IT'S WORTH THE DETOUR
Despite its small size, Luxembourg has carved a good place in recent history by posing as a founding member of the European Union. But this state has another peculiarity: it is the last Grand Duchy, with its regime in place since 1815. Henri, the current Grand Duke, however, has only representative functions, the country having long opted for a democratic government. In the absence of power, he strives to stay close to his people.
A very popular grand ducal family
The 64-year-old Grand Duke Henri has been head of Luxembourg since 2000. He is married to Maria Teresa Mestre, the daughter of a wealthy Cuban bourgeois who fled to Switzerland in the aftermath of the revolution. Castro. It was at the University of Geneva that they met. But at the time, the young woman did not know that it was the future Grand Duke of Luxembourg! He was indeed calling Henri de Clervaux. The heir has had a little trouble getting this union accepted by his family. But once this obstacle passed, Maria Teresa was quickly accepted by the Luxembourgers. A little romantic anecdote: they were married on Valentine's Day, in 1981.
The powers of the Grand Duke are limited in this constitutional monarchy. Henri even lost some prerogatives in 2008 when he opposed a law on the end of life by conscience. As a result, he now has a power of representation. He is a multilingual, very athletic. His wife is very committed, particularly to victims of sexual violence. The Grand Ducal family is traditionally very popular with locals. Henri's grandmother, Grand Duchess Charlotte, was an icon during the Second World War, when she organized the Resistance from London.
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As Luxembourg is a small country, the Grand Ducal family is quite close to the population. As they are very Catholic, you can easily meet for example Henri, his wife and their five children at Sunday Mass in Luxembourg Cathedral. Even though he is still young, the Grand Duke already sees the end of his reign. Indeed, the tradition wants him to abdicate at a time in favor of his descendants. In this case, it is his eldest son Guillaume, the Grand Duke heir of Luxembourg who will be the next leader of the small state.
Work in Luxembourg and holidays in France
He will exercise his few powers from the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City. It is the political center of the country, where the Grand Duke and his government work on a daily basis. This castle built in the 16th century can be visited every summer. The Grand Ducal family lives at the Château de Berg, which is located in the center of Luxembourg. But, in August, you have a good chance of crossing it in the south of France. The Grand Duke has a residence in Bormes-les-Mimosas, close to Fort Bregançon.
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Last summer, Henri and Maria Teresa went to spend a day with the couple Macron on vacation next door. But being of such noble ancestry does not spare the anger of nature: when terrible fires ravaged the south-east of France in the summer of 2017, the Grand-Ducal couple, like many inhabitants of the area had to be evacuated because of the flames.
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