Guillaume and Stéphanie Visit Jeweller

Photo: Bijouterie Goedert

Either totally missed by us or not very well communicated by the cour, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie visited the jeweller Goedert back on November 20. Mind you, not to shop some early Christmas presents but to learn more about the work and production process of the jeweller. Both Guillaume and Stéphanie apparently also got the chance to craft some jewels themselves.

Their visit was organised as part of the series of visits the Hereditary Grand Duke makes this year in coordination with the Chambre des Métiers to learn more about Luxembourg's businesses. And you know what? Looking at Goedert's designs, I can't help but wonder whether some of the more modern jewellery of the ladies of the Grand Ducal Family - I'm looking at your's in particular, Maria Teresa - is indeed made by them.

More pictures at the cour.

Grand Ducal Trio Hosts Soldiers and Policemen

Photos: Pierre Matgé / Luxemburger Wort / Wort.lu

Yesterday it was time for the Grand Ducal Family's annual pre-Christmas reception for members of Luxembourg's army and police force who took part in humanitarian and peacekeeping missions abroad. For example, the Luxembourgish forces are involved in NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for Afghanistan. 

The reception, which has been held each year since 2002, traditionally takes place at the Château de Berg, the Grand Duke's official private residence. Policemen and soldiers who have taken part in either of the two above mentioned missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan or others as well as their wives, girlfriends, children, parents and basically everyone they want to bring along are invited to attend. 

During the reception they all got the chance to to greet, chat and mingle with Grand Duke Henri as well as Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie. Also present for the event were Minister Etienne Schneider and state secretary Francine Closener.

Pictures at Wort, the cour and Le Quotidien.

Luxarazzi 101: Princess Franziska's Diamond Tiara

Let's talk about wall of diamonds if there ever was one, one to rival Luxembourg's Empire Tiara and any other diamond wall out there. For lack of any official or semi-official name, we are going to call this Princess Franziska's Diamond Tiara - and that sums up pretty much all the information we have about it.

The tiara featuring an undisclosed yet obviously large number of quite large diamonds set in silver was a gift to Countess Franziska of Wrbna and Freudenthal (1799-1863) by her husband Prince Karl of Liechtenstein (1790-1865). The couple had nine children, two of them sons. However, neither of their sons married and died without legitimate issue. Whether the tiara was given to another branch of the Liechtenstein family or to one of Princess Franziska's daughters - four of them had respectively married into the Trauttmansdorff, Salm-Reifferscheidt, Arenberg and Kinsky families and had descendants - remains a mystery. The only thing we know about the whereabouts of the tiara is that it was sold in 1982 at Sotheby's auction in Geneva for 300,000 Swiss francs. So it doesn't still seem to be with the Princely Family - and thus the question of when a wall of diamonds is simply too big to be worn will probably be forever remain unanswered.

Funeral of Prince Georg von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg

Yesterday, Prince Georg von Waldburg zu Zeil and Trauchburg was laid to rest at the cemetery of the St. Maria parish church of Schloss Zeil in Leutkirch im Allgäu in southern Germany with the requiem taking place at the St. Verena parish church in nearby Bad Wurzach. Fürst Georg, the head of the Zeil branch of the Princely House of Waldburg, had died on December 2 at the age of 87. He is survived by his wife née Princess Marie-Gabrielle of Bavaria and their six children.

The mourners at the Prince of Waldburg-Zeil's funeral included Grand Duke Henri and his sister Archduchess Marie-Astrid and her husband Archduke Carl-Christian of Austria as well as Prince Hans-Adam II and Princess Marie. Also in attendance were Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie, who is a niece of the deceased.

FYI, Stefan of Royal Travel will have a report about the funeral on his blog coming up soon so make sure to check back for that!

Stéphanie Receives the Friends of the Museums

Photo: Cour grand-ducale

Also on Wednesday, December 9th, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie received the Board of Directors for Les Amis des Musées d’Art et d’Histoire Luxembourg.  Stéphanie has been patron of this organization since March of 2013.

