Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg 1921 2019
Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d'Aviano
was born on 5 January 1921 at Berg Castle in Central Luxembourg.
Family
His parents were Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and
Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parme.
His grandparents were:
paternal: Robert I of Parma
Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal.
maternal: William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg;
Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal.
Please note: Maria Antonia of Portugal and Marie Anne of Portugal were
sisters.
His siblings were:
Princess Elizabeth who married Franz Duke von Hohenberg;
Princess Marie Adelaide
Princess Marie Gabrielle
Prince Charles of Luxembourg
Alix, Dowager Princess of Ligne.
Among his godparents was Pope Benedict XV, who gave him Jean's
second name.
Early life
Jean attended primary school in Luxembourg, where he continued the
initial stage of his secondary education. He completed his secondary
school at Ampleforth College, a Roman Catholic boarding school in the
United Kingdom.
On 5 January 1939, Jean was styled Hereditary Grand Duke and this
title recognised his status as heir apparent.
World War II
On 10 May 1940, Nazi Germany invaded Luxembourg. This marked the
start of a four-year occupation. The Grand Ducal family escaped during
the night of 9-10 May.
First they went to Paris, but they had to leave France a few weeks later.
They sought refuge in the United States. There they rented an estate in
Brookville New York. During the War Jean studied Law and Political
Science at the Université Laval in Quebec City.
In November 1942, Jean joined the British Army as volunteer in the
Irish Guards after he went to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst.
On 30 July 1943, Jean became a lieutenant before promoting to captain
in 1944.
On 11 June 1944 he landed in Normandy and took part in the Battle for
Caen and the liberation of Brussels (capital of Belgium). Later he took
part of the liberation of his own Luxembourg.
He relinquished his commission in the British Army on 26 June 1947.
After the war, from 1984 till his abdication he served as Colonel of the
Regiment of the Irish Guards often riding in uniform behind Queen
Elizabeth II during the Trooping the Colour.
Love and Marriage
In October 1952, Jean was officially engaged to Princess Joséphine-
Charlotte of Belgium, the only daughter of King Leopold III of Belgium
and his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden.
Jean of Luxembourg became thus a brother in law of
King Baudouin of Belgium and King Albert II of Belgium.
The two were married in Luxembourg on 9 April 1953 in Luxembourg's
Notre-Dame Cathedral. The couple would have 5 children, 22 (21 surviving)
grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
These are the children:
- Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria (married Archduke Carl Christian
of Austria).
- Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (married Maria Teresa Mestre y
Batista).
- Prince Jean of Luxembourg
- Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein who married Prince Nikolaus of
Liechtenstein.
- Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg.
Reign
On 12 November 1964 Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg
abdicated in favour of her oldest son Jean. The same day he was made a
General of the Luxembourg Army.
The reign of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg was one of the most
prosperous periods in the history of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
On 7 October 2000, Jean abdicated in favour of his eldest son, Henri.
On this youtube link you see a movie about the abdication of
Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg.
Death
It was sad news, when the death of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg
was announced on 23 April 2019.
His funeral is scheduled for Saturday 4 May at the Notre-Dame Cathedral
of Luxembourg, the same place where he married his Josephine-Charlotte
of Belgium.
Condoleances
There already came a lot of condoleances from other royal families in Europe and
the World.
The Royal Court of Belgium shared this message and picture via social media:
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima from the Netherlands shared this
message via social media:
Queen Elizabeth II also has sent a heartfelt message of condolence to
the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg following the death of the
country's former monarch, Grand Duke Jean.
"I was tremendously saddened to learn of the death of your father
Grand Duke Jean who served your country so well and for so
many years. I have very fond memories of your father,
including from the time he spent in the United Kingdom during
the Second World War.
As you know, wishing to contribute to the liberation of his
country, he volunteered for the British Army, serving with
distinction in the Irish Guards of which he was later
to become Colonel of the Regiment.
Your father will be greatly missed both inside and
outside Luxembourg. Prince Philip and I offer Your
Royal Highness and the people of
the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
our most profound condolences. Elizabeth R."
King Carl XVI Gustaf told Svenskdam:
"Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg was highly respected by me
and my family. He was a faithful and devoted scout and it was
a pleasure to share this interest with him. I will
remember a very nice and friendly man."
