Guillaume and Stéphanie: the Pre-Wedding Interview

[Marengo]

Stephanie seems quite confident, natural and calm in these interviews. I am quite impressed, it seems she has been doing this for ages already.

Many questions/awnsers in the ZDF interview were simular to the one by RTL btw.

About other royals: Stephanie says that she already met a lot of them and she is looking forward to get to know them better.

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Nice to see that Christian Cannuyer will be part of the broadcast. I still find his book Les maisons royales et souveraines the best introduction in European royalty that has ever been made. I wish he would make a new edition since the old one is 20 years old (1989).

 

[Tilia C.]

It is heart-warming to see the two of them together. They display such a closeness and understanding of each other. Looks like the two of them hit a jackpot.

 

[Rayarena]

Hola Magazine printed an article [Anvaing, el castillo que vio crecer a Stéphanie de Lannoy] with wonderful photographs of the Lannoy Estate. I'm fascinated by their castle and did a search and found this wonderfully informative site with detailed information of the castle for those that are interested:

In the 10th century, Saint Amand Abbey received numerous properties located in Anvaing. The presence of the Lords of Anvaing in the 12th century is established. They were the abbey's solicitors. The seigneury came under the control of the Hamaide family during the course of the 13th century. A first castle is thought to have been built in the fiefdom of Soubrechies, the main fief of the Anvaing seigneury at the time. It would appear to be have been abandoned in the 15th century as, in 1502, Jespart de Ville is recorded as being the Lord of Anvaing in the census of the church fiefs of Hainault and was said to live in his residence at Wangermées, a keep which stood on a motte surrounded by water. This site was rediscovered in 1976 when the lake that surrounds the present building was being cleaned.

The last in the line of the De Ville family was Adrienne, who married Pierre de Boubais in approximately 1513, Their son, Jacques de Boubais, had a castle built in the vicinity of the old manor. It is this castle we know today.

Maximilien de Tenremonde was to inherit it. He had married Antoinette-Isabelle de Croix in 1641. In turn, the Château d'Anvaing was inherited by their daughter, Marie-Catherine. In 1680, Marie-Catherine married Jean de Mesgrigny, a military engineer and disciple and collaborator of Vauban. Both husband and wife died without descendants in 1720. The Anvaing estate thus passed to Madame de Mesgrigny's nephew, the Baron of Rouveroit de Pamele, and remained in the same family until 1781. It was in 1781 that the heiress to the estate, Marie-Amour-Désirée, sold it to Count Augustin de Lannoy, who was to be the last Lord of Anvaing.

On 28 May 1940, the Château d’Anvaing was yet again the setting of a key event in Belgian history. It was within the old walls of the dining hall that the Belgian army, forced to capitulate, signed the surrender agreement.

The castle still belongs to the de Lannoy family.

Chteaux du Hainaut

 

[Mariel]

so nice to get these wonderful pictures. It is interesting to see how animated Stephanie is. Guillaume also, but we already knew that. I liked him in younger pictures without the beard. The Anvaing castle is more extensive and lovely than I had realized.

 

[Daria_S]

Another outsider joins your sentiment.
Guillaume and Stephanie appear to be perfect not only for each other, but also for their country.

Add me to the list as well. I'm glad I checked out this section of the Forums one very late night this past summer and stumbled upon this dynamic duo.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Hola Magazine printed an article [Anvaing, el castillo que vio crecer a Stéphanie de Lannoy] with wonderful photographs of the Lannoy Estate. I'm fascinated by their castle and did a search and found this wonderfully informative site with detailed information of the castle for those that are interested:

In the 10th century, Saint Amand Abbey received numerous properties located in Anvaing. The presence of the Lords of Anvaing in the 12th century is established. They were the abbey's solicitors. The seigneury came under the control of the Hamaide family during the course of the 13th century. A first castle is thought to have been built in the fiefdom of Soubrechies, the main fief of the Anvaing seigneury at the time. It would appear to be have been abandoned in the 15th century as, in 1502, Jespart de Ville is recorded as being the Lord of Anvaing in the census of the church fiefs of Hainault and was said to live in his residence at Wangermées, a keep which stood on a motte surrounded by water. This site was rediscovered in 1976 when the lake that surrounds the present building was being cleaned.

