Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Jean File:Grand Duke Jean 29.09.2006.jpg Jean at the wedding of his grandson Prince Louis of Luxembourg in 2006 Grand Duke of Luxembourg Reign 12 November 1964 – 7 October 2000 Predecessor Charlotte Successor Henri Born (1921-01-05) 5 January 1921 Berg Castle, Luxembourg Consort Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium (m. 1953) Issue Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Prince Jean Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein Prince Guillaume House House of Nassau-Weilburg (the reigning dynasty in Luxembourg) Father Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma Mother Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Signature

Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg HRH The Grand Duke HRH The Grand Duchess HRH The Hereditary Grand Duke HRH The Hereditary Grand Duchess HRH Prince Félix HRH Princess Claire HRH Princess Amalia* HRH Prince Louis HRH Princess Tessy HRH Prince Gabriel* HRH Prince Noah* HRH Princess Alexandra HRH Prince Sébastien HRH Grand Duke Jean HI&RH Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria HRH Prince Jean Countess Diane HRH Princess Marie-Gabrielle* HRH Prince Constantin* HRH Prince Wenceslas* HRH Prince Carl-Johan* HRH Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein HRH Prince Guillaume HRH Princess Sibilla HRH Prince Paul Louis* HRH Prince Léopold* HRH Princess Charlotte* HRH Prince Jean* HRH The Dowager Countess of Holstein-Ledreborg HRH Princess Joan HRH Princess Charlotte, Mrs. Cunningham HRH Prince Robert HRH Princess Julie HRH Princess Charlotte* HRH Prince Alexandre* HRH Prince Frederik* HRH The Dowager Princess of Ligne * Only a Prince/ss of Nassau

Styles of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg Reference style His Royal Highness Spoken style Your Royal Highness Alternative style Monseigneur ("My Lord", only by Luxembourg nationals)

Jean (given names: Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d'Aviano; born 5 January 1921) reigned as Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1964 until his abdication in 2000. He is the father of the current ruler, Grand Duke Henri, and the son of Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma. Among his godparents was Pope Benedict XV, who gave him his second name.

Early life

Jean was born on 5 January 1921, at Berg Castle, in central Luxembourg, the son of Grand Duchess Charlotte and of Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma. He attended primary school in Luxembourg, where he continued the initial stage of secondary education. He completed secondary school at Ampleforth College, a Roman Catholic boarding school in the United Kingdom. Upon reaching maturity, on 5 January 1939, he was styled 'Hereditary Grand Duke', recognising his status as heir apparent.

Second World War

On 10 May 1940, Germany invaded Luxembourg, beginning a four-year occupation. Having been warned of an imminent invasion, the Grand Ducal Family escaped the previous night. At first, they sought refuge in Paris, before fleeing France only weeks later. The Grand Ducal Family sought refuge in the United States, renting an estate in Brookville, New York. Jean studied Law and Political Science at Université Laval, Quebec City.

He joined the British Army as a volunteer in the Army Air Corps in November 1942. After receiving officer training at Aldershot, Jean was commissioned as a Lieutenant in March 1943, before being promoted to captain in 1944. He landed in Normandy on 11 June 1944, and took part in the Battle for Caen and the liberation of Brussels. On 10 September 1944, he took part in the liberation of Luxembourg before moving on to Arnhem and the invasion of Germany. After the war, from 1984 until his abdication, he served as Colonel of the Regiment of the [Irish Guards], often riding in uniform behind Queen Elizabeth II during the Sovereign's Birthday Parade.

Reign

He became Grand Duke when his mother, the Grand Duchess Charlotte, abdicated on 12 November 1964.

Grand Duke Jean abdicated on 7 October 2000, and was succeeded on the throne by his son Henri. Grand Duke Jean now lives at Fischbach Castle.

