Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

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Maria Teresa (born María Teresa Mestre y Batista; 22 March 1956) is Grand Duchess of Luxembourg as the wife of Grand Duke Henri, who acceded to the throne in 2000.

Early life and education

Maria Teresa Mestre was born on 22 March 1956 in Marianao, Havana, Cuba, to José Antonio Mestre y Álvarez (1926–1993) and wife María Teresa Batista y Falla de Mestre (1928–1988), both from bourgeoisie families of Spanish descent.[1] She is also the granddaughter of Agustín Batista y González de Mendoza (1899–1968), who was the founder of the Trust Company of Cuba, the most powerful Cuban bank prior to the Cuban Revolution.[2]

In October 1959, at the time of the Cuban Revolution, Mestre's parents left Cuba with their children because the new government headed by Fidel Castro confiscated their properties. The family settled in New York City,[1] where as a young girl Mestre was a pupil at Marymount School. From 1961 she carried on her studies at the Lycée Français de New York. In her childhood, Mestre took ballet and singing courses. She practiced skiing, ice-skating and water sports. She later lived in Santander, Spain, and in Geneva, Switzerland, where she became a Swiss citizen.[1][3]

In 1980, Mestre graduated from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva with a degree in political sciences.[4] While studying there, she met her future husband Henri of Luxembourg.[1]

Social and humanitarian interests

Since 2005, Maria Teresa has been the chairwoman of the international jury of the European Microfinance Award, which annually awards holders of microfinance and inclusive finance initiatives in developing countries. Also, since 2006, Maria Teresa has been honorary president of the LuxFLAG (Luxembourg Fund Labeling Agency), the first agency to label responsible microfinance investment funds around the world.[5]

On 19 April 2007, Maria Teresa was appointed UNICEF Eminent Advocate for Children,[6] in which role she has visited Brazil (2007),[7] China (2008),[8] and Burundi (2009).[9]

She is a member of the Honorary Board of the International Paralympic Committee[10] and a patron of the Ligue Luxembourgeoise de Prévention et d’Action medico-sociales and SOS Villages d’Enfants Monde. The Grand Duchess and her husband Grand Duke Henri are the members of the Mentor Foundation (London), created under the patronage of the World Health Organization. She is also the president of the Luxembourg Red Cross and the Cancer Foundation.[5] In 2016, she organized the first international forum on learning disabilities in Luxembourg.[5]

Maria Teresa supports the UNESCO Breaking the Poverty Cycle of Women project in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. The purpose of the project is to improve the living conditions of girls, women and their families. As honorary president of her own foundation, Maria Teresa set up Projet de la Main Tendue after visiting the Bujumbura prison in 2009 in Burundi. The purpose of this project is to liberate minors from prison and give them new opportunities for their future.

In October 2016, Maria Teresa accepted an invitation to join the international Council of Patrons of the Asian University for Women (AUW) in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The university, which is the product of east-west foundational partnerships (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Open Society Foundation, IKEA Foundation, etc.) and regional cooperation, serves extraordinarily talented women from 15 countries across Asia and the Middle East.[11][12]

In 2019, Maria Teresa presented her initiative Stand Speak Rise Up! to end sexual violence in fragile environments, launched in cooperation with the Women’s Forum and with the support of the Luxembourg government. The conference is in partnership with the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation and We Are Not Weapons of War.[13]

In 2020 the prime minister of Luxembourg commissioned a report into the Cour le Grand Ducal following concerns over its working. The report found that up to 1/3 of employees had left since 2015 and that "The most important decisions in the field of personnel management, whether at the level of recruitment, assignment to the various departments or even at the dismissal level are taken by HRH the Grand Duchess.” Several newspaper reports at the time highlighted a 'culture of fear' around the Grand Duchess and "that no-one bar the Prime Minister dared confront her".[14] The report also raised concerns about the use of public funds to pay for the Grand Duchess' personal website and that this had been prioritised over the Court's own official website.[15] There were also allegations that staff at the Court have been subjected to physical abuse and these reports were investigated by the Luxembourg judicial police.[16] In February 2023 it was reported by several Luxembourg based media outlets that the Grand Duchess had once again been accused of treating staff poorly during an outfit fitting in October 22. The incident even involved the Prime Minister of Luxembourg having to speak to the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess about the treatment of the staff and commissioning a report into it.[17][18][19]

Family

On 14 February 1981, Maria Teresa Mestre married His Royal Highness the Hereditary Grande Duke Henri of Luxembourg at the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Luxembourg. They have four sons and a daughter:[20]

HRH the Grand Duchess is the grandmother of six grandsons and two granddaughters:

  • Prince Charles (born 10 May 2020) and Prince François (born on 27 March 2023), the two sons of Prince Guillaume and Princess Stéphanie of Luxembourg.
  • Princess Amalia (born on 15 June 2014), Prince Liam (born on 28 November 2016) and Prince Balthazar (born on 7 January 2024), the three children of Prince Félix and Princess Claire of Luxembourg.
  • Prince Gabriel (born on 12 March 2006) and Prince Noah (born on 21 September 2007), the two sons of Prince Louis of Luxembourg and Mrs. Tessy Anthony.
  • Victoire (born on 14 May 2024), the daughter of Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg and Mr. Nicolas Bagory.

