It seems Guillaume and Stephanie's engagement may not have been the last one of 2012. Wort.lu reports in first page of its online edition that Felix and Claire may soon announce their engagement. May I remind you that the Luxembourg media correctly predicted the announcement of Guillaume and Stephanie's engagement some days before the official announcement back in April... maybe it's because news spread fast in the very close Duchy...
Link to Wort
lunes, 26 de noviembre de 2012
Trade mission to China: Day 1
The Ministry of Economy and International Commerce of Luxembourg brings us the first pictures and information on the agenda of Guillaume and Stephanie on economic mission in China.
The mission began in Beijing. Together with Minister Stephen Schneider the couple attended a reception dedicated to the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Luxembourg and China. The official delegation met with representatives of companies and Bofferding BHG. It was attended by Chinese officials, members of the Luxembourg community in China and businessmen of the two countries.
They moved on to Tianjin, to attend a conference organized jointly with China Automotive Technology and Research Cente and met the local mayor.
Hopefully we will get more info on the events from the Lux media.
Mission économique en République populaire de Chine
The mission began in Beijing. Together with Minister Stephen Schneider the couple attended a reception dedicated to the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Luxembourg and China. The official delegation met with representatives of companies and Bofferding BHG. It was attended by Chinese officials, members of the Luxembourg community in China and businessmen of the two countries.
They moved on to Tianjin, to attend a conference organized jointly with China Automotive Technology and Research Cente and met the local mayor.
Hopefully we will get more info on the events from the Lux media.
Mission économique en République populaire de Chine
domingo, 25 de noviembre de 2012
Economic mission to China
From November 26th to November 30th Guillaume and Stephanie will be on an economic mission to China.
Luxembourg for Business informs us that the couple, alongside the rest of the participants to the mission, have left on their way to China on 23rd November. I guess the reason to fly this early for the start of the mission on Monday is to make sure that they have plenty of time to deal with any disagreements. Some of you may remember that Guillaume was on a four day economic mission to China in October 2011, but arrived a day late due to technical problems on his Lufthansa flight. I guess they deal well with lessons learnt in Luxembourg! Besides, with this one being Stéphanie's first major activity and her first trip abroad, they surely wanted things to be spot on.
Why an economic mission: to establish new business opportunities, as well as to cement trade relations at the level of bilateral business contacts between companies in the two countries. This year marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Luxembourg and China.
The official delegation: it consists of several representatives of the Ministry of the Economy and Foreign Trade, the Chambre de Commerce as well as the Luxembourg Ambassador to China, Carlo Krieger, and the Consul General of Luxembourg, Nicolas Mackel in Shanghai. In addition, various business organisations including FEDIL, Luxinnovation, are also participating, along with a large business delegation representing around 30 different companies across a range of business sectors.
The visited cities: The trade mission will visit Beijing and Tianjin in the north-east of the country, Chongqing in the centre of China, as well as Shanghai and Suzhou which are located close to each other on the eastern seaboard.
Luxembourg for Business informs us that the couple, alongside the rest of the participants to the mission, have left on their way to China on 23rd November. I guess the reason to fly this early for the start of the mission on Monday is to make sure that they have plenty of time to deal with any disagreements. Some of you may remember that Guillaume was on a four day economic mission to China in October 2011, but arrived a day late due to technical problems on his Lufthansa flight. I guess they deal well with lessons learnt in Luxembourg! Besides, with this one being Stéphanie's first major activity and her first trip abroad, they surely wanted things to be spot on.
Why an economic mission: to establish new business opportunities, as well as to cement trade relations at the level of bilateral business contacts between companies in the two countries. This year marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Luxembourg and China.
The official delegation: it consists of several representatives of the Ministry of the Economy and Foreign Trade, the Chambre de Commerce as well as the Luxembourg Ambassador to China, Carlo Krieger, and the Consul General of Luxembourg, Nicolas Mackel in Shanghai. In addition, various business organisations including FEDIL, Luxinnovation, are also participating, along with a large business delegation representing around 30 different companies across a range of business sectors.
The visited cities: The trade mission will visit Beijing and Tianjin in the north-east of the country, Chongqing in the centre of China, as well as Shanghai and Suzhou which are located close to each other on the eastern seaboard.
And finally: the cake!