Issue

He was married in Luxembourg on 9 April 1953 to Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium (1927–2005), daughter of Léopold III, King of the Belgians. They had three sons and two daughters:

• Princess Marie-Astrid (born 17 February 1954). Married HI&RH Carl Christian Marcus d'Aviano, Prince Imperial and Archduke of Austria (born 1954).
• Grand Duke Henri (born 16 April 1955). Married María Teresa Mestre y Batista (born 1956) in 1981, and has issue. Ascended to the grand ducal throne in 2000.
• Prince Jean (born 15 May 1957). Married Hélène Vestur (born 1958) in 1987 and has issue. Renounced the right of succession for himself and his descendants on 26 September 1986. His children, as well as his wife, bore the title Count(ess) of Nassau until given the title HRH Prince(ss) of Nassau on 24 November 2004. Prince Jean and Hélène were previously divorced and she was not upgraded under this decree. In 2009 he married Diane De Guerre.
• Princess Margaretha (born 15 May 1957). Married HSH Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein (1947), son of Sovereign Prince Franz Joseph II, and has issue.
• Prince Guillaume (born 1 May 1963). Married Sibilla Weiller (born 1968), a great-granddaughter of King Alfonso XIII of Spain through her mother Donna Olimpia Torlonia di Civitella-Cesi, herself a daughter of Infanta Beatriz of Spain, and has issue. His children bear the title Prince(ss) of Nassau.

Titles, styles, and honours

Titles and styles

• 5 January 1921 – 12 November 1964: His Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Hereditary Prince of Nassau, Prince of Bourbon-Parma
• 12 November 1964 – 7 October 2000: His Royal Highness The Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Duke of Nassau
• 7 October 2000 – present: His Royal Highness Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, Duke of Nassau

His full title is "by the Grace of God, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Duke of Nassau, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Count of Sayn, Königstein, Katzenelnbogen and Diez, Burgrave of Hammerstein, Lord of Mahlberg, Wiesbaden, Idstein, Merenberg, Limburg and Eppstein." Many of the titles are held without regard to the strict rules of salic inheritance.

Change of dynastic titles

Jean renounced the titles of the House of Bourbon-Parma for himself and his family in 1986 when his eldest son, then-Hereditary Grand Duke Henri married Maria-Theresa Mestre. The reason for this was that the Duke of Parma, Carlos Hugo, ruled the marriage unequal in 1981, as well as the marriage of Prince Jean to Hélène Suzanna Vestur in 1987, for which he had renounced his rights to Luxembourg in 1986. It is not known if the marriage of Prince Guillaume was seen by Carlos Hugo as equal.

The Arrêté Grand-Ducal (Grand Ducal decree) of 21 September 1995 established that the title of Prince/Princesse de Luxembourg is reserved for the children of the sovereign and the heir to the throne. It also stated that the descendants in male lineage of the sovereign should be styled as Royal Highnesses and titled Prince/Princess of Nassau and that the descendants of unapproved marriages should be styled as Count/Countess of Nassau.

Luxembourgish honours and awards

See also List of honours of the Luxembourgish Grand-Ducal Family by country

• Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (Grand Master 1964–2000)
• Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau (Grand Master 1964–2000)
• Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown (Grand Master 1964–2000)
• Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (Grand Master 1964–2000)
• Luxembourg War Cross (with bar)

Foreign honours and awards

• Austria: Great Star of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (1975)
• Belgium: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold
• Belgium: Croix de guerre (with bar)
• Denmark: Knight of the Order of the Elephant (22/11/1976)
• France: Croix de guerre 1939–1945
• Germany: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
• House of Habsburg: 1,293rd Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
• Holy See: Knight of the Order of the Golden Spur
• Iceland: Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Falcon
• Italy: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (26/10/1973)
• Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
• Netherlands: Commemorative War Cross
• Norway: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav
• Poland: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
• Portugal: 379th Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword
• Portugal: Grand Collar of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique
• House of Savoy: Supreme Knight of the Order of the Annunziata (1978)
• House of Savoy: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1978)
• House of Savoy: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1978)
• Spain: 1,184th Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece (16/06/1983)
• Spain: Collar of the Order of Charles III (08/07/1980)
• United Kingdom: 951st Knight of the Order of the Garter
• United Kingdom: 1939-1945 Star
• United Kingdom: France and Germany Star
• United Kingdom: Defence Medal
• United Kingdom: War Medal 1939–1945
• United States: Silver Star
• Sweden: Knight of the Order of the Seraphim
• Sweden: HM King Carl XVI Gustaf 50th Anniversary Medal (30 April 1996)
• Kingdom of Greece: Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer
• Iran: Commemorative Medal of the 2500th Anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire (14/10/1971)

