Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

Charlotte (Charlotte Adelgonde Elisabeth Marie Wilhelmine; 23 January 1896 – 9 July 1985) was Grand Duchess of Luxembourg from 14 January 1919 until her abdication on 12 November 1964. Her reign is the longest of any Luxembourgish monarch since 1815 when the country was elevated to a Grand Duchy.

She acceded to the throne on 14 January 1919 following the abdication of her sister, Marie-Adélaïde, due to political pressure over Marie-Adélaïde's role during the German occupation of Luxembourg during World War I. A referendum retained the monarchy with Charlotte as grand duchess.

She married Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma on 6 November 1919. They had six children. Following the 1940 German invasion of Luxembourg during World War II, Charlotte went into exile: first in France, then Portugal, Great Britain, and North America. While in Britain, she made broadcasts to the people of Luxembourg. She returned to Luxembourg in April 1945.

She abdicated in 1964, and was succeeded by her son Jean. Charlotte died from cancer on 9 July 1985. She was the last agnatic member of the House of Nassau. She was the last personal recipient of the Golden Rose and since her death there are no living personal recipients of that honour, which in modern times has been awarded only to churches and shrines. She is to date the most recent Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.

Early life and tenure as Grand Duchess

Born in Berg Castle, Charlotte of Nassau-Weilburg, Princess of Luxembourg, was the second daughter of Grand Duke William IV and his wife, Marie Anne of Portugal.

Her older sister, Marie-Adélaide, had succeeded their father. However, Marie-Adélaïde's actions had become controversial, and she was seen as sympathetic to the German occupation of Luxembourg during World War I. There were calls in parliament for her abdication, and she was forced to abdicate in favour of Charlotte on 14 January 1919.

Luxembourg adopted a new constitution that year. In a referendum on 28 September 1919, 77.8% of the Luxembourgish people voted for the continuation of the monarchy with Grand Duchess Charlotte as head of state. However, in the new constitution, the powers of the monarch were severely restricted, thus codifying actual practices dating from the end of the personal union with the Netherlands in 1890.

Reign

By 1935, Charlotte had sold her German properties, the former residential palaces of the Dukes of Nassau, Biebrich Palace and Schloss Weilburg, to the State of Prussia. During World War II the grand ducal family left Luxembourg shortly before the arrival of Nazi troops. Luxembourg's neutrality was violated on 9 May 1940, while the Grand Duchess and her family were in residence at Colmar-Berg. That day she called an extraordinary meeting of her leading ministers, and they all decided to place themselves under the protection of France, described by the Grand Duchess as a difficult but necessary decision. Initially the family took up residence at the Château de Montastruc in south-western France, but the rapid advance of the German forces into France followed by French capitulation the next month caused the French government to refuse any guarantee of security to the exiled Luxembourg government. Permission was received to cross Spain provided they did not stop en route, and the Grand Duchess with her ministers moved on to Portugal.

The Germans proposed to restore the Grand Duchess to her functions, but Charlotte refused, mindful of her sister's experiences of remaining in Luxembourg under German occupation during the First World War. By 29 August 1940 Grand Duchess Charlotte was in London where she began to make supportive broadcasts to her homeland using the BBC. Later she travelled to the United States and to Canada. Her children continued their schooling in Montreal while she had several meetings with President Roosevelt who encouraged her itinerant campaigning across the country in support of his own opposition to isolationism which was a powerful political current until the Pearl Harbor attacks. In the meantime Luxembourg, along with the adjacent French Moselle department, found itself integrated into an expanded Germany under the name Heim ins Reich, which left Luxembourgers required to speak German and liable for conscription into the German army.

In 1943 Grand Duchess Charlotte and the Luxembourg government established themselves in London: her broadcasts became a more regular feature of the BBC schedules, establishing her as a focus for the resistance movements in Luxembourg.

Charlotte's younger sister Antonia and brother-in-law Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria, were exiled from Germany in 1939. In 1944, living now in Hungary, Crown Princess Antonia was captured when the Germans invaded Hungary and found herself deported to the concentration camp at Dachau, being later transferred to Flossenbürg where she survived torture but only with her health badly impaired. Meanwhile, from 1942 Grand Duchess Charlotte's eldest son, Jean, served as a volunteer in the British Army's Irish Guards, after the war becoming its Honorary Colonel-in-chief (1984-2000).

