For the first part of our biography series on Prince Felix, have a look here.
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After returning from their honeymoon that took them to Egypt, among others, Grand Duchess Charlotte, grandmother of the current Grand Duke, and her husband Prince Felix faced a difficult time back in Luxembourg. Although the monarchy had been preserved following the outcome of the 1919 Referendum, both Charlotte and Felix knew that the events of the First World War had considerably soured the public's perception of the institution. They knew that meddling in politics had led to the downfall of Charlotte's sister Marie-Adélaïde, so therefore any further interference should be avoided at all costs. As a result, the couple wished to prove themselves to the Luxembourgish people as a dedicated team devoted to improving life within the Grand Duchy.
Charlotte (far left) and Felix (far right) with Albert I and Elisabeth of the Belgians in 1930 during a Belgian state visit to Luxembourg |
Male consorts were still a rarity among European royalty during the early years of Felix's marriage. The only other male consort at the time was Hendrik of Mecklenberg-Schwerin, the husband of Dutch Queen Wilhelmina; the fact that he was given insufficient income and few duties had caused significant trouble within the marriage. Though his life as a consort and second fiddle was not without struggle, Felix was determined to serve his new country to the best of his abilities, despite the fact that the role was not as well-defined for a man as all of his predecessors within the family and Luxembourg in general had been women. He is often considered the most important and trusted advisor of his wife who was the one guiding family life and decisions.
Felix and Charlotte visiting the Aero-Club in 1922 |
The year 1920 was a crucial one for Luxembourg: On January 15, the first British ambassador after the war was sent to the Grand Duchy to present his credentials to the Grand Duchess with French and Belgian ambassadors to follow soon thus strengthening the country and Charlotte's rule. Charlotte and Felix also met with French President Raymond Poincaré in Thionville in February. In December, Luxembourg became part of the League of Nations though it meant that Charlotte and Felix had to somewhat distance themselves from the German or married-to-Germans parts of their family.
In 1922 Felix served as the official "guardian" of five members of the former Emperor Karl of Austria's suite who settled temporarily in the Grand Duchy on their way to Spain from exile in Madeira. The presence of the contingency in Luxembourg was deeply unpopular with the people as it was feared that it would incite violence in the country.
Charlotte and Felix with their children in the early 1930s |
- Princess Elisabeth (1922-2011)
- Princess Marie-Adélaïde (1924-2007)
- Princess Marie-Gabrielle (1925-)
- Prince Charles (1927-1977)
- Princess Alix (1929-)
Prince Felix in 1937 during a hunt in Grünewald Forest |
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Felix served as the official representative of the Grand Duchy at a number of royal events in Europe. Along with Charlotte, Felix attended the wedding of the future Leopold III of Belgium and Astrid of Sweden in 1926. (Leopold and Astrid's daughter Josephine Charlotte would marry Felix and Charlotte's son Jean in 1953.) Felix served as an official representative of Luxembourg at the funeral of British King George V in 1936, as well as an attendee at the coronation of George VI later that same year.
Felix gradually became more involved in the government as a member of the Council of State at the beginning of 1937. The following year, a conference on military medicine and pharmacy was held in Luxembourg City. The conference was formed as a means of exploring the growing threat of conflict in Europe and treatment of resulted wounded. One idea discussed was that of turning the Grand Duchy into a neutral area devoted strictly to the treatment of all wounded and ill military personnel. Prince Felix became the head of a committee dedicated to determining the feasibility of this proposal. Felix saw this idea as a possible means of maintaining Luxembourg's neutrality should war begin in Europe. As history tells us, however, the idea never came into fruition - we will delve deeper into how Luxembourg and especially Prince Felix fared during the Second World War in the next part of this series.
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