Grand Duke Henri's 50th Birthday: April 16, 2005

[rere]

I didn't realize that the grand duke will have a party for his 50th birthday.

Friday, 8th April 2005

City gears up for Grand Duke’s 50th

A daring Brazilian samba theme has been chosen for festivities celebrating Grand Duke Henri’s 50th birthday on Saturday 16 April.

Mayor of Luxembourg City Paul Helminger yesterday presented the programme and poster for the open-air party that will take place on Place d’Armes, between 4 p.m. and 1 a.m., and outside the grand ducal palace. The poster features several scantily dressed Brazilian Samba dancers. “It’s a sexy poster”, said Helminger, commenting on the daring design.

Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa will attend the musical festivities in which the Akacombé percussion band, the Salsabor salsa orchestra, and traditional Brazilian group Guarana do Brasil will be on centre stage at Place d’Armes. A special transparent sheet will protect partygoers from the weather in most of the square, while an additional covered stage will be set up for a special batucada (Brazilian percussion) performance by Som Brasil, with Companhia LuaBahia dancers and capoeira (Brazilian martial art) group Abada.

“It’ll be a great party”, said Helminger.

Hostesses will be distributing special vouchers for free food and drink between 6.30 and 7.30 p.m. Eleven Place d’Armes restaurants and cafés will have special stands with local delicacies and local wines, beers and champagnes.

A full ceremonial changing of the guard will take place outside the grand ducal palace at 5 p.m.. A military band will accompany the soldiers and lead a procession of representatives from the Grand Duchy’s communes.

Entry to events in Place d’Armes and outside the palace is free.
http://www.352.lu

 

[ShksprNLov]

I'm jealous! It would be so much fun to be in Luxembourg for that. Gaggle, I agree with you, there better be a lot of pictures! I can't believe Henri is turning 50. He still looks so young!

 

[rere]

Grand Duke Henri's 50th Birthday; April 16, 2005

From www.Wort.lu

In honor of Henri's 50th birthday.

 

[rere]

Pictures of Henri and his family.

More can be found at www.wort.lu

 

[Danielle]

Thank you rere for all the photos. Aww, Henri was so cute when he was young.

 

[drimal]

Picture series for the 50th birthday of Grand Duke Henri

1) Grand duke Henri celebrating his 50th birthday
2) the newborn Prince Henri on 16th april 1955
3) a sharp little boy who isn't afraid of the camera
4) serious but smiling friendly- the nature of the upcoming Grand Duke
5) a little brother for Princess Marie astrid
6) past, present and future of Luxembourg's Grand Ducal house together: Grand Duke Jean, Grand Duchess Charlotte and Hereditary grand Duke Henri with his first born son, Prince Guillaume
7) Grand Duke Henri visiting Luxembourg's soldiers in Kosovo in September 2001
8) a dream wedding in Luxembourg: on 14th February 1981 Hereditary GD Henri married Maria Teresa Mestre in the cathedrale
9) in his throne speech, the Grand Duke is remembering that solidarity, justice and humanity are the basics of our society
10) Prince Henri with his siblings Margaretha, Marie Astrid, Jean and Guillaume in the year 1968

 

[drimal]

11) Prince Henri became Hereditary Grand Duke in April 1973
12) the Hereditary Grand Ducal couple Henri and Maria Teresa with their sons Guillaume and Felix
13) the new sovereigns of Luxembourg on the balcony greeting an enthusiastic public
14) the final parade of the officers of the Royal Military Academy of sandhurst on 27th June 1975; Henri is the third from the right
15) inauguration of the new parliament session on 12th October 2004
16) Grand Duke Henri has a warm relationship to older people
17) Christmas 1963 in Betzdorf castle
18) Prince Henri is visiting an exhibition with his sisters Marie-Astrid and Margaretha and his teacher
19) Grand Duc Henri is a fan of cars and technology
20) Grand Duke Henri talking with the minister of economy Henri Grethen

 

[drimal]

21) Grand Duke Henri and sports minister Anne Brasseur following the games of little countries, 2001 in San Marino
22) Athens 2004: As a member of the International Olympic Comitee (IOC) is giving the medals to the athlets
23) on the Olympic Games of Munich in 1972 with former sports minister 8and only Luxembourgish Gold medallist in 1952/Helsinki ) Josy Barthel
24) the Grand Ducal couple on a party of radio DNR in October 2004
25) Grand Duke Henri is very engaged in the help of third World countries- this picture is showing the Grand Duke on a journey in salvador in 2003
26) the Grand Ducal couple in a discussion with Prince Charles
27) a Portuguese folk group welcomes the Grand Duke during a Joyeuse Entrée
28) Archbishop Fernand Franck receives the grand Ducal family
29) and 30) two pics of the book "Grand Duc Henri 50" which will appear in the next weeks

 

[drimal]

31) the Grand Ducal family today celebrating Henri's and Sebastien's (!) birthday: Grand duke Henri, Prince Felix, Prince Louis, Prince Guillaume, Hereditary GD Guillaume, Prince Sebastien, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Princess Alexandra
32) Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa on a motorbike
33) another beautiful photo of the family
34) the cover of the special book Grand-Duc Henri 50

 

[suturegeisha]

Thanks for all the photos, drimal! They're great.

I must say....this is one of the best looking families I've ever seen. They're all so gorgeous!


And a very Happy Birthday to Henri.

 

[Alexandria]

31) the Grand Ducal family today celebrating Henri's and Sebastien's (!) birthday: Grand duke Henri, Prince Felix, Prince Louis, Prince Guillaume, Hereditary GD Guillaume, Prince Sebastien, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Princess Alexandra
32) Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa on a motorbike
33) another beautiful photo of the family
34) the cover of the special book Grand-Duc Henri 50

These are wonderful pictures of the family drimal -- thank you very much for sharing them!