In the years after the war, Charlotte showed a lot of public activity which contributed to raising Luxembourg's profile on the international stage, by hosting visits from foreign heads of state and other dignitaries, such as Eleanor Roosevelt (1950), Queen Juliana of the Netherlands (1951), René Coty (1957), King Baudouin of Belgium (1959), King Bhumibol of Thailand (1961), and King Olav V of Norway (1964). Likewise, she visited Pope Pius XII (1950), Charles de Gaulle (1961), and John F. Kennedy (1963).

In 1951 Charlotte and her prime minister Pierre Dupong admitted by decree three Swedish relatives into the nobility of Luxembourg who were not allowed to use their birth titles in Sweden. They were then named as Sigvard Prince Bernadotte, Carl Johan Prince Bernadotte and Lennart Prince Bernadotte and also, with their legitimate descendants, were given the hereditary titles of Counts and Countesses of Wisborg there.

Abdication and later life

On 12 November 1964, she abdicated in favour of her son Jean, who then reigned until his abdication in 2000.

Charlotte died at Schloss Fischbach on 9 July 1985, from cancer. She was interred in the Ducal Crypt of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in the city of Luxembourg.

A statue of the Grand Duchess is in Place Clarefontaine in the city of Luxembourg.

Marriage and children

On 6 November 1919 in Luxembourg, she married Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, a first cousin on her mother's side. (Both Charlotte and Felix were grandchildren of King Miguel of Portugal, through his daughters Maria Anna and Maria Antonia, respectively). With the marriage, their lineal descent was raised in style from Grand Ducal Highness to Royal Highness.

The couple had six children:

Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1921–2019), who married HRH Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium (1927–2005) and had issue.
Princess Elisabeth of Luxembourg (1922–2011), who married HSH Franz, Duke of Hohenberg (1927–1977) and had issue.
Princess Marie Adelaide of Luxembourg (1924–2007), who married Count Karl Josef Henckel von Donnersmarck (1928–2008) and had issue.
Princess Marie Gabrielle of Luxembourg (1925–2023), who married Knud Johan, Count of Holstein-Ledreborg (1919–2001) and had issue.
Prince Charles of Luxembourg (1927–1977), who married Joan Douglas Dillon (born 1935), the former wife of James Brady Moseley, and had issue.
Princess Alix of Luxembourg (1929–2019), who married HH Antoine, 13th Prince of Ligne (1925–2005), and had issue.

Honours

National honours

Luxembourg:
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau
- Recipient of the Luxembourg War Cross

Foreign honours

Albanian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Fidelity (1931)
Austria
- Austrian Imperial and Royal Family: Dame of the Order of the Starry Cross
- Austrian Republic: Grand Cross of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria
Denmark: Knight of the Order of the Elephant – 21 March 1955
France: Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour – 22 June 1923
Holy See:
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Pius IX
- Cross of Honour of the "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice"
- The Golden Rose
Italy:
- Parmese Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George
Monaco: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Charles – 20 January 1949
Netherlands: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands
Norway: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of St. Olav – 1964
Portugal:
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword – 29 September 1933
- Grand Cross of the Sash of the Two Orders – 23 January 1949
Spain : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Carlos III
Sweden: Member Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Seraphim – 14 April 1939
Thailand: Knight of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri – 17 October 1965

Gallery

The old Berg Castle (demolished 1906), Mersch, central Luxembourg, ducal residence where Charlotte was born
Fischbach Castle, Mersch, Charlotte's residence, and where she died
Statue of Grand-Duchess Charlotte in Clairefontaine square, side view

