It was my intention for quite long to write about the royal couple Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg whom I used to come across occasionally in several publications, and who appeal to me for their noble elegance and modest demeanor. When I have recently read Grand Duke Henri was to abdicate the throne at the end of 2024, I decided it was the time for this post… (Photo above: Henri et Maria Teresa of Luxembourg are at home, January 24, 2021 – posing during the interview they granted to Paris Match for their emerald wedding anniversary, parismatch.com)
Luxembourg is one of the European Union’s smallest nations with a population of nearly 700,000 people, and its richest per capita – home to the EU institutions like the European Court of Justice and European Investment Bank. The Schengen Agreement of 1985 takes its name from a village in Luxembourg – where it was signed. Luxembourgish, German and French are spoken in public life alongside the languages of the 180 nationalities living in the Grand Duchy especially Portuguese, Italian and English. (gouvernement.lu)
Grand Duke Henri says in an interview a few months ago that they must ensure integration, because they have almost 50% non-Luxembourgish residents. (parismatch.com)
Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg – the official residence of the grand ducal family (Photo: visaliv.com)
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg abdicated in October 3, 2025 in favor of his son Guillaume after 25 years on the throne. The eldest son of Grand Duke Jean and Princess Josephine-Charlotte of Belgium, 70-year-old Henri was Luxembourg’s head of state since 2000. (brusseltimes.com)
The new grand ducal couple Henri and Maria Teresa waving to the crowds from the balcony alongside Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte, Oct. 2000 (Grand Duke Jean had abdicated in favour of his eldest son Henri in 2000) / Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa parading the streets of the capital, 2000 – the year Henri ascended the throne (Photos: lequotidien.lu)
Henri and Maria Teresa with Belgium’s Queen Mathilde, King Philippe, and Princess Elisabeth during Grand Duke Henri’s abdication and his son Guillaume’s enthronement ceremony at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg, Oct.3, 2025 / Grand Duke Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stephanie with their children Prince Charles and Prince Francois – waving from the balcony of the Grand Ducal Palace (Photos: (AP Photo/Omar Havana via wtop.com)
(Guillaume is the eldest of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa‘s five children. He has been married to Princess Stéphanie de Lannoy, a Belgian countess, since October 2012.)
Family outing on Place Guillaume II, during the celebrations for the silver jubilee of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, June 21, 2025 – Henri and Maria Teresa with Stephanie and Guillaume. Behind them, Princes Félix (cream suit) and Sébastien (burgundy tie) (Photo: Grand Duke’s House / Sophie Margue via parismatch.com)
Cleaved from today’s France, Belgium and Germany, Luxembourg is the world’s last remaining grand duchy – a parliamentary democracy with the grand duke as head of state, like King Charles in the United Kingdom. (lemonde.fr)
I had mentioned the British Royal Family, the most popular royal family I would say, frequently featured in the world press, in my several older posts. The Luxembourg royal family had also been drawing my attention, specifically for their sweet royal couple – Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa.
Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, December 2024 (Photo: Simon Wohlfahrt / AFP via brusselstimes.com) / Maria Teresa and Henri of Luxembourg posing for Grand Duchess’s birthday portrait, March 22, 2025 (Photo: Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue via parismatch.com)
Besides the noble, modest and decent look of this royal couple, I had noticed a different kind of joy, and kindness in the eyes of Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. This made sense when I have found out a short while ago that she was of Cuban origin.
In the interview with Paris Match (February 2021 issue) for their emerald wedding anniversary (forty years), when asked what he thought about Grand Duchess when they met Grand Duke Henri says:
” She was very pretty, full of charm, sparkling with intelligence. With a great sense of humor, and that Latin gaiety that I didn’t particularly appreciate in Luxembourg and which immediately captivated me.” (What I have noticed was probably the Latin gaiety, as he expressed).
When asked the same question, Maria Teresa says what she liked about Henri was, besides his breathtaking beauty, the kindness in his eyes, his demeanor. She says:
“This profound benevolence towards everyone, so deeply rooted in you, still touches me today.“
She also adds that one of the things she admires most about her husband is his ability to be positive, to always see the beauty and the good.