The audience reflects a change in the Board of Directors, with Marie-Françoise Glaesener leaving as president (after 12 years in that role, and 35 years total in support of Les Amis) and Florence Reckinger assuming the position in her stead.

A little more information at the Cour website.

Grand Duke Henri Receives the Comité Alstad

Photo: Cour grand-ducale

On Wednesday (December 9th), Grand Duke Henri received in audience a delegation from the Comité Alstad, to mark the 125th anniversary of Grand Duke Adoph's swearing-in before the Chambre des Députés. To brush up on the history of this event, see this Luxarazzi 101 link.

As part of the 125th anniversary, the Comité Alstad has commissioned portraits of six Luxembourg heads of state: Grand Duke Adolph, Grand Duke Guillaume, Grand Duchess Marie-Adelaide, Grand Duchess Charlotte, Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duke Henri. These portraits will be sold, with the proceeds going to benefit the Foundation of the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess.

A little more information at the Cour website.

Louis and Tessy at Dinner Party

Photo: Violaine le Hardÿ de Beaulieu

Prince Louis and Princess Tessy recently were among the guests for a hunting dinner party presumably somewhere in or around Brussels. The dinner was organised by the Cercle Royal Gaulois Artistique et Littéraire and hosted by André Philips, the social club's vice president, and his wife.

Henri at the European Year of Development Closing Event

Photo: Luc Deflorenne / Cour grand-ducale

On Wednesday, Grand Duke Henri was at the Philharmonie in Kirchberg to attend the closing ceremony for the European Year of Development 2015. This event is part of a larger program of sustainable development implemented by the European Union, with the goal of reaching the stated agenda by the year 2030. Prime Minister Xavier Bettel was also in attendance.

During the event, awards were presented to winners of the video contest "Shining Stars of Europe," a competition announced at the opening ceremony of the European Year of Development 2015 back on January 9th.

A little more information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia (as that country's Foreign Ministry’s Parliamentary State Secretary for EU Affairs, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, spoke at the event).

The Cour website has been updated with more Luxembourg-specific information.

No photos of Grand Duke Henri just yet, but they'll be added as soon as they're made available.

Hereditary Prince Celebrates UN Membership

Photo: Tatjana Schalzger / Liechtensteiner Vaterland / Vaterland.li

Already in late November and missed by us after we covered the visit of the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Liechtenstein celebrated the 25th anniversary of the country joining the United Nations. The event in Schaan was attended by Hereditary Prince Alois among many others. Pictures of the celebrations at Vaterland, a video at 1 FL TV.

Liechtenstein became a member of the UN in 1990 after refraining from joining the international organisation for decades, both due to internal and external views. Prince Hans-Adam II was the main force behind the Principality joining the organisation, many years against the expressed wishes of the country's leading politicians. The Prince's 1970 so-called Rucksackrede is today considered one of the most important in Liechtenstein's history, leading to a change in both foreign and economic policies. Literally meaning "backpack speech", then Hereditary Prince Hans-Adam called for Liechtenstein to leave Switzerland's backpack, become a fully sovereign state and join international organisations.

Royal Ladies at International Red Cross Conference

Photo: Alexandre Gelebart / Cour grand-ducale

In their capacities as presidents of their nations' respective Red Cross organisations, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Hereditary Princess Sophie were among the attendants of the first day of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. Both were accompanied by national delegations. Crown Princess Margarita of Romania was equally present (and pictured above) at the event in Geneva. 

During a speech to the assembly, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa stated, "We cannot afford anymore to bypass women in the peacemaking processes, in the elaboration of peace treaties and in the policy making on prevention or prosecution of sexual and gender-based violence". "I want us to go beyond conventional images of women as victims of war and consider the important inputs a woman can contribute to translate individual grievances into legitimate social concerns", she added.