The last in the line of the De Ville family was Adrienne, who married Pierre de Boubais in approximately 1513, Their son, Jacques de Boubais, had a castle built in the vicinity of the old manor. It is this castle we know today.

Maximilien de Tenremonde was to inherit it. He had married Antoinette-Isabelle de Croix in 1641. In turn, the Château d'Anvaing was inherited by their daughter, Marie-Catherine. In 1680, Marie-Catherine married Jean de Mesgrigny, a military engineer and disciple and collaborator of Vauban. Both husband and wife died without descendants in 1720. The Anvaing estate thus passed to Madame de Mesgrigny's nephew, the Baron of Rouveroit de Pamele, and remained in the same family until 1781. It was in 1781 that the heiress to the estate, Marie-Amour-Désirée, sold it to Count Augustin de Lannoy, who was to be the last Lord of Anvaing.

On 28 May 1940, the Château d’Anvaing was yet again the setting of a key event in Belgian history. It was within the old walls of the dining hall that the Belgian army, forced to capitulate, signed the surrender agreement.

The castle still belongs to the de Lannoy family.

Chteaux du Hainaut

What a beautiful, enchanted place to grow up in. Filled with history and even a little haunted from what I have read. BTW, the Coat of Arms of the Boubais family(Wiki calls them "Roubaix") can still be seen displayed on the walls in some areas of the castle.

I wonder if Guillaume and Stephanie will continue to spend weekends there after the wedding?

 

[Lady Felicity M]

It is good to know that she has met some of the other royals

 

[grevinnan]

Stephanie seems quite confident, natural and calm in these interviews. I am quite impressed, it seems she has been doing this for ages already.

Many questions/awnsers in the ZDF interview were simular to the one by RTL btw.

About other royals: Stephanie says that she already met a lot of them and she is looking forward to get to know them better.

I agree with your observation of the soon to be married couple. But has not the same been the case with all the royal couples that have married within the last 10 years? Haven't all the new crown-princesses and prince been polished and at ease in from of the cameras once the engagements had been announced. They all did great from the first royal duties they have taken on. Is is perhaps that marrying a royal person that close to the throne takes a very certain person to start with and then behind the scene coaching and training takes place?

 

[4Pam]

All I can is Wow!!! Stephanie's home is gorgeous!

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I agree with your observation of the soon to be married couple. But has not the same been the case with all the royal couples that have married within the last 10 years? Haven't all the new crown-princesses and prince been polished and at ease in from of the cameras once the engagements had been announced. They all did great from the first royal duties they have taken on. Is is perhaps that marrying a royal person that close to the throne takes a very certain person to start with and then behind the scene coaching and training takes place?

Most of them have been polished. None of them(that I know of) have conducted an entire day of marathon interviews with different networks in multiple languages...and remained professional and charming throughout.

Charlene and Albert of Monaco are a great couple doing a great job, but their engagement interview was awkward at best and disastrous at worst.

It was much discussed here and at other Royalty message boards.

 

[Bine221]

No official representations today? Like accepting presents of the parliament etc?
BYe Bine

 

[Rayarena]

What a beautiful, enchanted place to grow up in. Filled with history and even a little haunted from what I have read. BTW, the Coat of Arms of the Boubais family(Wiki calls them "Roubaix") can still be seen displayed on the walls in some areas of the castle.

I wonder if Guillaume and Stephanie will continue to spend weekends there after the wedding?

Yes, indeed, it's certainly that, a beautiful and enchanted place. As one of eight children, it must certainly have been a wonderful place for Stephanie to grow up in! By the way, I have a question that perhaps you can answer. If you look at the castle, there are two rows of what appear to be houses on each side of the great mansion. What do you suppose those are? I was thinking, servant's quarters, stalls for horses, storage sheds, grain mills, etc...but there seem to be so many. It's such a large construction. Do you think that they might be rental homes? What do you suppose they were/are used for?