Ancestry

Family of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

16. Charles II, Duke of Parma King of Etruria               8. Charles III, Duke of Parma                       17. Princess Maria Teresa of Savoy               4. Robert I, Duke of Parma                             18. Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry               9. Louise Marie Thérèse of France                       19. Princess Caroline of the Two Sicilies               2. Felix of Bourbon-Parma                                   20. John VI of Portugal               10. Michael of Portugal                       21. Charlotte of Spain               5. Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal                             22. Constantine, Hereditary Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg               11. Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg                       23. Princess Agnes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg               1. Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg                                         24. William, Duke of Nassau               12. Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxembourg                       25. Princess Louise of Saxe-Hildburghausen               6. William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg                             26. Prince Frederick Augustus of Anhalt-Dessau               13. Princess Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau                       27. Princess Marie Luise Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel               3. Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg                                   28. John VI of Portugal (= 20)               14. Michael of Portugal (= 10)                       29. Charlotte of Spain (= 21)               7. Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal                             30. Constantine, Hereditary Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (= 22)               15. Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (= 11)                       31. Princess Agnes of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (= 23)

Patrilineal descent

Patrilineal descent

Henri's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son. Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations - which means that if Grand Duke Jean were to choose an historically accurate house name it would be Robertian, as all his male-line ancestors have been of that house. Jean is a member of the House of Bourbon-Parma, a sub-branch of the House of Bourbon-Spain, itself originally a branch of the House of Bourbon, and thus of the Capetian dynasty and of the Robertians. Jean's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son. It follows the Dukes of Parma as well as the Kings of Spain, France, and Navarre. The line can be traced back more than 1,200 years from Robert of Hesbaye to the present day, through Kings of France & Navarre, Spain and Two-Sicilies, Dukes of Parma and Grand-Dukes of Luxembourg, Princes of Orléans and Emperors of Brazil. It is one of the oldest in Europe. Robert II of Worms and Rheingau (Robert of Hesbaye), 770 - 807 Robert III of Worms and Rheingau, 808 - 834 Robert IV the Strong, 820 - 866 Robert I of France, 866 - 923 Hugh the Great, 895 - 956 Hugh Capet, 941 - 996 Robert II of France, 972 - 1031 Henry I of France, 1008–1060 Philip I of France, 1053–1108 Louis VI of France, 1081–1137 Louis VII of France, 1120–1180 Philip II of France, 1165–1223 Louis VIII of France, 1187–1226 Saint Louis IX of France, 1215–1270 Robert, Count of Clermont, 1256–1317 Louis I, Duke of Bourbon, 1279–1342 James I, Count of La Marche, 1319–1362 John I, Count of La Marche, 1344–1393 Louis, Count of Vendôme, 1376–1446 Jean VIII, Count of Vendôme, 1428–1478 François, Count of Vendôme, 1470–1495 Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, 1489–1537 Antoine of Navarre, 1518–1562 Henry IV of France, 1553–1610 Louis XIII of France, 1601–1643 Louis XIV of France, 1638–1715 Louis, Dauphin of France (1661-1711), 1661–1711 Philip V of Spain, 1683–1746 Philip, Duke of Parma, 1720–1765 Ferdinand, Duke of Parma, 1751–1802 Louis of Etruria, 1773–1803 Charles II, Duke of Parma, 1799–1883 Charles III, Duke of Parma, 1823–1854 Robert I, Duke of Parma, 1848–1907 Felix of Bourbon-Parma, 1893–1970 Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, 1921 -

See also

• Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg

External links

• Official biography (in French)
• Cour Grand-Ducale de Luxembourg (in French)

Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg House of Nassau-Weilburg Born: 5 January 1921
Regnal titles
Preceded by Charlotte	Grand Duke of Luxembourg 1964–2000	Succeeded by Henri
Military offices
Preceded by Basil Eugster	Colonel of the Irish Guards 1984–2000	Succeeded by The Duke of Abercorn