Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Jean was born on 5 January 1921,[1] at Berg Castle, in central Luxembourg, the son of Grand Duchess Charlotte and of Prince Félix. Among his godparents was Pope Benedict XV, who gave him his second name.[2] 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.[3]

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, after receiving transit visas to Portugal from the Portuguese consul Aristides de Sousa Mendes, in June 1940. They arrived at Vilar Formoso on 23 June 1940. After travelling through Coimbra and Lisbon, the family first stayed in Cascais, in Casa de Santa Maria, owned by Manuel Espírito Santo, who was then the honorary consul for Luxembourg in Portugal. By July they had moved to Monte Estoril, staying at the Chalet Posser de Andrade. On 10 July 1940, Prince Jean, together with his father Prince Félix, his siblings, Princess Elisabeth, Princess Marie Adelaide, Princess Marie Gabriele, Prince Charles and Princess Alix, the nanny Justine Reinard and the chauffeur Eugène Niclou, along with his wife Joséphine, boarded the S.S. Trenton headed for New York City,[4][5] where they sought refuge during the war in a rented estate in Brookville, New York.

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.[6]

He joined the British Army as a volunteer in the Irish Guards in November 1942.[6] After receiving officer training at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst,[6] Jean was commissioned as a lieutenant on 30 July 1943,[7] 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.[6] On 10 September 1944, he took part in the liberation of Luxembourg before moving on to Arnhem and the invasion of Germany.[6] He relinquished his commission in the British Army on 26 June 1947.[8] From 1984 until his abdication, he served as Colonel of the Regiment of the Irish Guards,[6] often riding in uniform behind Queen Elizabeth II during the Trooping the Colour.[9]

Grand Duke Jean taking the oath on 12 November 1964

Jean was named Lieutenant-Representative of the Grand Duchess on 28 April 1961.[6] He became Grand Duke when his mother, Grand Duchess Charlotte, abdicated on 12 November 1964.[10] The same day, he was made a General of the Armed Forces of Luxembourg.[6]

From the beginning of his reign, Grand Duke Jean's priorities included the well-being of his people and the completion of European unity. In the words of President Georges Pompidou of France, "If Europe had to choose a hereditary president, it would certainly be the Grand Duke of Luxembourg". Indeed, during his reign Grand Duke Jean saw Luxembourg transformed from a minor industrial contributor into an international financial centre.[11][12] In 1986, he was honoured with the Charlemagne Prize in Aachen for his efforts towards European integration.[12]

The Grand Duke's reign was one of the most prosperous periods in the history of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The degree of stability in the country's politics, economy and social life was without precedent, thanks in part to the influence of the Grand Duke and his wife.[13] He abdicated on 7 October 2000, and was succeeded on the throne by his son Henri.[6]

Luxembourg's museum of modern art Mudam was officially named "Musée d'Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean" to commemorate his reign which lasted 36 years.[14] It was inaugurated in his presence in July 2006.[15]

Jean at the wedding of his grandson Prince Louis in 2006

In the summer of 2002, Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine Charlotte took up residence at Fischbach Castle. After his wife died in January 2005, the Grand Duke continued to live there alone.[16] On 27 December 2016, Grand Duke Jean was hospitalized due to bronchitis and was discharged from hospital on 4 January 2017, a day before he celebrated his 96th birthday.[17]

Grand Duke Jean and his wife Joséphine-Charlotte (1964)

The Grand Ducal couple with their children (July 1971)

In October 1952, Jean was officially engaged to Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium, the only daughter of King Leopold III of the Belgians and his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden. There had been speculation that the marriage was arranged to improve relations between Luxembourg and Belgium but it soon became apparent that a love match was blooming between two longtime friends.[26]

They were married in Luxembourg on 9 April 1953, first in the Hall of Ceremonies at the Grand Ducal Palace, later in Luxembourg's Notre-Dame Cathedral.[27] The marriage put an end to the tensions between Luxembourg and Belgium which arose from 1918 to 1920 when there had been a threat of annexation.[15] The couple had five children, 22 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren:[28]

• Archduchess Marie Astrid, Archduchess Carl Christian of Austria (17 February 1954)[6] she married Archduke Carl Christian of Austria on 6 February 1982. They have five children and nine grandchildren.[29][30]
• Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (16 April 1955),[6] he married María Teresa Mestre y Batista on 14 February 1981. They have five children and five grandchildren.[31]
• Prince Jean (15 May 1957)[6] he married Hélène Vestur on 27 May 1987 and they were divorced in 2004. They have four children and two grandsons. He remarried Diane de Guerre on 18 March 2009.[32]
• Princess Margaretha (15 May 1957)[6] she married Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein on 20 March 1982. They have four children.[33]
• Prince Guillaume (born 1 May 1963)[6] he married Sibilla Weiller on 8 September 1994. They have four children.[34]

Media related to Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg at Wikimedia Commons

• Official biography (in French)
• Cour Grand-Ducale de Luxembourg (in French)
• Newspaper clippings about Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW