The Waringo Investigation into the Functioning of the Luxembourg Court 2019/2020

[Moonmaiden23]

Oh dear.

Why can't I shake the feeling that this will not end well for MT and Henri?

[Addapalla]

Originally Posted by Pranter

Message from HRH THE GRAND DUKE:

" it is at the bedside of my brother-in-law at intensive care in Geneva that I speak to you. ... My whole family is suffering from it. ... Why attack a woman? A woman who defends other women? A woman who doesn't even give the right to defend herself?

The statement so unabashedly manipulative in tone, eliciting sympathy ahead of what might prove to be a scathing report. And the implication that women are defenseless is utterly insulting. If reports about her running the show are true, one wonders whether MT might have had a hand in composing the message.

[Blog Real]

I think that sooner or later it will end in abdication.
The message should have been different, they should have sent a message only after the results of the investigation came out.
This message was shot to the side.

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by Marengo

What a puzzling statement. Rather candid as far as statements from royalty go. Even the duke and duchess of Sussex have not been this blunt . You would imagine courtiers would be involved in such a statement, but if they were I can not imagine they would have come to this result.

I can't see what MT being a woman, mother or grand mother has anything to do with it, but perhaps the Grand Duke knows more than we do. Neither do I understand why HRH feels he need to explain that he is writing it from the intensive care unit in Geneva.

We can't blame the Grand Duke for defending his wife of course. But this statement has little value since the report itself is not made public yet. Until it is rumours are bound to go around because the facts are not available.

If somebody is running their publicity department that person must have been either overruled by the Grand Duke himself or is grossly incompetent. I suspect the statement will have the opposite effect of what was intended. It makes you wonder in what kind of cocoon these people are living.

The previous Prime minister stripped the Grand Duke of his powers. Perhaps this one would be wise to make a government office responsible for official communiques from the court, as is the case in The Netherlands with the RVD.

Exactly. It is comes across as extremely defense (but my wife is lovely don't you see - and after all, she is a woman, you cannot be hard on women, can you? - and right now her brother is seriously ill, so don't be so mean to her - but she also does really good things, please ignore everything else...) and not at all addressing any of the issues of the report (which is logical, as it hasn't been made public). Apparently, he doesn't understand that all of the above (she is a woman, a mother/grandmother, wife, and currently worried about her brother) can be true, while she can also be a terrible boss running the grand ducal household.

The only relevant thing part of the statement is the last sentence in which they make clear that as far as they are concerned abdication is out of the question - conveniently suggesting that this would be a real bad time because their heirs look forward to having their first child (well, they actually said 'will start a family life' - which suggests that apparently the first 7 1/2 years of marriage Guillaume and Stephanie never started their 'family life').

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Dalriada

I’m sure this is just a culture clash about domestic issues. Every court has its run in with the “Americas”! Thank God Queen Silvia had a European grounding.

Culture clash??After decades that plays up all of a sudden the last 5 years or more?No,...and the selfpityfull statement fron Henri..."from the intensive care unit of my brother-in-law " is whimpy to my taste and had nothing to do with the actual behaviour of the Gdss towards staff and the subsequent dismissal of halve of them over a short period of time.But hopefully the report will deal with that matter in a fair,honest and straightforward way.I hope.

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by Moonmaiden23

Oh dear.

Why can't I shake the feeling that this will not end well for MT and Henri?

Wouldn't be surprised if this attempt to get ahead of things might end just as badly as it did for Andrew.

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Somebody

Wouldn't be surprised if this attempt to get ahead of things might end just as badly as it did for Andrew.

No!Totally diffrent situations,totally,not to be compared in any which way!!

[Moonmaiden23]

And just like that...poof! goes Guillaume and Stephanie's dream of an idyll of bonding as a family at Fischbach with the "Little Stowaway" once he/she arrives.

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by carlota

A strange statement indeed. I’m not sure why the GD thought this was a good idea. So many questions open up just by reading this.

Some say the pictures are in Paris but since he says he is in Geneva I’m thinking this may be Geneva lake instead. It would be strange / under mining to release pictures in Paris if people claim MT spends too much time there.

In fact it’s strange to release pictures at all with a statement such as this... puzzling. A serious statement wouldn’t have pictures.

And I’m unsure why he mentions he’s at the bed side of his in law. Maybe to signify they are facing a tough family situation as is?

The whole reference to MT being a woman is really strange too.

It seems to be park on the south side of the Geneva lake (had the pleasure of living in Geneva for a few months 10 years ago).

But I agree; why include pictures? And why this type of pictures? It all looks rather grim.

[Denville]

Originally Posted by Somebody

Wouldn't be surprised if this attempt to get ahead of things might end just as badly as it did for Andrew.

