Life of Grand Duke Henri: Symbols, Important Moments, Protocols

[drimal]

11. ... and with the president of parliament Lubomir Zaoralek
12. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa visiting a home for disabled persons
13. Grand Duke Henri receiving a medal at the University of Prague
14. the Grand Ducal couple on jewish cemetery in the jewish district
15. the lay down of flowers on the tomb of church St. Thomas

[CarrieCooldge]

I am reading a book on Luxembourg by Emilie Lepthien. In it she goes into the history of Luxembourg and I found this interesting about what happened to one of Lux's symbols:

"Henry's son John succeeded and reigned for thirty years before losing his sight. When England invaded France, John came to the aid of his friend, Philip VI of France. Although he was blind, John asked to be led into the center of the battle. John the Blind was killed in the Battle of Crecy on August 26, 1346.

Edward III of England, the victorious Black Prince, said "The battle was not worth the death of this man." Edward III took the three ostrich feathers from John the Blind's helmet and adopted the prince of Luxembourg's motto, "I serve." The three feathers and the motto are still used by England's Prince of Wales and can be seen on his coat of arms."

[Julia]

Very interesting and informative! Thanks to everyone participating in this thread.

Quite interesting to learn that the current Prince of Wales' motto and coat of arms comes from Luxembourg!

[simplicity8318]

You can see the three feathers on the bottom left hand side.

Just to clarify, Ich Dien=I serve

[CarrieCooldge]

Besides the feathers and motto being on his coat of arms, they are famously known as the "Prince of Wales' Feathers".
Here is one representation with the feathers and motto.

[drimal]

State Visit pictures of Grand Duc Jean and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte III

1. to 3. remaining pictures of Japan 4.05.1999 with Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte and the Empress of Japan
4. and 5. Poland's president Aleksander Kwasniewsky on state visit in Luxembourg on 25.04.1998
6. United States with former president Bill Clinton
7. and 8. German Federal President Johannes Rau and his wife in Luxembourg 0n 5.10.1999
9. Cap Vert 3.05.1998
10. India 15.09.1998

[Danielle]

Wonderful photos! Thanks drimal. Do you know who the girl is in the last photo? That one is my favourite. J-C looks all motherly and kind. That isn't to say she wasn't, but just that the photo is very sweet. The children in the third photo are so adorable. :)

[drimal]

11. and 12. Luxembourg is hosting the King of Swaziland Mswati III and his wife on 6.10.1999
13.to 15. certainly a highlight in the long reign of Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte, Mexico on 17.03.1996
13. visiting the fascinating and astonishing Maya pyramides
14. talking to the mayor of Mexico City (the biggest city in the world with more than 25.000.000 inhabitants )
15. Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte was visibly impressed by the Maya culture

[drimal]

Luxembourg, a Constitutional Monarchy under a system of Parliamentary Democracy

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg has been a sovereign and independent State since the Treaty of London was signed on 19 April 1839. The country is a parliamentary democracy in the form of a constitutional monarchy characterized by the fact that it is the only Grand Duchy in the world. The crown is handed down through the House of Nassau. (...)

(...) The Government has a right of initiative in legislative matters known as Governmental initiative, which allows it to table draft bills. After being examined by the Council of State, draft bills are put to the vote before Parliament, where the Government normally holds a majority. After the parliamentary vote, the Grand Duke exercises his rights of assent and of enactment. The legislative procedure concludes with the publication of the legislative text in the compendium of legislation known as the Mémorial, whereupon the text acquires its legal status. (...)

Executive power

The Grand Duke is the Head of State. His inviolable status means that he cannot be charged or prosecuted. The Grand Duke enjoys complete political immunity and political responsibility lies with ministers. Indeed, any measure taken by the Grand Duke in the exercise of his constitutional powers must be countersigned by a member of the Government who assumes full responsibility. Moreover, any legislative document signed by the Grand Duke must have been submitted for prior consideration to the cabinet.

Formally, the Constitution grants the Grand Duke the right to freely organise his Government, i.e. to appoint ministers and secretaries of State, to establish ministerial departments and to confer powers on them. The number of ministerial departments generally exceeds the number of Members of the Government called upon to serve in office, so a single Minister normally holds more than one portfolio.

In practice the Grand Duke chooses the Prime Minister on the basis of election results; the Prime Minister himself then proposes the Members of the Government. The Government appointed by the Grand Duke presents its political programme to Parliament which takes a vote of confidence, thereby giving the newly appointed government a parliamentary majority on which it can rely.

