Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa: Part 7

[GreenLily]

Happy Birthday to an absolutely inspiring woman!

[grandempressxx]

Maria Teresa looks very young for her age, she certainly doesn't look 50.
Happy Birthday.............. Grand Duchess.....

[mtbcm]

(source: Hola magazine)






On the 60th Anniversary of UNESCO as a Good-Will Embassador

[Kelly]

Wow she looks stunning in the picture with her husband. Thanks for the pix!

[ysakuraba]

Thank you mtbcm for pics. She look beautiful.

[elmabruin]

Great pics. Thank you !

[pasiphaé]

Great pictures, she looks so beautiful:p ! I'm a little late, but i like to wish an happy birthday to Maria Teresa!:)

[Virnabrisa2000]

Tomorrow Friday, it is in rtl.lu, Place Royale's video, I believe that they will make a special report for the Great Duquesa María Teresa birthday,:):):)

[gaggleofcrazypeople]

When were those last two taken?

[Kelly]

I believe they were taken earlier this week.

[drimal]

Finally I have weekend and can translate the nice article about Grand Duchess Maria Teresa published in the "Luxemburger Wort" on thursday.:)

One does not celebrate round birthdays all days. One of the most beautiful Grand Duke Maria Teresa celebrates today: She will be 50 „Happy Birthday, Madame ...!“. With 50 she also manages to be the mother, wife, First Lady and ambassador of Luxembourg in the world apparently at the same time and finds at the same time yet sufficiently time to support socially handicapped persons.

At the side of her man, Grand Duke Henri, Maria Teresa has engaged for more than 25 years for lower social groups nationally as well as internationally. At the same time the Grand Duchess has shaped the new style of the ruler house thanks to its spontaneity and candor . Especially on the encounters with notable personalities appears that Maria Teresa is always endeavored exactly like her man , further to embody the continuity of the domestic ruler house simultaneously, however also tries to live the relaxed contact forms of a modern monarchy.



Maria Teresa Mestre was born in Cuba on the 22 March 1956 in Havanna. Her parents are José Antonio Mestre and Maria Teresa Batista-Falla de Mestre. During the revolution in October 1959 Maria Teresa Mestre left together Cuba with her parents. The family established first of all in New York, where the young Maria Teresa went to the Marymount-school and visited from 1961 the French upper school .

Her parents related as of June 1965 for some months the families seat in the Spanish Santander and let down finally in Geneva . Maria Teresa continued her education first at the institute Marie José in Gstaad and visited subsequently the Pensionat Marie-Thérèse in Geneva where she discarded in June 1975 the French graduation examination. During her stay in Switzerland, Maria Teresa recovered the Swiss citizenship. She studied at the University of Geneva where she received 1980 the license in political sciences.

During the study, prince Henri of Luxembourg and Maria Teresa Mestre became acquainted with themselves. During four years, they pursued namely similar studies and worked in certain studies groups together where Maria Teresa Mestre produced several treatises, so and i.a. comparison study of the legislations in the EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY over the women working and the motherhood. Simultaneously Maria Teresa Mestre was interested more and more for social and humanitarian problems and thus continued a family tradition , that her grandparents had caused to involve themselves actively in philanthropic and cultural works in Cuba.
During her study in Geneva, Maria Teresa Mestre was member of a group, who looked after older persons in Genevan homes. She instructed also at a Genevan school.
Besides her Spanish mother language, Maria Teresa Mestre speeks French fluently, and this on account of her studies at the French upper school as well as in Switzerland. Already in young years, she learned English, later Luxembourgish. She has moreover good knowledge in German and Italian.
In iher childhood, Maria Teresa Mestre took ballet instruction and song instruction. She plays guitar, loves music and literature, also she is interested in painting. She makes gladly sport, especially skiing, Schlittschuhlaufen and water sport. She has a sister and a brother who are living in Switzerland and a brother who is living in the United States.

On the 14 February 1981, Maria Teresa Mestre married Prince Henri, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg . Of this marriage four sons and a daughter were born: Prince Guillaume, born on the 11 November 1981, prince Félix on the 3 June 1984, prince Louis on the 3 August 1986, princess Alexandra on the 16 February 1991 and prince Sébastien on the 16 April 1992.
Since the 10 June 1997 Grand Duchess Maria Teresa is "Unesco-Special Ambassador of the Good Will" . Her special attention applies the worldwide development working to women and girls as well as the production of micro credits. In numerous humanitarian foundations, that prescribed itself this goal, she leads the chair. She is supporting devotedly all actions, with which women, especially based on microcredits, who receive possibility to stand on own feet, to become independent and to defend therefore their rights. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa supports projects to the break through of the devil circle of poverty so that women would be able to live a honorable life.
In the course of her activity, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa visited several Unesco-projects in Nepal, Bangladesh and Bosnia. She fought against the unjust treatment of women in Afghanistan.
As a mother of five children the fate of children is especially important for her. So she is fighting against paedophilia in the internet and the misuse of children soldiers, for streets children and Aids-orphan.

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa is honor president of the „Fondation du Grand-Duc Henri et de la Grande-Duchesse Maria Teresa“, president of the Luxemburger Red Cross and the „Fondation luxembourgeoise contre le cancer“ as well as honor president of the foundation for Aids-research and patron of „SOS villages d' enfants du monde asbl“. She is also active member of that under the patronage of the world health organization standing „Mentor-Foundation“, a foundation that dedicates itself the prevention of drug misuse with youth. The Grand Duchess has inter alia the patronage of the Luxemburger blind union, the national company of nurse (interior), the „Association Luxembourg-Alzheimer“ and the „Ligue luxembourgeoise de prévention et d' action médico-sociales,“.
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa is honor doctor of the Seton hall University (New Jersey, USA, October 1999) and the university León (Nicaragua, February 2003). Since September 2005 she has been also honor member at the „international Paralympic Committee Honorary Board“.
On the 7 October 2000, her husband, Hereditary Grand Duke Henri, ascended the throne in the house Luxembourg and carries since then the title of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg; Maria Teresa carries the title of the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg from this date.

[Kelly]

Thank you so much for translating the article. When exactly did it come out?

[Virnabrisa2000]

In www.rtl.lu, this the video place royale, look at it, it is fantastic, it is a special one to the Great Duquesa María Teresa fifty anniversary

[gaggleofcrazypeople]

I can't find palace royal on that site right now even though I've been there before.

[Virnabrisa2000]

http://www.rtl.lu/tele/videoarchiv /, this it is the link to see the video of place royale

[lisamaria]

Originally Posted by Virnabrisa2000

http://www.rtl.lu/tele/videoarchiv /, this it is the link to see the video of place royale

Oh, I saw it. She is cute, pretty, prim, everything that is amiable and I would rather shoot myself at foot than sit next to her in a dinner party. Sorry :o Again, what puzzles me is that she is all smiles and giggle but H is rather gloomy, staring his shoes unhappily. Why?

-L

[Virnabrisa2000]

The video, is very beautiful, and the Great Duquesa María Teresa, is charming, inside anything you/he/she will be the Great Duke's Henri birthday,:):), I hope there are pictures until then.

[pallas athina]

Happy belated birthday!

[gaggleofcrazypeople]

Thanks for that new link!

[drimal]

Maria Teresa through the years (from wort e-paper)