Gender, name, and godparent guesses for Guillaume and Stephanie’s first child

[Sister Morphine]

While Adélaïde seems a very royal name (although I am still not fully sure how to pronounce it); I don't think it is likely given that Henri's grandmother became queen because her elder sister grand duchess Marie-Adélaïde was 'forced' to abdicate over her supposed support for the German occupation during World War I.

You pronounce it Ah-de-laid. It's a beautiful name. Very old-fashioned by today's standards, but I don't mind old-fashioned. I think my names (Elizabeth Alexandra) are old-fashioned considering the names of most of my sister's students. You don't see a lot of Elizabeths, Roses, Josephines, Henrys, Williams, or Alberts anymore. Well, maybe in other parts of the world, but here in the US, they're probably considered frumpy by younger parents.

 

[Somebody]

You pronounce it Ah-de-laid. It's a beautiful name. Very old-fashioned by today's standards, but I don't mind old-fashioned. I think my names (Elizabeth Alexandra) are old-fashioned considering the names of most of my sister's students. You don't see a lot of Elizabeths, Roses, Josephines, Henrys, Williams, or Alberts anymore. Well, maybe in other parts of the world, but here in the US, they're probably considered frumpy by younger parents.

Is that how you pronounce it in French or how you would pronounce it in English? My guess is English as it is pretty close to how I would pronounce the name of the city of Adelaide in Australia and because otherwise the accents in French would be placed really weird: Adélaïde. And it seems the family mostly speaks French although they also speak Luxembourgish and German (to some extent) - next to of course English (as the international language) and (some) Spanish (Maria Teresa's native tongue) and several also Italian because of their studies in Italy.

 

[Sister Morphine]

Is that how you pronounce it in French or how you would pronounce it in English?

It's pronounced roughly the same in English and French. With the French pronunciation, you draw out the "a" sound at the end a little bit. If you want to hear it for yourself, click the link below. You can hear the name pronounced in both French and English. Just click the little speaker in the lower-left corner of each text box.

https://translate.google.com/#view=home&op=translate&sl=fr&tl=en&text=Adélaïde

 

[Prisma]

2014 Luxarazzi post on male-line Grand Ducal naming. A fun read.

Luxarazzi 101: The Naming of a (Grand Ducal) Child

My guesses:

Boy: name will include Jean and Philippe. maybe Marie
Girl: name will include Alix and Marie

Godmother: Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg
Godfather: Count Jehan de Lannoy

 

[Somebody]

It's pronounced roughly the same in English and French. With the French pronunciation, you draw out the "a" sound at the end a little bit. If you want to hear it for yourself, click the link below. You can hear the name pronounced in both French and English. Just click the little speaker in the lower-left corner of each text box.

https://translate.google.com/#view=home&op=translate&sl=fr&tl=en&text=Adélaïde

Thanks! That's a great way to compare indeed. Although to me, they sound completely different; as in French the name seems to have 5 syllables (A-de-la-i-de) and in English only 3 (A-de-laide).

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I MUCH prefer the French pronunciation..very elegant....in English it sounds too old fashioned.

 

[titiromi]

For a girl: Adélaïde Marie Joséphine Alix

For a boy : Baudoin Philippe Marie Charles

As Guillaume and Marie are very likely.

My guess would be :

- for a boy: Baudoin Philippe Charles Marie Guillaume
- for a girl, Marie-Adélaïde Wilhemine Thérèse Alix.

I vote for a boy and I think they may chose King Felipe (and Prince Felix) as godfather and Princess Elisabeth of Belgium (and one of Stéphanie's sisters) as godmother as they are catholics. I am not aware that the catholic church accepts protestant to be godparent.

 

[King of the Jungle]

The first born becomes the heir.
If a girl is born first folowed by a boy will the boy be heir, like in Monaco?
Or is Luxembourg like the UK, where a firstborn girl won't be displaced by a younger brother?

 

[Yashal]

Luxembourg adopted absolute primogeniture in 2011 so if Guillaume's firstborn is a girl, she will be the heir apparent.

 

[princess gertrude]

Boy - Jean Phillipe Henri Marie
Girl - Alix Marie Teresa Charlotte

 

[King of the Jungle]

Luxembourg adopted absolute primogeniture in 2011 so if Guillaume's firstborn is a girl, she will be the heir apparent.