Notes and references

^ "H.R.H. Grand Duchess Charlotte | Cour grand-ducale". www.monarchie.lu. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
"H.R.H. Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde". Cour grand-ducale (in French). Retrieved 26 December 2022.
"Charlotte". WW2DB. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
"'Léif Lëtzebuerger' Grand Duchess Charlotte's defiant WWII broadcasts". Luxembourg Times. 16 January 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
Bernier Arcand, Philippe (2010). "L'exil québécois du gouvernement du Luxembourg" (PDF). Histoire Québec. 15 (3): 19–26 – via Erudit.
"Grand Duchess Charlotte's US Good-Will-Tours". Luxembourg Times. 14 April 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
Waller, George Platt (2012). Fletcher, Willard Allen; Fletcher, Jean Tucker (eds.). Defiant Diplomat: George Platt Waller, American consul in Nazi-occupied Luxembourg 1939–1941. Newark: University of Delaware Press. p. 102. ISBN 978-1-61149-398-6.
"World War II". Allo Expat: Luxembourg. Archived from the original on 20 February 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2013.
"No. 36191". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 1 October 1943. p. 4352.
Kreins, Jean-Marie. Histoire du Luxembourg. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 2010. 5th edition. p. 105
"Mémorial A n° 48 de 1951 - Legilux" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
"Commemoration to mark return of Luxembourg monarch". Luxembourg Times. 11 April 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
"H.R.H. Grand Duchess Charlotte". Cour Grand-Ducale. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
"H.R.H. Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma". Cour Grand-Ducale. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
"Portrait of Charlotte". luxcentral.com. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
Albanian Royal Court
Jørgen Pedersen (2009). Riddere af Elefantordenen, 1559–2009 (in Danish). Syddansk Universitetsforlag. p. 466. ISBN 978-87-7674-434-2.
M. & B. Wattel (2009). Les Grand'Croix de la Légion d'honneur de 1805 à nos jours. Titulaires français et étrangers. Paris: Archives & Culture. pp. 21, 489, 615. ISBN 978-2-35077-135-9.
"Tableau de l'Ordre des ArchitoCtés de la Principauté do Monaco à la date du ler janvier 1949" [Table of the Order of Architects of the Principality of Monaco as of January 1, 1949.] (PDF). JOURNAL DE MONACO (in French): 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
"Het Geheugen". geheugen.delpher.nl.
"Den kongelige norske Sanct Olavs Orden", Norges Statskalender for Aaret 1970 (in Norwegian), Oslo: Forlagt av H. Aschehoug & Co. (w. Nygaard), 1970, pp. 1240–1241 – via runeberg.org
"Banda da Grã-Cruz das Duas Ordens: Carlota Aldegundes Elisa Maria Guilhermina (Grã-Duquesa do Luxemburgo e Duquesa de Nassau)" (in Portuguese), Arquivo Histórico da Presidência da República. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
Sveriges statskalender (in Swedish), vol. II, 1940, p. 8, retrieved 2 April 2020 – via runeberg.org
Royal Thai Government Gazette (28 December 1964). "แจ้งความสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี พระราชทานเครื่องขัตติยราชอิสริยาภรณ์มหาจักรีบรมราชวงศ์" (PDF). www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th (in Thai). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2019.

External links

Media related to Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg at Wikimedia Commons
Charlotte's page on the official website of the Grand-Ducal House of Luxembourg

Regnal titles
Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg House of Nassau-WeilburgCadet branch of the House of NassauBorn: 23 January 1896 Died: 6 July 1985
Preceded byMarie-Adélaïde	Grand Duchess of Luxembourg 1919–1964	Succeeded byJean

v t e Princesses of Luxembourg by birth
Generations are numbered from the ascension of Adolphe as Grand Duke of Luxembourg in 1890.
1st generation	Hilda, Grand Duchess of Baden
2nd generation	Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde Grand Duchess Charlotte Hilda, Princess of Schwarzenberg Antoinette, Crown Princess of Bavaria Princess Elisabeth of Thurn and Taxis Princess Sophie of Saxony
3rd generation	Elisabeth, Duchess of Hohenberg* Marie Adelaide, Countess Henckel von Donnersmarck* Marie Gabrielle, Countess af Holstein-Ledreborg* Alix, Princess of Ligne*
4th generation	Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria* Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein*
5th generation	Princess Alexandra, Mrs. Bagory*
6th generation	none
All princesses of Luxembourg are also princesses of Nassau. *also a princess of Bourbon-Parma by birth

v t e Princesses of Nassau by birth
The generations are numbered from the ascension of William as Duke of Nassau in 1816.
1st generation	Duchess Therese of Oldenburg Marie, Princess of Wied Helena, Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont Sophia, Queen of Sweden and Norway
2nd generation	Hilda, Grand Duchess of Baden*
3rd generation	Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde* Grand Duchess Charlotte* Hilda, Princess of Schwarzenberg* Antoinette, Crown Princess of Bavaria* Princess Elisabeth of Thurn and Taxis* Princess Sophie of Saxony*
4th generation	Elisabeth, Duchess of Hohenberg^ Marie-Adélaïde, Countess of Donnersmarck^ Marie Gabrielle, Countess af Holstein-Ledreborg^ Alix, Princess of Ligne^
5th generation	Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria^ Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein^
6th generation	Princess Alexandra, Mrs. Bagory*
also a princess of Luxembourg by birth ^also a princess of Bourbon-Parma by birth*