I love the two portraits of the family -- the one formal one and the more causal, outdoors one. The formal one with all of the men's bow ties undone and Alexandra with her shoes off and in her hands says to me that the family is very laid back and informal despite their roles. And in the casual one of the family outdoors, I love how Alexandra has her arms around her mother's shoulders.

You can tell that this is a very close family, from the parents with the children to the children with each other.

I hope we'll get to see more from this book; it seems that there are many great pictures in it.

 

[ysakuraba]

From. Gettyimages

Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg walk through the Place Guillaume II as part of the celebrations surrounding the 50th Anniversary

 

[ysakuraba]

more.............

 

[Alisa]

GREAT Photos thanks for posting them! I agree with you Alexandria the two family photos are beautiful!

 

[Danielle]

Drimal and ysakuraba, thank you very much for the photos. They're beautiful and in my opinion, they really capture the essence of the family. This photo is my favourite. http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=126453 I love how the colours are contrasted and how the boys don't have their bow-ties done up. Thank goodness that facial hair has not reared it's ugly head again.

 

[msfroyste]

thanks for the pics drimal. yes danielle, i must agree with you. *cheers for the lack thereof of terrible facial hair.

 

[lori]

That black and white shoot is simply gorgous. Well done the photographer. And of course, the gorgous family.

 

[drimal]

Thanks for the nice and warm hearted images ysakaruba!

I think the following pictures were not yet posted! How cool Henri and Maria Teresa look on the motorbike in these pics!

The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and Prince Felix leave the train station as part of the celebrations surrounding the 50th Anniversary of the Grand Duke Of Luxemburg, April 16, 2005 in Luxembourg. They were driving for a good cause, the so-called Télévie, an organisation collecting money for sick children who are suffering from cancer.

 

[rere]

Thanks for the photos.
I love this one where the two are smiling?
I didn't expect his brother Jean to attend.
Drimal, what part of the events did his father attend?

 

[drimal]

Beautiful pictures from the birthday celebration!

1) the cook was a present of Grand Duke Henri's employees
2) the Grand Ducal couple on the balcony of the Palace
3) on Saturday morning the Grand Ducal couple was participating at the "Staerentour" (Star tour) of the Télévie with their motorbike!
4) the Grand Ducal couple dancing embracing eachother on the Place d'Armes with the sound of Latino-American music
5) from left to right: Prince Guillaume, Princess Margaretha, Prince Jean, Princess Marie Astrid, Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Prince Sebastien, Grand Duke Jean, Prince Felix, Princess Alexandra, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Prince Louis (nice to see them all together in one image )
6) during the official reception (with members of Luxembourg's parliament) in the Palace: Grand Duke Henri tanks for the nice greetings and presents
7) Grand Duke Jean, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa are looking at the procession of the UGDA-music from the tribune
8) double birthday: Grand Duke Henri celebrastes his 50th birthday, Prince Sebastien counts his 13th birthday
9) flowers are handed over to the Grand Duke from children
10) mayor of Colmar-Berg gave a speech in honor to the birthday child

 

[msfroyste]

nice pics. thanks drimal. it's good to see gd jean out and about. i hope he's doing ok. i especially love the pic of henri and mt on the motorcycle and the woman in the car with the "what the ?" look on her face and the one with henri and mt dancing together(how sweet).

 

[Anna_R]

From Hello: http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2005/04/18/royalbirthdays/

ROYAL BIRTHDAY FUN FOR HENRI AND MARGRETHE

18 APRIL 2005

Royal revelry reigned over the weekend, with two of Europe's favourite sovereigns celebrating landmark birthdays.

Denmark's much-loved Queen Margrethe, who has just turned 65, was cheered by a huge crowd of well-wishers when she appeared on the balcony of Amalienborg Palace on Saturday. And Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg was also enjoying the adulation of his subjects as he rang in his 50th birthday with a party in the Grand Ducal Palace.

Accompanied by his wife Maria Teresa, the monarch made a typically impressive entrance by roaring into the palace on a powerful motorcycle. The Duchess had to hold on tight to her husband while they were on the move, but she obviously isn't averse to wrapping her arms around him because they also were photographed in a tender embrace later in the day.

Queen Margrethe, meanwhile, was in similarly affecctionate form. The happiness was written all over her face when she stepped onto the balcony with husband Prince Henrik, son Joachim and grandsons Felix and Nikolai.

The ever-popular Prince Frederik and Princess Mary couldn't make it along, as they are currently on a state visit to Japan, but the monarch was keen to express her fondness for her daughter-in-law. "It must be strenuous to come to a new country and take on her position," she said of the pretty Australian. "She's doing a great job and I'm a proud mother-in-law."

1. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa shows her affection for her husband
2. Cutting a slice of the ornate birthday cake proved a somewhat delicate affair

 

[gaggleofcrazypeople]

Great pics. But what is with Sebastien's hair? Its so weird!

 

[KatieLouise]

Aren't Henri and Maria Teresa so sweet? Awwww. The Grand Ducal family - from all appearances - seem to be the closest family to me.

 

[msfroyste]

i know. when i saw sebastien's hair, i shook my head, and thought to myself, i guess the bad hair has hit him too, just as we all predicted during christmas.

 

[RoseMary]

They are a cute couple. Sebastain may grow out of his bad hair, he is still young.

 

[pdas1201]

More pics from the birthday...

 

[suturegeisha]

Thanks for the pictures and link, everyone!

And I think Sebastien looks very cute with his hair like that! I must be the only one, huh?

 

[drimal]

More pics from wort.lu from Grand Duke Henri's birthday!

 

[drimal]

10.-15. from wort.lu
16.-20. from rtl.lu (procession from the UGDA in honour to Grand Duke Henri)