Thank you, Yashal.
Is the line of succession long, do you know; or is it restricted to being a direct descendant of the last monarch etc.?

 

[Tatiana Maria]

I have answered the question in the succession thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f69/luxembourg-succession-and-titles-33317-6.html#post2279007

 

[King of the Jungle]

Thank you. I'm sorry to be off topic in this thread.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

They know the gender but not the name picked out.

I wonder if the expectant parents' indecision increases the probability of the child being bestowed with a name which has not been used in recent times within the family. If the couple were determined to choose a name on the strict basis of family tradition, it would seem to me that they could rapidly settle on Jean or Charlotte, as many have suggested.

Stephanie is wearing a lot of blue [...]

I still think it's a little prince.

Interesting; the hereditary grand duchess was also dressed in blue in the portraits released with the announcement of the pregnancy. (Even without knowledge of clothing choices I would have wagered on a prince: The male-line descendants of Grand Duke Jean are comprised of 17 males and only 6 females, so in the event of there being any element of genetic predisposition its potential direction would seem to be clear. )

 

[AmaliaCharlotte]

Here are my guesses:
Boy - Jean Philippe Marie Henri
Girl - Adelaide Alix Maria Teresa

Godmother - Baroness Isabelle de le Court
Godfather - Prince Felix of Luxembourg

 

[Tatiana Maria]

If Stephanie and Guillaume have a son, they could honor Grand Duke Adolphe of Luxembourg by using one of Adolphe's middle names August for their son.

That would be a nice nod to the founder of the Luxembourg branch of the House of Nassau, but I wonder how much interest exists in honoring him? My impression was that he is typically remembered as an uninvolved grand duke and never won the popularity of his granddaughter Charlotte for example.

 

[Countessmeout]

Adolphe came to the throne of Luxembourg in his 70s when he became duke. He was a protestant in a catholic country who took very little interest in learning about the country. He left the day to day running to his prime minister, until he appointed his son lieutenant in 1902. Other then being the first monarch, I doubt there is little call in the family to remember him.

Don't know if Charlotte would have been close, she was only 9 when he died. But she did give Adolphe as a middle name to her eldest son Jean.

 

[Lee-Z]

I wouldn't bet on Adolph being in the names, imo that name still is more reminiscent of another person in the 20th century than of GD Adolphe..

 

[Countessmeout]

I don't see any royal family in the foreseeable future will use Adolph as a name. Too much link to WWII and the death camps associated with the name. Considering the Lux royals had to flee their country due to Nazi occupation, and Jean actually joining the British army to help liberate his country, the connections run way too deep.

I don't see them using such a name, simply to honor some distant ancestor, even if the man was the first monarch. Now if it was the name of a closer family member they had a real link to and wanted to honor, they MAY risk the association and use it some where in the middle names.

 

[King of the Jungle]

More name guesses:

Claudine Victoria Marie Alix
Claude Henri Marie Gaillaume Philippe

 

[Tatiana Maria]

As Guillaume and Marie are very likely.

An interesting coincidence that both the house of Orange-Nassau and the house of Nassau-Weilburg once kept to a tradition of including Willem/Guillaume/Wilhelm or Wilhelmina/Wilhelmine in the name of each and every prince/ss of the house. Unfortunately neither family has continued the tradition consistently, but hopefully it will be included for the future monarch.

2014 Luxarazzi post on male-line Grand Ducal naming. A fun read.

Luxarazzi 101: The Naming of a (Grand Ducal) Child

It puzzles me too how the name Marc d'Aviano managed to enter the Nassau family, given it appears Marco of Aviano had no connection with Luxembourg or Nassau.

 

[Gawin]

It puzzles me too how the name Marc d'Aviano managed to enter the Nassau family, given it appears Marco of Aviano had no connection with Luxembourg or Nassau.

But as an advisor & confidant to Emperor Leopold I he did have a connection with the Habsburgs of Austria. Karl I and Zita named several of their children in his honor. Perhaps Zita's brother Felix and his wife Grand Duchess Charlotte followed their example (for whatever reason).

 

[maria-olivia]

I hope Charlotte or Josephine for a girl
Jean or Charles for a Boy.
More a Nassau surname than a belgian de Lannoy surname who could be Alix.