Under the Constitution, the Grand Duke has the right to remove any Member of the Government from office but, in practice, the resignation of a Minister or of the whole Government is tendered by the Prime Minister to the Grand Duke who accepts it. (...)

I found this interesting text under this link: http://www.eu2005.lu/en/savoir_lux/politique_economie/grand_duche/index.php

and I posted here the extracts concerning the Grand Duke and his functions


Under this link you find an explanation about the constitutional monarchy :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_monarchy

[drimal]

Grand Dukes of Luxembourg



The House of Orange-Nassau

• 1815–1840 : William I (1772–1843) (also King William I of the Netherlands)
• 1840–1849 : William II (1792–1849) (also King William II of the Netherlands)
• 1849–1890 : William III (1817–1890) (also King William III of the Netherlands)

The House of Nassau-Weilburg

• 1890–1905 : Adolphe (1817–1905)
• 1905–1912 : Guillaume IV (1852–1912)
• 1912–1919 : Marie-Adélaïde (1894–1924 abdicated)
• 1919–1964 : Charlotte (1896–1985, abdicated)
• 1964–2000 : Jean (born 1921, abdicated)
• Since 2000 : Henri (born 1955)

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Ducal_Family_of_Luxembourg"


Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire.

It emerged on the lower Lahn river in what is today Rhineland-Palatinate. The castle of Nassau was built in 1125, and since 1160 the county was named after the castle.

In 1255 Nassau was divided for the first time. During the next centuries several states named Nassau emerged. One of those counties was Nassau-Dillenburg, from where the House of Orange-Nassau originated. An other was Nassau-Weilburg, whose reigning house still reigns in Luxembourg.

Due to the extinction of most lines, Nassau became a united duchy again in 1806. In 1866 it was annexed by Prussia and incorporated into the province of Hesse-Nassau. Today, all Houses of Nassau are extinct in their male line.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nassau_%28state%29"

[gaggleofcrazypeople]

Then why do they still have the name Nassau?

[suturegeisha]

Originally Posted by gaggleofcrazypeople

Then why do they still have the name Nassau?

It's not really their last name, it's the house name. IIRC, it died out with Guillaume IV, since he had six daughters.

[gaggleofcrazypeople]

But then why is it still part of their name?

[la francaise]

Originally Posted by gaggleofcrazypeople

But then why is it still part of their name?

I believe it is still part of their name because they are recognize by that name and the fact that they are the Royal Family of Luxembourg.:)

[gaggleofcrazypeople]

I don't know if I would have kept the name. It seems pointless to me.

[princessealiénor]

Their name are Capet (Bourbon-Parme) and Nassau I think

[Ducii]

Originally Posted by drimal

State visit pictures of Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte I

1. Sweden 1983: King Carl-Gustav and and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte during the dinner (the highlight of every state visit)
2. Sweden 1983: Queen Silivia and Grand Duke Jean (eight years later in 1991 the Swedish sovereigns will visit Luxembourg)
3. United States 1984: the travel with the famous "Cable Car" in San Francisco was one of the highlights of the state visit in the USA
4. and 5. the Netherlands 1992: parts of the programm were made by train (GD Josephine-Charlotte/4), (GD Jean and Queen Beatrix/5)
6. Israel 1987: the Grand Ducal couple visiting the cidatelle, a palace built 24 bef. Jesus Christ from Herodes
7. Poland 1993: the president Vaclav Havel remembered the common history of Luxembourg and Bohemia
8. Poland 1993: the Grand Ducal couple remembring five Luxembourgians who died between September 1942 and January 1943 in the cloister Leubus, the resettlement 158
9. Norway May 1990: King Olaf and Crown Prince Harald of Norway received Luxembourg's sovereigns
10. Belgium 1999: Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte, King Albert II and Queen Paola in Arlon (Belgium)

The picture n.7 is not Poland, it is Czech republic, Vaclav Havel was Czech president!!!! and Luxembourg have nothing in common with Poland, Luxembourg share a part of history with Czech Republic. And I guess that picture 8 can be also Czech republic, cause there are two flags and on both flags is blue, but Poland don't have blue on flag.

[lyndaW]

Does Henri & Maria-Teresa own a summer home? Is it in Luxembourg or in another country?

[CyrilVladisla]

In what year did Willibrord become the patron saint of Luxembourg?