. Keep your fingers crossed for a much longed for tiara appearance!)

Galleries of visuals at Wort, the government, Tageblatt and RTL.


Sunday, May 8, 2016

Luxarazzi 101: The House of Luxembourg

From time to time, it happens that the Grand Ducal Family is mistakingly identified as the "House of Luxembourg" when, of course, they are Nassau-Weilburgs. This confusion might be because there actually was a very noble house by the name of Luxembourg, some centuries ago. With Grand Duke Henri's travels to Prague coming up soon, we thought it would be a good time as any to have a look at the medieval House of Luxembourg.

While the best known members of the House actually lived many years later, their history begins with the House of Limburg-Arlon, which they are a cadet branch of. They even claimed to be of descent of the water spirit Melusine through a connection to the earlier Siegfried, Count of the Ardennes and the first recognized ruler of Luxembourg.

Photo: Henry V, the Blond
Henry, or Henri, the son of Waleran III, Duke of Limburg, inherited the title "Count of Luxembourg" in 1247. Henry was Waleran's third son (and sixth child), but he was the eldest son by Waleran's second marriage to Countess Ermesinde of Luxembourg, the heir of Henry IV, Count of Luxembourg. Henry IV was himself of the House of Namur, but he descended from an earlier House of Luxembourg, ruling from the 10th century, on his mother's Ardenne-Verdun side.

Waleran ruled alongside Ermesinde with the Luxembourg title, but then she went on to rule Luxembourg by herself for around 20 years, passing the Count of Luxembourg title to her eldest son Henry, who became Count Henry V of Luxembourg (known as "Henry the Blond").

Photo: Countess Ermesinde
of Luxembourg
Henry's eldest son inherited the Count of Luxembourg title to become Henry VI, but he and his brother Waleran (Count of Ligny and Roussy) would both die 7 years later in the Battle of Worringen, fought for the control of Limburg. Henry VI's son would assume the title of Henry VII.

This particular Henry, as it happens, went on to gain where his predecessors had lost. He married Margaret of Brabant, the daughter of John I, Duke of Brabant (who, as it turns out, had killed his father and uncle during the Battle of Worringen). This marriage was intended to smooth over the political problems arising from the dispute over Limburg, but it also seems to have been a happy union. Margaret can hardly have been disappointed when her husband, the Count of Luxembourg, was elevated to the position of Roman-German King (or King of the Romans), in 1308. Alas, she didn't live quite long enough to see him gain the title of Holy Roman Emperor in 1312.

Henry VII and Margaret's eldest son John (known as "the Blind") inherited the Luxembourg title and would go on to achieve his own fame as King of Bohemia as a result of his marriage to Elisabeth, the daughter of King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia. We've explored John the Blind further in earlier Luxarazzi 101 post.

Photo: Charles IV, c. 1370
As it happens, John the Blind would not succeed his father as Holy Roman Emperor, as the Electors found the House of Luxembourg's rising star to be something of a concern. They could not keep the Luxembourg counts from glory, however, as John's son Charles (born Wenceslaus) would become King of Bohemia in 1346, and assume the title Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV in 1355. He would also become King of Italy in 1355 and King of Burgundy in 1365. Of course, he held the title of Count of Luxembourg as well.

Charles IV is remembered primarily for the Golden Bull of 1356, which established the structure and succession of the Holy Roman Empire for the next 400 years. Additionally, he is credited with ushering in the Golden Age of Bohemia, which lasted until his death in 1378.

Charles married four times, producing more than 10 children. His son Wenceslaus would become King of Bohemia and King of the Romans, but was deposed due to political disagreements. Charles's daughter Anne went on to marry the unfortunate King Richard II of England. Charles's younger son Sigismund would assume his brother's title as King of Bohemia, as well as King of Hungary, Italy, and Croatia, and Roman-German King; and he was elected to Holy Roman Emperor in 1433. He was also known as the "ginger fox" because of his red hair.

Photo: Sigismund, the "Ginger Fox"
Despite rising in lofty titles, Sigismund is typically identified as the last male member of the House of Luxembourg: he left no male heirs, but rather a daughter Elizabeth who would be forced to take second place as consort while her husband (the Habsburg Archduke Albert V of Austria, also known as Albert II, Duke of Luxembourg) was elevated to the ruling role in her inherited titles. Her son Ladislaus was born shortly after Albert's death and spent the majority of his 17 years fighting for titles he would not hold for long.

Meanwhile back in Luxembourg, the title of Count of Luxembourg underwent some evolution. Sigismund's younger brother John became the first and only Duke of Görlitz. He failed to produce a son and was possibly poisoned when he was only 25. (No doubt, he was not the most popular figure given his role in expelling the Jewish residents from Görlitz).

John did, however, leave a daughter, Elisabeth, who became the Duchess Regnant of Luxembourg between the years 1411 and 1443. Luxembourg, as it turns out, had been mortgaged to her by her uncle Sigismund, after he found himself in debt, and she assumed rightful control. She would also find herself in debt in later years, and made an agreement in 1441 with Philip III, Duke of Burgundy, to take over the Duchy after her death. Philip apparently couldn't wait that long as in 1443 he invaded and assumed control, sending Elisabeth out of Luxembourg permanently.

Ultimately, the Habsburg family would be recognized as heirs in Luxembourg, and they would retain that hold until Empress Maria Teresa's death in 1780. After Sigismund, there was a recognition under the Salic Law that the succession could pass to the cadet Ligny branch, but that branch, headed by Louis de Luxembourg (also Count of Saint-Pol), ended when he was executed for treason by the King of France.

Other members of the House of Luxembourg were politically ambitious, if not able to hold the primary title. Louis de Luxembourg's sister Jacquetta went on to become the mother of Elizabeth Woodville, later the wife of King Edward IV of England and the mother of Edward V (and his brother Richard, the famed Princes in the Tower). Elizabeth Woodville was also the mother of Elizabeth of York, who would marry Henry Tudor (later King Henry VII) and become the mother of King Henry VIII.

Additionally, Louis de Luxembourg's uncle John II of Luxembourg, also Count de Ligny, is remembered for his alliance with the English during the Hundred Years' War. He held Joan of Arc as prisoner and later sold her to the English who had her executed. His death in 1441 transferred the Ligny and Saint-Pol titles to his nephew who held them until his execution in 1475.