Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein

Unfortunately, I have not been able to unearth much information on Princess Margaretha, second daughter of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and his Belgian-born consort, Josephine-Charlotte. I gather she lives a discreet, private life with her family. What I have discovered, however, seems very positive.

As I mentioned previously, Margaretha is the twin sister of Prince Jean of Luxembourg. She is the younger sister of Princess Marie-Astrid and Grand Duke Henri. As a young woman, she studied in Belgium, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1982, she married Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein. The couple have been blessed with four children: Leopold (b. 1984), Maria-Anunciata (b. 1985), Marie-Astrid (b. 1987) and Josef-Emanuel (b. 1989). Sadly, little Leopold was born prematurely and died the same day.

Nikolaus and Margaretha live in Brussels, where the Prince is serving as resident Ambassador of Liechtenstein to Belgium and the EU (and, also, as non-resident Ambassador to the Vatican). Apparently, Margaretha is the author of a book, Family Values, described by the Association of Catholic Women as "a moving account of the joys and stresses of being a parent in the modern world."

The Tragedy of Albert I

I have always found the story of Albert's death deeply upsetting. After all his heroism in war and peace, who would not have wished him a long, happy, tranquil life? 1934 ought to have been a year of rejoicing. The King was soon to celebrate his Silver Jubilee... but, instead, a frightful fate was in store for him and a dark period lay ahead for Belgium.

The new King and Queen. Leopold looks so sad here! In her memoirs, Astrid's friend Anna Sparre tells of how the princely couple (who had been vacationing in Switzerland at the time of the King's death) spent the return journey to Brussels weeping uncontrollably. She also describes Leopold's shattered emotional state, and Astrid's heroic efforts to support him, in these terrible moments. As Queen Elisabeth was also prostrate with grief, the task of preparing for Albert's funeral fell, in large measure, to Astrid.

The sadness of a loving daughter-in-law...Astrid at Albert's funeral. She almost seems to personify Belgium's mourning.

Queen Louise-Marie & Young Prince Leopold

A Winterhalter portrait of the first Queen of the Belgians, with her son, the future King Leopold II, while still an innocent child. It is hard to imagine how, with this lovely and pious mother, he turned out to be such an unpleasant character! I suppose, though, he was rather young when she died, so perhaps she was not able to exert enough of an influence! What do you all think? In any case, it seems Leopold inherited his famous nose from his mother. In appearance, he resembled her greatly.

Prince Jean of Luxembourg

Continuing with the series on the Belgian royals' Luxembourg cousins (please read my previous posts on Princess Marie-Astrid and Grand Duke Henri), we come to Prince Jean. He and his twin sister, Princess Margaretha, were born May 15, 1957. Jean has achieved distinction in public life. In 2009, the Geneva School of Diplomacy awarded him an honorary doctorate:

Jean de Nassau studied at Sandhurst and in Geneva and has worked in real estate, in structural finance and in international developments in central Asia, China, the Middle East and Africa. In 2006 he took over WSSA (Water & Sanitation South Africa) and created MEA AQUA, a company specialised in water services and management solutions for Africa and the Middle East. WSSA today employs over 2000 people and is active in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and Zambia. In 2008 the Prince created MEA ENERGIA, dealing mainly with renewable energies; and MEA POWER for more traditional energies. MEA ENERGIA also works with large forest entities such as the Congo Basin. Prince Jean de Luxembourg has earned high regard for his work in environmental protection and in the amelioration of climate change.

Unfortunately, Prince Jean's private life has been troubled. In 1986, upon the birth (out of wedlock) of his daughter, Marie-Gabrielle, he renounced his succession rights. Shortly afterwards, he morganatically married Marie-Gabrielle's mother, a French lawyer named Helene Vestur. The couple had three more children, Constantin, Wenceslas, and Carl-Johan, but, sadly, divorced in 2004. Only six months ago, in Roermond, the Netherlands, Jean re-married (see HERE and HERE). His new spouse is Diane de Guerre, daughter of Claude Gaston de Guerre and his second wife, Countess Eugenie Wolff-Metternich. I have to admit I am not thrilled by this whole story.

