Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume « Royalty in the News

Luxembourg’s Grand Ducal Family Celebrate National Day

The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg gathered to celebrate their tiny country’s national day on Wednesday. Even though festivities began the night before, June 23rd is the actual day of the holiday.

Mark Renders/Getty Images - 6/23/10

Celebrations took place in the towns of Diekirch, Esch-sur-Alzette and the capital city, also called Luxembourg. The latter saw Grand Duke Henri lay wreath at the war memorial on Tuesday, with the rest of his family present. That was followed by a changing of the guard at the Palace.

Later that same day, Henri and his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, went to Diekirch, which is celebrating its 750th anniversary this year. The couple were welcomed by Mayor Jacques Dahme, and went for a stroll through the village’s old district with Dahme. Henri and Maria Teresa stopped at one point to lay flowers at a memorial.

Meanewhile, in Esch-sur-Alzette, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and his sister, Princess Alexandra, were paying a visit. They were welcomed by Lydia Mutsch, the mayor of the town, and they also laid a wreath at a war memorial. The brother and sister then went to the balcony of the Hotel de Ville, where they waved to the people below. After that, Guillaume went to the Escher Volleksfest, where he lit the traditional campfire scouts.

Mark Renders/Getty Images - 6/23/10

In the evening, the Grand Ducal family reunited back in Luxembourg City, where they attended more festivities which included an elaborate fireworks display.

The next day, the family attended the Te Deum Mass at Our Lady of Luxembourg. That was followed by a 101 gun salute from Fetschenhaff.

The family then gathered to watch a military parade, along with Prime Minister Claude Juncker.

The one royal family member missing from the celebrations was Prince Felix, who was believed to be busy with his job at a Swiss firm.

At the same time, Prince Sebastien displayed his Ordre du Lion d’Or de la Maison de Nassau in public for the first time. He received the knighthood on his 18th birthday back in April, and got a chance to wear his medal for National Day, even though it was small one.

Source: Gouvernement.lu, Lux-arazzi

HGD Guillaume on Economic Mission to Russia

The future Grand Duke of Luxembourg is in Russia this week where he will promote Luxembourgisch business in hopes of strengthening ties between the two countries.

SIP / Charles Caratini

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume arrived in Saint Petersburg, the capital of Russia under the Romanov tsars, Monday morning with a 100 person delegation that included Economics Minister Jeannot Krecke. They all attended a seminar called, “Luxembourg – The Business Hub of Europe,” at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.

In the afternoon, Guillaume and the business leaders then went to a meeting with the Russian Deputy Minister for Economic Development, Andrei Klepatch and Tamara Chernysheva, who is in charge of relations with the Benelux countries.

It is expected for everyone to go to Moscow for the “Moscow and Luxembourg: Partnership of Centres of Financial Services” at the Presidential Hotel on Tuesday. Also, Guillaume and the Mr. Krecke are to meet with Russian Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina.

Already Luxembourg and Russia have some business relations. Some of the Grand Duchy’s companies have offices in Moscow, but this is a time to add to that list. So far, the two countries have cultural, scientific and humanitarian cooperation.

According to experts, Luxembourg is one of the key investors in the Russian economy, after Cyprus and the Netherlands.

HGD Guillaume has been quite busy lately promoting his country’s business. A couple of weeks ago, he was in the United States on an economic mission in the west coast.

Sources: Wort.lu, Itar-Tass

HGD Guillaume Presents Edward Steichen Award

On Wednesday evening, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume took part in presenting the Edward Steichen Award at Luxembourg’s Museum of Modern Art. The award is under the high patronage of Guillaume’s mother, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, but it was he who gave it out this year.

www.manueldias.com

The Hereditary Grand Duke was not the only member of the Grand Ducal family to be at the event. Prince Guillaume and Princess Sibilla were also there. But it was the next Grand Duke of Luxembourg who handed out the award.

Held every two years, the Edward Steichen Award is supposed to be a cross-cultural, artistic and educational bridge between Luxembourg and New York. It is open to contemporary visual and fine artists between the ages of 25 and 35. The candidates are to be sponsored from art institutes not only in Luxembourg, but also the regions surrounding the tiny Grand Duchy, such as Wallonie in Belgium, the Lorraine in France and areas in Germany. Winners get to stay up to six months in New York City to expand their work.

To see more pictures of the event, click here

Luxembourg’s HGD Guillaume Promotes Finance in Gulf States

This week, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg will be in the Persian Gulf region to promote his country’s financial sector. He will be in Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar, and is travelling with a delegation of representatives, including Finance Minister Luc Frieden.

Ministère des Finances de Luxembourg

In each country Guillaume stopped by, he met with political and business leaders. For example, in Bahrain Monday, the Prince and Frieden met with Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

Furthermore, Guillaume and Frieden will speak at seminars developed by the Luxembourg for Finance, a developmental agency.

This trip will last until Thursday.

Luxembourg’s Grand Ducal Family Welcomes Irish President

Tuesday began Ireland’s President Mary McAleese’s state visit to Luxembourg. The grand duchy’s family played host to Mrs. McAleese, who is the first Irish leader to make such a visit to the micro-state.

REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

Grand Duke Henri and his son and heir, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, welcomed the Irish President in the morning. The national anthems of both countries during the official ceremony, and Henri and McAleese reviewed the troops. The two also laid a floral wreath at the Monument of Luxembourg.

Afterward came the President’s meeting with Luxembourg’s politicians, including Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.

In the evening, there was a state banquet in McAleese’s honor.

Tomorrow, Mrs. McAleese will visit a monastery, discuss Ireland’s relationship with the European Union at an abbey, and then have lunch with Juncker. A meeting with Irish nationals living in this tiny country will tale place, and then the President would head back to the Emerald Isle.

This event also marks Grand Duchess Maria Teresa’s first engagement since her surgery last month. She was not expected to make many appearances, and it is uncertain if she was at the state banquet.

Grand Duke Henri Receives Van Thuan Award

monarchie.lu

On Wednesday, Luxembourg’s Grand Duke Henri was the recepient of the Van Thuan award at the Palazzo Colonna in Rome. The award, named after Cardinal Van Thuân, is given to those who defend human rights. The Grand Duke was awarded for his right to life efforts and defense of religious freedom.

Last year, Henri, a devout Roman Catholic, lost his constitutional powers when he refused to sign a bill that would have allowed euthanasia in his tiny country.

Henri was accompanied by his son and heir, Guillaume. His wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, is recovering from surgery,

On Thursday, the Grand Duke and his son met with Pope Benedict XVI at his summer estate in Castel Gandolfo.

Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume Finishes University Degree

www.manueldias.com

Luxembourg’s Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume completed his studies at the University of Angers.

The 27 year-old earned a degree in humanities and political science, though he specifically concentrated in the latter.

Before, Guillaume attended school in Switzerland. After that, he went on to the famed military academy Sandhurst, where many of the world’s royals went for army training.

It is not known yet what will the Hereditary Grand Duke do next.

The eldest son of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Guillaume will take over the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg whether his father dies or abdicates.

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