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Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

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Predecessor
  
Successor
  
Name
  
Jean, Duke


Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg Unofficial Royalty

Reign
  
12 November 1964 – 7 October 2000

Born
  
5 January 1921 (age 103) Berg Castle, Luxembourg (
1921-01-05
)

Consort
  
Princess Josephine Charlotte of Belgium (m. 1953)

Issue
  
Archduchess Marie Astrid of AustriaHenri, Grand Duke of LuxembourgPrince JeanPrincess Margaretha of LiechtensteinPrince Guillaume

House
  
House of Nassau-Weilburg (the reigning dynasty in Luxembourg)

Role
  
Former Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Spouse
  
Princess Josephine Charlotte of Belgium (m. 1953–2005)

Children
  
Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Parents
  
Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma

Siblings
  
Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Hohenberg, Alix, Dowager Princess of Ligne

Education
  
Ampleforth College, Laval University

Similar People
  
Henri - Grand Duke of L, Princess Josephine Charlotte, Charlotte - Grand Duchess, Maria Teresa - Grand Du, Prince Jean of Luxembourg

Jean (given names: Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d'Aviano; born 5 January 1921) reigned as Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1964 until his abdication in 2000.

Contents

Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg 90th Birthday Celebrations Of Grand Duke Jean of

Jean was the eldest son of Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma. Jean's primary education would be in Luxemboug initially before attending Ampleforth College in England. In 1938, he would officially be named Hereditary Grand Duke as heir to the throne of Luxembourg.

Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Hereditary Grand Duke Jean takes the oath as Lieutenant

While Luxembourg was occupied by Germans during the Second World War, the grand ducal family was abroad in exile. Jean would study at the Université Laval in Quebec City. Jean later volunteered to join the British army's Irish Guards in 1942 and after graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, would receive his commission in 1943. He participated in the Normandy landings, the Battle for Caen and joined the Allied forces in the liberation of Luxembourg. From 1984 until 2000, he was made colonel of the Irish Guards.

Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg The accession of Grand Duke Jean Luxembourg 12 November

On 9 April 1953, Jean married Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium with whom he would have six children. On 12 November 1964, Grand Duchess Charlotte abdicated and Jean succeeded her as Grand Duke of Luxembourg. He would reign for 36 years before he himself abdicated on 7 October 2000 and was succeeded by his son, Grand Duke Henri.

Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg newsbbccoukolmedia960000images961636luxje

Early life

Jean was born on 5 January 1921, at Berg Castle, in central Luxembourg, the son of Grand Duchess Charlotte and of Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma. Among his godparents was Pope Benedict XV, who gave him his second name. He attended primary school in Luxembourg, where he continued the initial stage of secondary education. He completed secondary school at Ampleforth College, a Roman Catholic boarding school in the United Kingdom. Upon reaching maturity, on 5 January 1938, he was styled 'Hereditary Grand Duke', recognising his status as heir apparent.

Second World War

Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg C O R R E S P O N D E N C E R O Y A L T Y

On 10 May 1940, Germany invaded Luxembourg, beginning a four-year occupation. Having been warned of an imminent invasion, the Grand Ducal Family escaped the previous night. At first, they sought refuge in Paris, before fleeing France only weeks later. The Grand Ducal Family sought refuge in the United States, renting an estate in Brookville, New York. Jean studied Law and Political Science at Université Laval, Quebec City.

Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Happy Birthday to Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg The

He joined the British Army as a volunteer in the Irish Guards in November 1942. After receiving officer training at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst, Jean was commissioned as a Lieutenant in July 1943, before being promoted to captain in 1944. He landed in Normandy on 11 June 1944, and took part in the Battle for Caen and the liberation of Brussels. On 10 September 1944, he took part in the liberation of Luxembourg before moving on to Arnhem and the invasion of Germany. After the war, from 1984 until his abdication, he served as Colonel of the Regiment of the Irish Guards, often riding in uniform behind Queen Elizabeth II during the Sovereign's Birthday Parade.

Reign

Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Luxarazzi Luxarazzi 101 Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg

He was named Lieutenant-Representative of the Grand Duchess on 28 April 1961.

He became Grand Duke when his mother, the Grand Duchess Charlotte, abdicated on 12 November 1964. The same day, he was made a General of the Luxembourg Army.

