This May 5, 2024, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg participated in the public events at the closing of the Octave. The grand ducal couple was surrounded by the heir couple and their children. Three generations of the Grand Ducal family paraded through the streets of Luxembourg then appeared on the balcony of the Grand Ducal Palace.
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The heir couple and their two children join the grand ducal couple at the close of the Octave
This May 5, 2024 marked the end of the Octave fortnight. Over the past two weeks, thousands of pilgrims have joined Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg. Each year, the pilgrimage period ends during a day in which the sovereigns participate. Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa were accompanied this year by Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie.
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The heir couple was out with their eldest son during the first part of the day, then their second son joined them during the appearance on the balcony. This was Prince Francis’ first participation in the Octave closing celebrations. His big brother, Prince Charles, who will celebrate his 4th birthday in a few days, had already taken part in this day of celebration. Prince Francis celebrated his first birthday on March 27.
The Octave is a religious tradition more than 350 years old. The Octave fortnight begins on the third Sunday after Easter. 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.
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Grand Duke Henri accompanied by his two direct heirs, Guillaume and Charles, on the balcony of the Grand Ducal Palace
The day began with a pontifical mass at Notre-Dame Cathedral. In the afternoon, the Grand Ducal family took part in a procession through the streets of the capital. The day ended with an appearance on the balcony of the Grand Ducal Palace. This appearance at the palace allows us to offer new historical photos of three generations of sovereigns on the balcony. Grand Duke Henry will celebrate 25 years of reign next year. His eldest son, Guillaume, is his direct heir. Prince Charles, the Heir’s eldest son, is the heir apparent and a future sovereign.
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Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore a green outfit decorated with feathers on the sleeves. This outfit is designed by Édouard Vermeulen for the Belgian fashion house Natan. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa wore this outfit a few days ago during her state visit to Belgium.
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]