Grand Duke Henri says “Love is built day by day, strengthened with time.“, adding that finally after forty years, they begin to know each other and with closeness and complicity between them, have become indispensable to one another, despite being very different. (parismatch.com)
Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, 2017 – a couple with elegance and joy… (Photo: Grand Ducal Court, Lola Velasco via today.rtl.lu)
Maria Teresa Mestre was born in Havana, Cuba, to an affluent family of Spanish descent with noble roots. Their assets were seized after the Cuban revolution. The family left Cuba and resettled in New York when Maria Teresa was four years old. After half a decade, the family moved to Geneva, Switzerland where she went to a boarding school. It was at the University of Geneva that Maria Teresa met Prince Henri of Luxembourg – where they both studied Political science for four years. They graduated in 1980 and announced their engagement shortly afterwards. They married on 14 February 1981. (today.rtl.lu)
Grand Duke Henri and Maria Teresa while studying in Geneva (Photo: Maison grand-ducal de Luxembourg via monarchie.lu) (After completing his secondary education in Luxembourg and France, Henri had trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Great Britain and obtained the rank of officer in 1975.) / Maria Teresa and Henri on their wedding day (Photo: Marcel Ticket /SIP/ Collections de la Cour Grand-Ducale via today.rtl.lu)
As of her memory of their wedding day, Maria Teresa says:
“I will never forget the overwhelming welcome I received from the Luxembourgers. … When I blew a kiss to the cheering crowd from the balcony, I wanted to embrace them all.” (Paris Match, February 2021 issue)
Prince Guillaume was born in November 1981, soon after the wedding. They had four more children: Prince Félix,
Grand Duke Henri with his sons: Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Prince Félix and Prince Louis, 1990 (Photo: Raymond Reuter/Getty Images) / Sébastien, 5th child of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, is born. He is surrounded by his brothers Guillaume, 10, Felix, 7, Louis, 5, and his sister Alexandra, 1, 1992. (Photo: Charles Caratini/Getty Images)
Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Maria Teresa (Photo: Pinterest) / Grand Duke Henri with his son Guillaume (Photo: monarchie.lu)
Maria Teresa says in the interview with Paris Match that their concern for their children was that they be able to pursue their passions, and they had never put pressure on them to have brilliant careers, adding that today each of them work harmoniously in the field they love: their daughter Alexandra works in humanitarian and social work, Sébastien works in the development of organic agriculture, Félix is
The Grand Ducal Family in Cabasson, 2021 (Photo: Maison du Grand-Duc / Marion Dessard via monarchie.lu) (Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa are grandparents to eight grandchildren.)
Henri and Maria Teresa with their five children (from left to right: Prince Louis, Princess Alexandra, Prince Guillaume, Prince Sebastien and Prince Felix) at a royal dinner that is part of their silver wedding celebrations, February 2006 (Getty Images) / Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and Grand Duke Henri discover the face of their grandson, Charles, born in May 2000 – during the pandemic (Photo: Luxembourg Ducal Court via parismatch.com)
Maria Teresa has always been involved in charitable work. She describes her family in Cuba as a family of great philanthropists who raised her with the philosophy “The more you have, the more you should give.“. After studying Political Science, she worked for a time with International Red Cross in Geneva. After her husband Grand Duke Henri became Head of State, she remained active with the Red Cross and the Cancer Foundation in Luxembourg. She has initiated many projects including the fight against learning difficulties and dyslexia (issues close to her heart she says, as she has experienced them with one of her children), and women who are victims of sexual violence. (parismatch.com)
Photos: Left: Maison du Grand-Duc / Emanuele Scorcelletti via today.rtl.lu Right: The launch of the association “Stand Speak Rise Up” to combat sexual violence to women in war zones was a success for Maria Teresa, spring of 2019 (Grand Ducal Court / Sophie Margue via noblesseetroyautes.com)
(In 1997, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa became a UNESCO ‘Goodwill Ambassador‘ for her actions to promote microfinance, and the education of girls and women through “Foundation of the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess” which she presided. In 2007 she was nominated a UNICEF ‘Eminent Advocate for Children‘, committing to defend the interests of children throughout the world. (monarchie.lu))
Maria Teresa and her second child Prince Félix (born in 1984) (Photo: noblesseetroyautes.com) (Grand Duchess, who had practiced classical dance as a young woman, loves singing and playing the guitar. Her hobbies include skiing, skating, and taking her Yorkies out on walks.(today.rtl.lu)) / Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and one of her yorkies at a charity tour at the Red Cross Bazaar, Luxembourg, November 2024 (histoiresroyales.fr)
Grand Duke Henri’s hobbies include literature, classical music, nature and sports including swimming, tennis, skiing and water-skiing. He enjoys sailing and riding his motorbike. He also goes hunting – a long family tradition. (monarchie.lu).
Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, shortly before their 35th wedding anniversary, February 2016 (Photo: newmyroyals.com) / During celebrations for the silver jubilee of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, June 2025 (Photo: parismatch.com)
(Henri says they are a couple, but also a team serving the country. Meaning the support of his wife in his royal function and mission as head of state, he says: “I could not have carried out this task, so heavy with responsibilities and sacrifices in terms of freedom, without the woman I love by my side. It would have been impossible, unbearable.“ (Paris Match, February 2021))
Henri and Maria Teresa of Luxembourg in Geneva, January 26, 2020 – where Henri had joined his wife to visit his brother-in-law hospitalized in intensive care (Grand Ducal Court, Marion Dessard via dailymail.co.uk)
(During the times the above photo was taken, Grand Duke Henri had defended his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa following claims she has created a hostile working environment for her staff which he had stated were unfair accusations. The departure of royal household staff was subject to a report (Waringo report) – outlining the need for a reform at the grand ducal court . The court had been restaffed and a new administration had been established to deal with the grand ducal court’s matters. (daily mail.co.uk, today.rtl.lu))
Photos: (Grand Ducal Court, Marion Dessard via dailymail.co.uk)
When asked of the challenges in their forty years of marriage and how they have overcome them, Henri answers: “Never explain, never complain,” as the saying goes, a favorite of the Queen of England. He explains that they are all raised according to precept: “to know how to listen to criticism without letting it affect us, or to react impulsively.“. (parismatch.com)
In his Christmas speech in December 2024 when Grand Duke Henri announced his abdication and handing over the throne to his son, he said: “I firmly believe in the next generation… For most of my generation, the time has now come to retire. It is a natural process.” He also said later about the timing of his abdication: “My 70th birthday, our 25 years on the throne, everything aligned to choose this moment…” (parismatch.com)
Grand Duke Henri with a female eagle owl on the heights of Vianden Castle, Luxembourg, June 28,2025 (Photo: parismatch.com)
Henri and his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, retired to their residence in Fischbach Castle. After leaving the Berg Castle, their prior official residence, the couple settled in the the Fischbach Castle, the house where their five children were born – said to be less vast but more charming than the Berg Castle.
Henri and Maria Teresa and their five children pose in front of Fischbach Castle (during the period before Henri ascended to the throne) (Getty Images)
Grand Duke Henri told Paris Match in an interview a few months ago: “We are serene and both happy with this change of life,” and added “Even though it’s a very privileged life, it’s also a kind of golden cage in which one sometimes suffers from a lack of freedom.” (Paris Match, August 2024 issue)
Photo above: Henri et Maria Teresa of Luxembourg in their summer residence in Bormes-les-Mimosas, Côte d’Azur France, July 14, 2024, Alvaro Canovas / Paris Match
(Every year, they relax at La Tour Sarrazine area of Cabasson in Bormes-les-Mimosas, a vast Provençal estate filled with childhood memories for Henri. “I don’t think I’ve missed a single summer here since I was born in 1955” says Henri, where they would all get together with his parents, uncles, aunts, and cousins, and would play scavenger hunts, go on treasure hunts… (parismatch.com))
Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa in their property in Cabasson which belongs to the family since 1949 / Grand Duchess Maria Teresa’s morning ritual: swimming in Cabasson beach (Photos: parismatch.com)
When their children were away, Henri and Maria Teresa sometimes hosted friends for a weekend in Cabasson. Haakon and Mette-Marit of Norway had stayed there during their engagement. The Swedish royal family, who own a house in Sainte-Maxime, visited them every year by boat. They used to share at least one dinner with the Macrons every summer at their property in Cabasson where politics was never discussed.
Maria Teresa and Brigitte Macron in Cabasson when the Grand Ducal couple received the Macrons, who were their neighbors (Photo: newmyroyals.com) / Henri and Maria Teresa with their grand-children, September 2024 (Photo: parismatch.com)
In an interview in Paris Match, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa mention their intentions for the next period. Henri plans to devote more time to the International Olympic Committee, of which he is a member, as well as the foundations he supports and the environmental cause. He says he loves music and reading. Maria Teresa shall continue with her charitable work.
Maria Teresa concentrating on her foundation’s website in their property in Cabasson, Bormes les Mimosas, July 2024 (Photo: parismatch.com)
Maria Teresa dreams of road trips across Europe. Henri, on the other hand, dreams of motorcycle trips in the Himalayas, as well as visiting his children and passing time with his grand-children.
A warm story of love, devotion, and joy for the end of 2025 and the beginning of a new year…
Happy New Year to all, may 2026 bring you the joy and surprises more than you would ever dream of!