Grand Duke Jean abdicated on 7 October 2000, and was succeeded on the throne by his son Henri.

Retirement

Grand Duke Jean now lives at Fischbach Castle. On 27 December 2016, Grand Duke Jean was hospitalized due to bronchitis and was discharged from hospital on 4 January 2017, a day before he celebrated his 96th birthday. The Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art (Mudam) bears his name. At age of 96, he is the oldest and the longest-living monarch or former monarch in the world.

Marriage and family

He was married in Luxembourg on 9 April 1953 to Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, daughter of Leopold III, King of the Belgians. They had three sons and two daughters: Princess Marie-Astrid (born 1954), Grand Duke Henri (born 1955), who ascended to the grand ducal throne in 2000, Prince Jean (born 1957), Princess Margaretha (born 1957), and Prince Guillaume (born 1963).

Titles and styles

  • 5 January 1921 – 12 November 1964: His Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Hereditary Prince of Nassau, Prince of Bourbon-Parma
  • 12 November 1964 – 7 October 2000: His Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Duke of Nassau
  • 7 October 2000 – present: His Royal Highness Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, Duke of Nassau
  • His full title is "by the Grace of God, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Duke of Nassau, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Count of Sayn, Königstein, Katzenelnbogen and Diez, Burgrave of Hammerstein, Lord of Mahlberg, Wiesbaden, Idstein, Merenberg, Limburg and Eppstein." Many of the titles are held without regard to the strict rules of salic inheritance.

    Change of dynastic titles

    Jean renounced the titles of the House of Bourbon-Parma for himself and his family in 1986 when his eldest son, then-Hereditary Grand Duke Henri married Maria-Theresa Mestre. The reason for this was that the Duke of Parma, Carlos Hugo, ruled the marriage unequal in 1981, as well as the marriage of Prince Jean to Hélène Suzanna Vestur in 1987, for which he had renounced his rights to Luxembourg in 1986. It is not known if the marriage of Prince Guillaume was seen by Carlos Hugo as equal.

    The Arrêté Grand-Ducal (Grand Ducal decree) of 21 September 1995 established that the title of Prince/Princesse de Luxembourg is reserved for the children of the sovereign and the heir to the throne. It also stated that the descendants in male lineage of the sovereign should be styled as Royal Highnesses and titled Prince/Princess of Nassau and that the descendants of unapproved marriages should be styled as Count/Countess of Nassau.

    Luxembourgish honours and awards

  • Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (Grand Master 1964–2000)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau (Grand Master 1964–2000)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown (Grand Master 1964–2000)
  • Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Grand Master 1964–2000)
  • Luxembourg War Cross (with bar)
  • Foreign honours and awards

  •  Austria: Great Star of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (1975)
  •  Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold
  •  Belgium: Croix de guerre (with bar)
  •  Denmark: Knight of the Order of the Elephant (22/11/1976)
  •  France: Croix de guerre 1939–1945
  •  Germany: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
  • House of Habsburg: 1,293rd Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
  •  Holy See: Knight of the Order of the Golden Spur
  •  Iceland: Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Falcon
  •  Italy: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (26/10/1973)
  •  Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
  •  Netherlands: Commemorative War Cross
  •  Netherlands: Recipient of the Wedding Medal of Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands and Claus van Amsberg
  •  Norway: Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav
  •  Poland: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
  •  Portugal: 379th Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword
  •  Portugal: Grand Collar of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique
  • House of Savoy: Supreme Knight of the Order of the Annunziata (1978)
  • House of Savoy: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1978)
  • House of Savoy: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1978)
  •  Spain: 1,184th Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece (16/06/1983)
  •  Spain: Knight Collar of the Order of Charles III (08/07/1980)
  •  United Kingdom: Stranger Knight of the Order of the Garter (948th member; 1972)
  •  United Kingdom: 1939-1945 Star
  •  United Kingdom: France and Germany Star
  •  United Kingdom: Defence Medal
  •  United Kingdom: War Medal 1939–1945
  •  United States: Silver Star
  •  Sweden: Knight of the Order of the Seraphim
  •  Sweden: HM King Carl XVI Gustaf 50th Anniversary Medal (30/04/1996)
  •  Kingdom of Greece: Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer
  •  Iran: Commemorative Medal of the 2500th Anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire (14/10/1971)
  • References

    Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Wikipedia