v t e Princesses of Parma by marriage
Generations are numbered from the daughter-in-law of Pier Luigi Farnese, Duke of Parma, onwards
1st generation	Margaret of Austria*
2nd generation	Infanta Maria of Portugal
5th generation	None
6th generation	Countess Palatine Dorothea Sophie of Neuburg
7th generation	None
8th generation	None
10th generation	Maria Luisa, Duchess of Lucca
11th generation	Princess Maria Teresa of Savoy
12th generation	Princess Louise of France
13th generation	Princess Maria Luisa of Bourbon-Two Sicilies Infanta Adelgundes, Duchess of Guimarães
14th generation	Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria Madeleine de Bourbon-Busset Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Princess Margarete of Thurn and Taxis Princess Margaret of Denmark Princess Maria Francesca of Savoy
15th generation	Princess Irene of the Netherlands# Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium^¤ Joan Douglas Dillon*^¤ Princess Maria Pia of Savoy
16th generation	Annemarie Gualthérie van Weezel* Viktória Cservenyák*
*did not have a royal or noble title by birth ^also princess of Luxembourg by marriage ¤also princess of Nassau by marriage #title lost due to divorce

v t e Dukes and Duchesses of Nassau
Titular	Henri* (2000–) Jean* (1964–2000) Charlotte* (1919–1964) Marie-Adélaïde'(1912–1919)* William IV* (1905–1912) Adolphe* (1866–1905)
Monarchs (duchy of Nassau)	Adolphe* (1839–1866) William# (1816–1839) Frederick Augustus¶ (1806–1816)
*also Grand Duke (Duchess) of Luxembourg # Also Prince of Nassau-Weilburg ¶ Also Prince of Nassau-Usingen

Monarchs of Luxembourg

County of Luxemburg (963–1354)

Elder House of Luxembourg (963–1136)	Siegfried (963–998) Henry I (998–1026) Henry II (1026–1047) Giselbert (1047–1059) Conrad I (1059–1086) Henry III (1086–1096) William I (1096–1131) Conrad II (1131–1136)
House of Namur (1136–1189)	Henry IV (1136–1189)
House of Hohenstaufen (1196–1197)	Otto (1196–1197)
House of Namur (1197–1247)	Ermesinde (1197–1247), with Theobald (1197–1214), and then Waleran (1214–1226)
House of Limburg (1247–1354)	Henry V (1247–1281) Henry VI (1281–1288) Henry VII (1288–1313) John I (1313–1346) Charles I (1346–1353) Wenceslaus I (1353–1354)

Duchy of Luxemburg (1354–1794)

House of Limburg (1354–1443)	Wenceslaus I (1354–1383) Wenceslaus II (1383–1388) Jobst (1388–1411) Elisabeth (1411–1443) with Anthony (1411–1415), and then John II (1418–1425)
House of Valois-Burgundy (1443–1482)	Philip I (1443–1467) Charles II (1467–1477) Mary I (1477–1482) and Maximilian I (1477–1482)
House of Habsburg (1482–1700)	Philip II (1482–1506) Charles III (1506–1556) Philip III (1556–1598) Isabella Clara Eugenia (1598–1621) and Albert (1598–1621) Philip IV (1621–1665) Charles IV (1665–1700)
House of Bourbon (1700–1712)	Philip V (1700–1712)
House of Wittelsbach (1712–1713)	Maximilian II (1712–1713)
House of Habsburg (1713–1780)	Charles V (1713–1740) Mary II (1740–1780)
House of Habsburg-Lorraine (1780–1794)	Joseph (1780–1790) Leopold (1790–1792) Francis (1792–1794)

Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (since 1815)

House of Orange-Nassau (1815–1890)	William I (1815–1840) William II (1840–1849) William III (1849–1890)
House of Nassau-Weilburg (1890–present)	Adolphe (1890–1905) William IV (1905–1912) Marie-Adélaïde (1912–1919) Charlotte (1919–1964) Jean (1964–2000) Henri (since 2000)

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