On Sunday 28 April 2019, the coffin of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg
was transferred from the Château de Berg to the Grand Ducal Palace
in Luxembourg City. Now people can pay respect to Grand Duke Jean of
Luxembourg.
Funeral
As said before, the funeral of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg will take place on
4 May 2019 at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City.
There are already many confirmed royal guests:
- King Philippe of the Belgians
- Queen Mathilde of the Belgians
- Crown Princess Elisabeth of Belgium
- King Albert II of Belgium
- Queen Paola of Belgium
- Princess Astrid of Belgium
- Prince Lorenz of Belgium
- Prince Laurent of Belgium
- Princess Lea of Belgium
- Former Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands
- Princess Anne (daughter of Queen Elizabeth II) of the United Kingdom
- Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
- The Queen of Denmark
- The Crown Prince and Princess of Liechtenstein
- The King and Queen of Norway
- Princess Astrid of Norway
- King of Sweden
- Prince Albert II of Monaco
- King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain
- Royals from Jordan
- Prince Rafael of Brazil
- Duke of Braganza from Portugal
- Margaretha of Romania
- Members of the former royal family of Italy
- Members of the former royal family of Greece
- Members of the Bonaparte family o.a. Prince Napoleon, they are through Princess
Clémentine of Belgium linked to the royal family of Belgium and the Grand Ducal
family of Luxembourg.
and many more
For Belgium, the funeral is broadcasted by RTL (in French) and there is a
Livestream from VTM (in Dutch).
Source pictures: Wikipedia
Jean of Luxembourg
Marie Anne of Luxembourg
Marie Antonia of Portugal
Jean and Josephine and their children
Blogpost will be adapted soon!
was born on 5 January 1921 at Berg Castle in Central Luxembourg.
Family
His parents were Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and
Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parme.
His grandparents were:
paternal: Robert I of Parma
Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal.
maternal: William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg;
Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal.
Please note: Maria Antonia of Portugal and Marie Anne of Portugal were
sisters.
His siblings were:
Princess Elizabeth who married Franz Duke von Hohenberg;
Princess Marie Adelaide
Princess Marie Gabrielle
Prince Charles of Luxembourg
Alix, Dowager Princess of Ligne.
Among his godparents was Pope Benedict XV, who gave him Jean's
second name.
Early life
Jean attended primary school in Luxembourg, where he continued the
initial stage of his secondary education. He completed his secondary
school at Ampleforth College, a Roman Catholic boarding school in the
United Kingdom.
On 5 January 1939, Jean was styled Hereditary Grand Duke and this
title recognised his status as heir apparent.
World War II
On 10 May 1940, Nazi Germany invaded Luxembourg. This marked the
start of a four-year occupation. The Grand Ducal family escaped during
the night of 9-10 May.
First they went to Paris, but they had to leave France a few weeks later.
They sought refuge in the United States. There they rented an estate in
Brookville New York. During the War Jean studied Law and Political
Science at the Université Laval in Quebec City.
In November 1942, Jean joined the British Army as volunteer in the
Irish Guards after he went to the Royal Military College at Sandhurst.
On 30 July 1943, Jean became a lieutenant before promoting to captain
in 1944.
On 11 June 1944 he landed in Normandy and took part in the Battle for
Caen and the liberation of Brussels (capital of Belgium). Later he took
part of the liberation of his own Luxembourg.
He relinquished his commission in the British Army on 26 June 1947.
After the war, from 1984 till his abdication he served as Colonel of the
Regiment of the Irish Guards often riding in uniform behind Queen
Elizabeth II during the Trooping the Colour.
Love and Marriage
In October 1952, Jean was officially engaged to Princess Joséphine-
Charlotte of Belgium, the only daughter of King Leopold III of Belgium
and his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden.
Jean of Luxembourg became thus a brother in law of
King Baudouin of Belgium and King Albert II of Belgium.
The two were married in Luxembourg on 9 April 1953 in Luxembourg's
Notre-Dame Cathedral. The couple would have 5 children, 22 (21 surviving)
grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
These are the children:
- Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria (married Archduke Carl Christian
of Austria).
- Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (married Maria Teresa Mestre y
Batista).