Fourth Child of Leopold & Astrid?

Was Queen Astrid pregnant when she died? Did King Leopold lose, not only his beloved wife, but his fourth child in the terrible car crash in Küssnacht? I have often heard this claim, yet, Astrid's best friend, Anna Sparre, makes no mention of a pregnancy in her account of the Queen's death. Recently, at the Alexander Palace Forums, I read that Anna did not believe the rumors, as Astrid had told her nothing about a pregnancy and Anna would have been the first to know. Apparently, the Queen's namesake and biographer, Astrid Bammens, also discounts the theory, and, certainly, there was never an official announcement of a pregnancy. Perhaps the stories are no more than speculation. Or, if Astrid was expecting a fourth child, perhaps she herself was unaware of it...

A Love Letter

(credits)

Here is a touching letter, dated August 11, 1950, and written by King Leopold III to his wife, Princess Lilian, during the tragic Royal Question. After years of calumnies and betrayals, culminating in violence and bloodshed in the streets, the King had just been forced to delegate his powers to his son and heir, Prince Baudouin. It was the prelude to Leopold's abdication in 1951. Lilian, still in exile in Switzerland, was deeply grieved by the situation, but Leopold tried to console her:

Comme j'ai eu mal d'entendre ta tristesse au téléphone tout-à-l'heure. Cette impression m'a été d'autant plus pénible qu'enfin, après 9 semaines de lutte et de fatigue et d'épreuves, on avait abouté à une solution d'apaisement! Je comprends ton état d'esprit, ton état de révolte. C'est une nouvelle et grande preuve d'amour que tu me donnes. Je te serre contre moi de tout mon coeur ma petite Lil adorée. Mais il faut maintenant voir ce que Dieu a fait encore une fois pour nous dans tous ces évènements. Encore une fois il nous a protégé... 

Grace à Baudouin, la continuité est assurée pour le moment du moins. Il a été d'une aide magnifique et aujourd'hui il s'est acquitté de son devoir d'une façon vraiment magnifique. Vis à vis de moi il a été vraiment touchant. 

Je crois que j'ai fait ce qu'il fallait et que le Pays comprendra mon attitude. 

Et maintenant, parlons de nous! Je ne peux plus rester loin de toi. Et toi non plus. Nous devons tomber dans les bras l'un de l'autre. Nous ne pouvons vivre...

Translation:

How I suffered to hear your sadness on the telephone just now. This impression was all the more painful for me, as, after 9 weeks of struggle, fatigue, and ordeals, we had finally reached a solution of appeasement! I understand your state of mind, your state of revolt. It is a new and great proof of love which you give me. I clasp you to myself with all my heart my adored little Lil. But now we must see what God, once again, has done for us in all these events. Once again, He has protected us... 

Thanks to Baudouin, continuity is assured, for the moment at least. He was a magnificent help, and, today, he discharged his duty in a truly magnificent manner. In regard to me, he was truly touching. 

I believe that I did what was required and that the Country will understand my attitude. 

And now, let's speak of us! I can no longer stay far away from you. Nor can you. We must fall into each other's arms. We cannot live...

(A facsimile of this letter is included in the appendices of Un couple dans la tempête, by Marcel Jullian and Claude Désiré)

Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Above, we see HRH Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, with his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, and eldest son and heir, Prince Guillaume. Born April 16, 1955, Henri is the eldest son of Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte (originally a Princess of Belgium). He is the nephew of Belgian kings Baudouin I and Albert II. Upon his father's abdication, Henri succeeded to the throne of Luxembourg on October 7, 2000. Internationally, he is probably best known for the constitutional crisis sparked by his courageous refusal, on conscientious grounds, to sign a euthanasia bill passed by Parliament in 2008. 