 

[Mariel]

Looks like tiny quarters, Rayarena, I would think they were/are servants' quarters, including gardeners. The garden looks like it needs a lot of tending.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Yes, indeed, it's certainly that, a beautiful and enchanted place. As one of eight children, it must certainly have been a wonderful place for Stephanie to grow up in! By the way, I have a question that perhaps you can answer. If you look at the castle, there are two rows of what appear to be houses on each side of the great mansion. What do you suppose those are? I was thinking, servant's quarters, stalls for horses, storage sheds, grain mills, etc...but there seem to be so many. It's such a large construction. Do you think that they might be rental homes? What do you suppose they were/are used for?

I agree with Mariel, Rayarena. They might be servants quarters. A property that large, old and distinguished would really require a full staff.

At first I thought of a stable block but where would one ride around there?

 

[Meraude]

At first I thought of a stable block but where would one ride around there?

Do remember that cars have only been around for about 100 years, before that all kinds of transports needed horses, so I would guess that there were a need for large stable blocks to house all the horses needed.

One of the grandest stables, both in size and style, is at the French castle of Chantilly: http://tinyurl.com/8hlygqs

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Wow...thanks Meraude!

 

[Breffney]

Here is the interview in English at wort.lu: Wort.lu - The big interview: Guillaume & Stéphanie talk wedding, honeymoon and married life

Thanks so much for posting this. I love this couple.

 

[cdm]

She seems very at ease when being interviewed.
Catherine and especially Charlene looked like schoolgirls compared to Stephanie in their engagement interview(s)

 

[Anne2]

IMO her accent in German isn't very strong, though it's clearly there. She speaks fast which shows to me that she is quite secure. Sometimes she uses the wrong vocabulary or hesitates to find the right one and she makes grammatical errors but I think her pronounciation is quite good (compared with other French native speakers I know). You could understand everything she said and she comes across as intelligent and eloquent (which isn't that easy in a foreign language ).

I like this couple and - unlike Kate or Charlene - Stephanie sparks my interest in her and her/their development in the future. (But maybe that's just because this couple gets less media attention and therefore there are more things left to discover.)

I fully agree with Ricarda, her German is quite good, even the accent. It is a very difficult language to master and she is not far away from that. She looks a quite clever person, who has a lot of self-confidence in expressing herself in a foreign language. I am sure her English is at the same level, and I feel sure she will progress very fast in Luxemburgish, rather close to German. I would be surprised Kate would achieve that performance in any other language. Just think Charlene only dares say a few words in French after some years of opportunities to practice it. I am aware that not everyone has spontaneous skills for languages.

 

[Kit]

I have just watched their interview for the third time and only because these two are soo cute. Her German is really, really good as well as his. These two are really becoming one of my favourite royal-couples. Never seen two persons more likeable and down-to-earth in a pre-wedding interview.

 

[Artemisia]

Same with me. Never thought someone could replace Victoria and Daniel as my favourites, but these two are definitely giving them a run for their money.
They really do compliment each other nicely.

 

[Mariel]

speaking of accents, I loved it that Prince Felix spoke in English without a trace of accent during the religious wedding. That is MOST unusual. He spoke in what we call standard English, which has no trace of British accent or no regional American accent. He sounded more American than I do, as I have a small Canadian accent which no one can figure out how I got, having been born in America. I am fascinated with the linguistic skill of the Luxembourgers. Prince Felix really startled me with that one. I had many foreign students when I was a teacher and I never had one who spoke such perfect standard English as Felix.

 

[Kit]

Aaah yes Felix. I think he is really handsome. And I agree about his perfect English

 

[sheikah deena]

The Couple very lovely cute , I Loved the balcony kiss was so warm and cute , Guillaume he seems so gentle , he’s handsome

 

[Anne2]

Never thought someone could replace Victoria and Daniel as my favourites, but these two are definitely giving them a run for their money.

the nice things about these blogs is that you read from people who share the same view as yours!! That is exactly what I thought too!!