- Prince Jean of Luxembourg
- Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein who married Prince Nikolaus of
Liechtenstein.
- Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg.
Reign
On 12 November 1964 Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg
abdicated in favour of her oldest son Jean. The same day he was made a
General of the Luxembourg Army.
The reign of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg was one of the most
prosperous periods in the history of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
On 7 October 2000, Jean abdicated in favour of his eldest son, Henri.
On this youtube link you see a movie about the abdication of
Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg.
Death
It was sad news, when the death of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg
was announced on 23 April 2019.
His funeral is scheduled for Saturday 4 May at the Notre-Dame Cathedral
of Luxembourg, the same place where he married his Josephine-Charlotte
of Belgium.
 |
| Notre Dame Cathedral own picture taken in 2007 |
Condoleances
There already came a lot of condoleances from other royal families in Europe and
the World.
The Royal Court of Belgium shared this message and picture via social media:
Le Grand-duc Jean était une personnalité unanimement respectée et très aimée tant en Belgique qu’au Luxembourg. Son courage, sa dignité et son sens élevé du devoir nous resteront comme un exemple. La Belgique entière partage la douleur du peuple luxembourgeois.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima from the Netherlands shared this
message via social media:
Response by King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Princess Beatrix upon the death of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg Cour Grand-Ducale:
"We were greatly saddened to learn of the death of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. We are grateful for his friendship and warmth, and we cherish our many fond memories of him. Grand Duke Jean was a wise and unassuming man who sought to unify. His considered approach and humanity helped foster peace and trust, both in his own country and in Europe as a whole. We have lost a friend, and we look back with affection on many special moments with him. Our thoughts are with Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and all the members of their family. ”
Queen Elizabeth II also has sent a heartfelt message of condolence to
the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg following the death of the
country's former monarch, Grand Duke Jean.
"I was tremendously saddened to learn of the death of your father
Grand Duke Jean who served your country so well and for so
many years. I have very fond memories of your father,
including from the time he spent in the United Kingdom during
the Second World War.
As you know, wishing to contribute to the liberation of his
country, he volunteered for the British Army, serving with
distinction in the Irish Guards of which he was later
to become Colonel of the Regiment.
Your father will be greatly missed both inside and
outside Luxembourg. Prince Philip and I offer Your
Royal Highness and the people of
the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
our most profound condolences. Elizabeth R."
King Carl XVI Gustaf told Svenskdam:
"Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg was highly respected by me
and my family. He was a faithful and devoted scout and it was
a pleasure to share this interest with him. I will
remember a very nice and friendly man."
On Sunday 28 April 2019, the coffin of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg
was transferred from the Château de Berg to the Grand Ducal Palace
in Luxembourg City. Now people can pay respect to Grand Duke Jean of
Luxembourg.
 |
| Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg own picture |
Funeral
As said before, the funeral of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg will take place on
4 May 2019 at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City.
There are already many confirmed royal guests:
- King Philippe of the Belgians
- Queen Mathilde of the Belgians
- Crown Princess Elisabeth of Belgium
- King Albert II of Belgium
- Queen Paola of Belgium
- Princess Astrid of Belgium
- Prince Lorenz of Belgium
- Prince Laurent of Belgium
- Princess Lea of Belgium
- Former Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands
- Princess Anne (daughter of Queen Elizabeth II) of the United Kingdom
- Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
- The Queen of Denmark
- The Crown Prince and Princess of Liechtenstein
- The King and Queen of Norway
- Princess Astrid of Norway
- King of Sweden
- Prince Albert II of Monaco
- King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain
- Royals from Jordan
- Prince Rafael of Brazil
- Duke of Braganza from Portugal
- Margaretha of Romania
- Members of the former royal family of Italy
- Members of the former royal family of Greece
- Members of the Bonaparte family o.a. Prince Napoleon, they are through Princess
Clémentine of Belgium linked to the royal family of Belgium and the Grand Ducal
family of Luxembourg.
and many more
For Belgium, the funeral is broadcasted by RTL (in French) and there is a
Livestream from VTM (in Dutch).
Source pictures: Wikipedia
Jean of Luxembourg
Marie Anne of Luxembourg
Marie Antonia of Portugal
Jean and Josephine and their children
Blogpost will be adapted soon!
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