Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg announced on Sunday that he would begin transferring his powers to his son Guillaume in October (our previous edition). born in 1981, the future Grand Duke, has been married to Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy since 2012.
As a reminder, Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy is the youngest of the eight children of the Count of Lannoy and the Countess of Lannoy, born Alix della Faille de Leverghem. She grew up on the family property in Anvaing surrounded by her seven brothers and sisters.
On October 20, 2012, Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy married His Royal Highness the Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume in Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City and then became Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
Princess Stéphanie and Prince Guillaume are the parents of a boy: Prince Charles Jean Philippe Joseph Marie Guillaume and Prince François Henri Luis Marie Guillaume, born respectively on May 10, 2020 and March 27, 2023 at the Grand-Duchesse Charlotte Maternity in Luxembourg.
The Hereditary Grand Duchess received her primary education at the Sancta Maria school in Ronse, Belgium. She began her secondary studies at the Collège Sainte-Odile in the north of France and continued her studies at the Institute of the Virgin Faithful in Brussels where she obtained her final diploma in 2002. At the age of 18, she spent a year in Moscow where she took language courses as well as Russian letters and literature. She also deepened her violin practice there. In addition to her mother tongue, French, Princess Stéphanie speaks fluently in Luxembourgish, German and English.
Princess Stéphanie obtained her degree in Germanic philology at the Catholic University of Louvain with great distinction. As part of her university studies, she completed her graduate work at the Humboldt Universität in Berlin on the theme of the influence of German romanticism on Russian romanticism following the example of ETA Hoffmann and Pushkin. . She extended her stay in Berlin with an internship at the Walloon Export Agency and then worked for an investment company.
Princess Stéphanie followed training in art history at Sotheby’s Institute during the Crown Couple’s stay in London in 2018 and 2019. She takes part in activities most often in tandem with Prince William, reflecting the important complicity who animates them. During official activities, such as National Day, New Year’s Audiences or state visits, Princess Stéphanie carries out her representational duties with great naturalness and spontaneity.
During the numerous economic missions chaired by the Hereditary Grand Duke and led by the Minister of the Economy, whether in Africa, Asia, the United States or Europe, Princess Stéphanie is often at his side.
She also accompanies her husband to numerous commemorations and supports Prince Guillaume in the activities he carries out in the Grand Duchy by accompanying him to company anniversaries and visits as part of his High Patronages.
Since her marriage, the Hereditary Grand Duchess has been one of the four administrators of the Foundation of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess.