During his youth, Henri studied in Luxembourg and France, where he obtained his baccalaureate in 1974. After military training at Sandhurst, in the United Kingdom, he attended the University of Geneva, specializing in economics and political science. He graduated in 1980. Meanwhile, he traveled extensively, and, over the next 20 years, would head a number of economic missions throughout the world. From 1980-1988, he served on Luxembourg's Council of State.

In 1981, Henri married Miss Maria Teresa Mestre, a Cuban-born, fellow political science student at the University of Geneva. The couple have five children: Guillaume (b. 1981), Felix (b. 1984), Louis (b. 1986), Alexandra (b. 1991), and Sebastien (b. 1992). Sadly, although Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte had originally favored the match, she would later clash with her daughter-in-law. In 2002, (after Jean's abdication, but while Josephine-Charlotte was still alive) Maria Teresa, the new Grand Duchess, hosted a press conference, portraying her mother-in-law as harsh and authoritarian.

Personally, I find this episode extremely unfortunate. In my opinion, the dignity and prestige of the royal family require mutual respect and (at least) outward harmony, and personal conflicts ought to be kept behind closed doors, not broadcast for all to hear. Furthermore, nobody is perfect, but Josephine-Charlotte was a dutiful wife, mother, and royal consort, who overcame many tragedies and traumas to fulfill her role with dignity and grace. Especially in her old age, I think she deserved more consideration.

To return to the Grand Duke- he is the patron of many public ventures, in a wide variety of cultural, scientific, athletic, economic and humanitarian fields. Notably, he is a member of the Mentor Foundation, established by the World Health Organization, and aiming at combating drug abuse among youth. With his keen interest in nature conservation, he is also a Director of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands. Since 1998, he has served on the International Olympic Committee. In his spare time, Henri is fond of literature, classical music, swimming, sailing, water-skiing, tennis, hunting and fishing. In addition to the native language of Luxembourg, the Grand Duke speaks French, English, and German. He is certainly an intriguing figure from a tiny, sadly often forgotten country.

The Perils of a Modern Monarch

Hardly breaking news at this point, but, as we are discussing the Belgian royals' Luxembourg cousins, I wanted to revisit Grand Duke Henri's role in last year's euthanasia crisis. When a society has departed so far from its religious and moral traditions, what is a Catholic monarch to do? Resist? Abdicate?

Birthday of Queen Paola

Today, H. M. Queen Paola of the Belgians celebrates her 72nd birthday. May God bless her and grant her many more long years.

Marie-Astrid-Liliane

At the request of our loyal reader Jorge, I will be posting a series on the Belgian royals' Luxembourg cousins, the children of Grand Duke Jean and Princess Josephine-Charlotte. Their eldest is HIRH Marie Astrid Liliane Charlotte Léopoldine Wilhelmine Ingeborg Antoinette Élisabeth Anne Alberte, Archduchess of Austria. She was born February 17, 1954, exactly 20 years after the strange and tragic death of her great-grandfather, Albert I, King of the Belgians. It seems somehow consoling, to have a joyful anniversary to offset the sorrowful one on the same day.

I also find it very touching that Josephine-Charlotte gave her daughter the names of both her mother, Queen Astrid, and her step-mother, Princess Lilian. These two women, tragic in their different ways, were so often pitted against one another in political propaganda, but Josephine-Charlotte had loved both. Of course, it is traditional to call children after multiple members of the family, but here, the combination of names might have a special significance...

During her youth, rumors circulated of an impending marriage between the lovely Marie-Astrid and Charles, Prince of Wales. Religious differences, however, would have made such a match impossible. Catholics marrying non-Catholics are required to raise their children in the Catholic faith, but obviously Marie-Astrid would not have been allowed to do so, as the future heirs to the British monarchy would have to be Anglican. Instead, after training as a nurse, Marie-Astrid married Archduke Carl Christian of Austria, in 1982. The couple have been blessed with five children and lead a generally quiet, family life, appearing from time to time at official functions.