 

[Blog Real]

I expect Charlotte, Josephine or Elisabeth for the girl.
Félix or Léopold for boys.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

But as an advisor & confidant to Emperor Leopold I he did have a connection with the Habsburgs of Austria. Karl I and Zita named several of their children in his honor. Perhaps Zita's brother Felix and his wife Grand Duchess Charlotte followed their example (for whatever reason).

Good point; that hadn't occurred to me. A hidden mark of support for Félix's sister and brother-in-law who were then exiled but hoping for a restoration?

 

[Somebody]

An interesting coincidence that both the house of Orange-Nassau and the house of Nassau-Weilburg once kept to a tradition of including Willem/Guillaume/Wilhelm or Wilhelmina/Wilhelmine in the name of each and every prince/ss of the house. Unfortunately neither family has continued the tradition consistently, but hopefully it will be included for the future monarch.

The family that still includes these names (more precisely, not only 'Willem/Wilhelmina' but also the name of Frederik, [as did the Dutch for all sons and grandsons of king Willem I (Willem Frederik more precisely), all daughters and all granddaughters but the future queen Wilhelmina]); are the Zu Wieds - descendants of princess Marie of the Netherlands (Wilhelmina Frederika … Marie), youngest daughter of King Willem I's second son. All their descendants still include Wilhelm and Friedrich (sons) or Wilhelmine and Friederike (daughters) in their names.

As the Luxembourg Nassaus don't descend from King Willem I (Frederik), they only had the tradition of including Guillaume/Wilhelmine. A tradition that both GD Henri and prince Guillaume kept for their children. Their father GD Jean did it for all but Margaretha; and grandmother GD Charlotte for all but her youngest daughter Alix. the HGD couple seem to care about tradition, so I do expect them to follow tradition and include either Guillaume or Wilhelmine as one of the middle names.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

The family that still includes these names (more precisely, not only 'Willem/Wilhelmina' but also the name of Frederik, as did the Dutch for the sons and grandsons of king Willem I (Willem Frederik more precisely) and for the daughters; are the Zu Wieds - descendants of princess Marie of the Netherlands (Wilhelmina Frederika … Marie), youngest daughter of King Willem I's second son. All their descendants still include Wilhelm and Friedrich (sons) or Wilhelmine and Friederike (daughters) in their names.

Very interesting!

As the Luxembourg Nassaus don't descend from King Willem I (Frederik), they only had the tradition of including Guillaume/Wilhelmine. A tradition that both GD Henri and prince Guillaume kept for their children. Their father GD Jean did it for all but Margaretha; and grandmother GD Charlotte for all but her youngest daughter Alix. the HGD couple seem to care about tradition, so I do expect them to follow tradition and include either Guillaume or Wilhelmine as one of the middle names.

Willem and Wilhelm are the Dutch and German variants of the name Guillaume. The great-grandfather of Grand Duke Henri used Grand-Duc Guillaume in French-language documents and Großherzog Wilhelm in German-language documents, and I expect the Dutch media would have described him as Groothertog Willem. His daughters used Wilhelmina in German, and Wilhelmine in French.

I hope you prove to be right! Although neither of Henri's children who have had children of their own have followed the tradition (ETA: Noah's name included Guillaume, but as he was a second child it is unclear if tradition played a role), the heir might be more interested in his family genealogy.

 

[Somebody]

I hope you prove to be right! Although neither of Henri's children who have had children of their own have followed the tradition (ETA: Noah's name included Guillaume, but as he was a second child it is unclear if tradition played a role), the heir might be more interested in his family genealogy.

Louis' children weren't born as princes, so I think he felt less of a need to preserve that tradition (in that way following his uncle Jean's path).

Felix and Claire most likely picked Amalia partly because they needed a name that would fit a grand duchess (if need be); but other than that they did what many royals (and non-royals) do, use the middle names to name their daughter after her grandmothers. For Liam, they even went more modern and again used the middle names only for including the grandfathers.

Nonetheless, I expect Guillaume en Stephanie to be a bit more traditional. That's at least how they come across to me.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Nonetheless, I expect Guillaume en Stephanie to be a bit more traditional. That's at least how they come across to me.

It would be lovely if they were also traditional enough to revive the "tradition" (if two grand dukes can be described as that) of reusing a name from the medieval lords who reigned in Luxembourg, at least if the child is a boy (as I am predicting ).

 

[King of the Jungle]

More names ...

Matilde Eloise Marie Alix
Alexander Guillaume Henri Philippe