Over the past two weeks, thousands of pilgrims have flocked to Luxembourg Cathedral to worship in front of the statue of Notre-Dame de Luxembourg. This Sunday, May 5, 2024, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa attended the pontifical closing mass of the Octave, which marks the end of this period of pilgrimage. The closing of the Octave is a busy day for the grand ducal couple who attend mass, participate in the procession then appear on the balcony of the grand ducal palace.
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Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa attend the pontifical closing mass of the Octave
Thousands of pilgrims have flocked to Luxembourg Cathedral over the past two weeks to celebrate the Octave. The closing of this celebration usually takes place in the presence of the Grand Ducal family. This year, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa attended the pontifical mass alone. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore her green ensemble from Natan, whose coat is decorated with feathers on the sleeves.
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The closing day of the Octave traditionally takes place in the presence of the Grand Ducal family, which surrounds the Head of State. Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa first attend the pontifical mass in the morning. At 3 p.m., a procession takes place in the capital. Finally, a little before 6 p.m., the sovereigns make an appearance on the balcony of the Grand Ducal Palace. Some of their children, stepchildren and grandchildren take part in the various public events of the day.
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This year, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa were not accompanied by their children to attend the traditional pontifical mass with renewal of the consecration to Notre-Dame. The Octave is a religious tradition more than 350 years old. The Octave fortnight begins on the third Sunday after Easter and therefore ends two weeks later.
During these two weeks, the statue of Notre-Dame de Luxembourg which sits in the cathedral is dressed in precious clothes and adorned with jewelry. At the closing of the Octave, at the end of the two weeks, it is traditional to follow a procession. The statue comes out of the cathedral and is shown to all the faithful following a route through the city.
Nicolas Fontaine
Editor-in-chief
Nicolas Fontaine has been a designer-editor and author for numerous Belgian and French brands and media. A specialist in royal family news, Nicolas founded the site Histoires royales of which he is the editor-in-chief. [email protected]