Martia Teresa may not be an angel or likable but she is not like Andrew

[Pranter]

Originally Posted by Blog Real

I think that sooner or later it will end in abdication.
The message should have been different, they should have sent a message only after the results of the investigation came out.
This message was shot to the side.

Why would it end in abdication? The issue is the treatment of staff by M.T. right? Maybe I'm not understanding the whole investigation?


LaRae

[tommy100]

Well they certainly made clear there is no intention to abdicate "We will continue to serve you, to be there for you and for Luxembourg. Especially at this crucial moment when our children start a family life, it is essential for us as parents to allow them to enjoy these beautiful years as heir."

The statement makes no sense, it does not say anything about the allegations but simply says MT is such a wonderful person, MT helps others, MT is a woman, none of which means the allegations are not true. It seems to be very much setting up the "she is wonderful" PR ready for the report to be pretty bad IMO.

I'm saddened by all this because I have always really liked and respected MT, I've seen her as one of the more normal, dedicated royals who still retains a very firm family focus. To me the fact they can not even deny that she bullies people etc in this statement and that they even think its a good idea to release this statement makes me think so much less of her and of Henri.

[Muhler]

Is an abdication seriously on the table?

Are there serious calls for an abdication?

Wouldn't it be more likely that the government puts the GD family under direct economic administration?
Wouldn't it also be more likely that the government puts pressure on the GD family to address issues with the poor working environment?
Can the government do this?
To me the fact that this investigation has even been launched, let alone being published, is a direct warning from the government.
And I can't see a government do that without political and public backing.
Also, the government has to do something after publishing the report.

Unfortunately it seems the graveness of the situation hasn't dawned on the Grand Duke - or this message is a desperate rearguard action aimed at the public.

[Denville]

It doesn't seem serious enough for abdication, esp when Guillaume and Stephanie are about to have a baby after 7 or 8 years. It seems unfair for them to suddenly have to take over when they are probably hoping to have a time to enjoy their child..

[Blog Real]

As long as it is not known what the report says, all that is said is pure speculation.
I think this statement was just to try to lighten things up but I don't know if it was the right way.
Nothing is known about what the report says, but it may not be anything very serious.
The Grand Duchess can even rule the employees, but she doesn’t have that much power to do serious things, unless she actually fired some employees, but even that’s nothing so serious ....
I hope that everything will work out well for all sides.

[An Ard Ri]

Guillaume and Stephanie have a baby and heir on the way that is something the Grand Duke should focus on.

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by lucien

No!Totally diffrent situations,totally,not to be compared in any which way!!

Originally Posted by Denville

Martia Teresa may not be an angel or likable but she is not like Andrew

I never said so. Please read my post more carefully: the comparison I made was about "this attempt to get ahead of things". Both this letter and Andrew's interview were ill-advised and I expect it to backfire just like in Andrew's case that ended dramatically. The fact that the press is speculating about abdication somehow suggests that it is taken very seriously in Luxembourg; and this letter is giving their only more munition instead of lessening the pressure. So, in that way I see comparisons, while of course the 'issues at hand' that caused these attempts are completely different.

[HereditaryPrincess]

I seemed to have missed the news when it first came out. This doesn't look like it'll end well for the GD and GDss indeed.

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by Denville

It doesn't seem serious enough for abdication, esp when Guillaume and Stephanie are about to have a baby after 7 or 8 years. It seems unfair for them to suddenly have to take over when they are probably hoping to have a time to enjoy their child..

While I understand the sentiment; it seems to be a really weak excuse for not abdicating. Well, I did something terribly wrong but my poor eldest son cannot handle it right now, so please allow me another 10 years or so of going about it, so he can enjoy his young family.

Imho, if it is serious enough to consider abdication (and the fact that the HD address is it, might suggest that they don't rule out that option either - otherwise there wouldn't be a reason to state that you intend to stay put), the case should be just on it's own merits and not on circumstantial issues (even though I am sure everyone would be happy to give Guillaume and Stephanie more time in their current roles).

In the end, it isn't something that hasn't happend before. The Swedish and Danish royals managed as well when the parents were called to the throne either before the children were born or when they were still young.

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by Blog Real

As long as it is not known what the report says, all that is said is pure speculation.
I think this statement was just to try to lighten things up but I don't know if it was the right way.
Nothing is known about what the report says, but it may not be anything very serious.
The Grand Duchess can even rule the employees, but she doesn’t have that much power to do serious things, unless she actually fired some employees, but even that’s nothing so serious ....
I hope that everything will work out well for all sides.

The government thought it serious enough to start an official investigation and the GD thought it serious enough to issue a statement in advance. So, given that they are familiar with what is going on (although some details are known, such as the extremely high turnover off staff; not 'firing some employees'), I tend to take their actions seriously. Imho it is not too hard to read between the lines that something serious is going on. How troublesome it is exactly will be revealed shortly it seems.