Tags
Felix of Bourbon-Parma, Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, Grand Dukes of Luxembourg, House of Bourbon, King Leopold III of Belgium
Official announcement from the Court of Luxembourg.
In English:
“It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of my beloved father, His Royal Highness Grand Duke Jean, who has left us in peace, surrounded by the affection of his family.”
-Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
My sympathies to his family and the people of Luxembourg….
HRH Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Jean (Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d’Aviano; 5 January 5, 1921 – April 23, 2019) reigned as Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 1964 until his abdication in 2000. He was the first Luxembourg grand duke of French agnatic descent.
Jean was the eldest son of Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma (Prince Félix was one of the 24 children of the deposed Robert I, Duke of Parma, being the duke’s sixth child and third son by his second wife, Maria Antonia of Portugal). Jean’s primary education was initially in Luxembourg, before attending Ampleforth College in England. In 1938, he was officially named Hereditary Grand Duke as heir to the throne of Luxembourg. While Luxembourg was occupied by Germans during the Second World War, the grand ducal family was abroad in exile. Jean studied at the Université Laval in Quebec City.
HRH Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Jean later volunteered to join the British army’s Irish Guards in 1942, and after graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, received his commission in 1943. He participated in the Normandy landings and the Battle for Caen, and joined the Allied forces in the liberation of Luxembourg. From 1984 until 2000, he was colonel of the Irish Guards.
On April 9, 1953, Jean married Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium (the oldest child and only daughter of the King Leopold III of the Belgians and his first wife, Astrid of Sweden) Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte had five children:
Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg (b. February 17, 1954)
Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (b. April 16, 1955)
Prince Jean of Luxembourg (b. May 15, 1957)
Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg (b. May 15, 1957)
Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg (b. May 1, 1963)
On November 12, 1964, Grand Duchess Charlotte abdicated and Jean succeeded her as Grand Duke of Luxembourg. He then reigned for 36 years before he himself abdicated on 7 October 2000 and was succeeded by his son, Grand Duke Henri.
Grand Duke Jean taking the oath to the Constitution.
Between 1959-72 Grand Duke Jean was also 5th in line of succession to the defunct throne of the Duchy of Parma. At his death Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg was 98 years old.