Honours

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Country Appointment Ribbon Other
Template:Flagu Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau File:Ordre du Lion d'Or de la Maison de Nassau ribbon.svg
Grand Cross of Order of Adolphe of Nassau File:LUX Order of Adolphe Nassau Grand Cross BAR.png
File:Flag of Austria.svg Austria Grand Star of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria File:AUT Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria - 1st Class BAR.png
File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold I File:BEL - Order of Leopold - Grand Cordon bar.svg
File:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross File:BRA - Order of the Southern Cross - Grand Cross BAR.svg [21]
File:Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark Knight of the Order of the Elephant File:Order of the Elephant Ribbon bar.svg [22][23]
File:Flag of Finland.svg Finland Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland File:FIN Order of the White Rose Grand Cross BAR.svg [24]
File:Flag of France.svg France Grand Cross of the Order of National Merit File:National Order of Merit Grand Cross Ribbon.png
File:Flag of Greece.svg Greece Grand Cross of the Order of Beneficence File:GRE Order of Beneficence - Grand Cross BAR.svg [25]
File:Flag of Italy.svg Italy Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic File:ITA OMRI 2001 GC BAR.svg [26]
File:Flag of Japan.svg Japan Grand Cordon (Paulownia) of the Order of the Precious Crown File:JPN Hokan-sho 1Class BAR.svg [27]
File:Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars File:Order of the Three Stars Grand Cross BAR (Latvia).png [28]
File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion File:Order of the Netherlands Lion ribbon - Knight Grand Cross.svg
Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown File:Belgium Order Crown rib.png
File:Flag of Norway.svg Norway Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Olav File:St Olavs Orden storkors stripe.svg [29]
Template:Flagicon Portuguese Royal Family Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Saint Isabel File:Ordine di Santa Isabella.png [30]
File:Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal Grand Cross of the Order of Christ File:Grand Cross of the Order of Christ of the Portuguese Republic.png [31]
Grand Cross of the Order of Saint James of the Sword File:PRT Order of Saint James of the Sword - Grand Cross BAR.svg [31]
Grand Cross of the Order of Infante Henry File:PRT Order of Prince Henry - Grand Cross BAR.svg [31]
Grand Cross of the Order of Camões File:PRT Order of Camões - Grand Cross BAR.svg [31]
File:Flag of Romania.svg Romania Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania File:Order of the Star of Romania - Ribbon bar.svg [32]
File:Flag of Spain.svg Spain Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III File:Order of Charles III - Sash of Collar.svg [33][34]
File:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden Member of the Royal Order of the Seraphim File:Order of the Seraphim - Ribbon bar.svg
Commander Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star File:Order of the Polar Star (after 1975) - Commander Grand Cross.svg
Recipient of the 50th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf File:Commemorative Golden Jubilee Medal of His Majesty The King (15092023).png

Footnotes

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  1. ↑ a b c d The Luxembourg Grand Ducal Family (Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Ministry of State, Press and Information Service, 1986), p. 26
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Gerald Newton, Lëtzebuergesch: Language and Communication at the Crossroads of Europe (Clarendon Press, 1996), p. 18
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ DECRETO DE 3 DE DEZEMBRO DE 2007 – website JusBrasil
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Borger.dk Template:Webarchive
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ www.gouvernement.lu/ Template:Webarchive, State visit of President Stephanopoulos in Luxembourg, July 2001
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Latvian Presidency, Recipients list (.doc) Template:Webarchive
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ a b c d Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Romanian Presidency website, Recipients of the order (Excel sheet) Template:Webarchive
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Spanish Royal Family website, State visit of Juan Carlos & Sofia in Luxembourg, April 2007, Photo of the Sovereign couples

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External links

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa
Born: 22 March 1956
Luxembourgish royalty
Preceded byTemplate:S-bef/check Grand Duchess consort
of Luxembourg
2000 – present Template:S-ttl/check 		Incumbent

Template:Princesses of Luxembourg by marriage Template:Princesses of Nassau by marriage Template:Consorts of Nassau Template:Consorts of Luxembourg Template:Current consorts of sovereigns Template:Authority control

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