We didn't get to see the couple's wedding cake, but a picture of the royal wedding cake has finally been released (although it's unofficial and seems to have been taken by the patissiers at the back-office, let's hope we get a proper picture sometime soon)!
Official Biography of Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy
Meanwhile we wait for the couple's visit to China at the start of the week to come, the Grande-Duchesse Héritière's profile, as featured on http://www.monarchie.lu to keep us entertained.
You can also read the French version on:
http://www.monarchie.lu/fr/famille/grande-duchesse-heritiere/index.html
Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy was born in Ronse (Belgium) on 18 February 1984. She is the eighth and youngest child of Count Philippe de Lannoy and the late Countess († 26.08.2012), née Alix della Faille de Leverghem. She grew up on the family estate in Anvaing in Hainaut with her seven brothers and sisters.
You can also read the French version on:
http://www.monarchie.lu/fr/famille/grande-duchesse-heritiere/index.html
Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy was born in Ronse (Belgium) on 18 February 1984. She is the eighth and youngest child of Count Philippe de Lannoy and the late Countess († 26.08.2012), née Alix della Faille de Leverghem. She grew up on the family estate in Anvaing in Hainaut with her seven brothers and sisters.
Schooling
The Countess did her primary schooling at Sancta Maria, a Dutch-speaking school in Ronse in
Belgium. She began her secondary education with two years at the Collège Sainte-Odile in northern France and completed her schooling at the Institut de la Vierge Fidèle in Brussels, where she obtained her school-leaving certificate in 2002.
When she was 18, she spent a year in Moscow, where she studied Russian language and literature. She also further developed her violin-playing skills.
Further education and professional career
Stéphanie obtained a degree with distinction in Germanic philology from the Université Catholique de Louvain. She continued her university studies in Berlin, where she completed a graduation project on the subject of the influence of German Romanticism on Russian Romanticism.
She extended her stay in Berlin with a traineeship with the Walloon Export Agency under the aegis of the Belgian Embassy. On her return from Germany, she worked for an investment fund company.
Personal life and leisure
The Countess has always been interested in classical music. With the support of her parents, she learnt to read music and took piano and violin lessons at a very young age. As a teenager she had a passion for reading. Learning foreign languages enabled her to discover and explore the classics in their original language.
Being involved in voluntary work, Stéphanie has made many trips with youth groups. The Countess enjoys skiing and swimming.
Besides French, her mother tongue, Stéphanie is fluent in German and English.
Since 27 April 2012, Countess Stéphanie has been engaged to His Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duke, Guillaume of Luxembourg, whom she will marry on 20 October 2012.
Since June 2012, she has also been a member of the board of directors of the "Fondation du Grand-Duc et de la Grande-Duchesse", which is dedicated to helping people with special needs to integrate into Luxembourg society and supporting specific projects in certain less developed countries.
As part of the royal wedding, the Hereditary Grand Duke and Countess Stéphanie, both of whom are administrators of the "Fondation du Grand-Duc et de la Grande-Duchesse", have expressed their wish to support and develop social projects in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. A special account named "Mariage Princier –Projets sociaux au Luxembourg" has been set up to that effect.
(Source: Press and Communication Service of the Grand Ducal Court)
sábado, 17 de noviembre de 2012
Guillaume and Stephanie receive Nobel Peace Prize of 2006
The newlyweds are back and they welcomed the Nobel Peace Prize of 2006, Mr Yunus, at the Grand Ducal palace with the Grand Duke and Duchess.
You can see a picture of the couple, back from their honeymoon, at Wort.
See you very soon as the couple start their first official engagement, when they start their official mission to China next week, 26th November.
You can see a picture of the couple, back from their honeymoon, at Wort.
See you very soon as the couple start their first official engagement, when they start their official mission to China next week, 26th November.
Diary from a royal wedding guest
I was among the lucky people who got to be at the cathedral for the royal
wedding in Luxembourg last week. As I promised to many, and to commemorate the
first month of the wedding of Guillaume and Stephanie, I thought it was only
fair to share the experience with my lovely readers and those interested.
It was an early start of the day to make sure I had time to do everything and be on time. I got to the cathedral some time before the ceremony started. The streets were lined with decorations with Guillaume and Stephanie’s monogram. Cars lined in front of the le royal hotel where several guests were staying for the occasion.
It was a chilly morning but we would soon learn that a nice, almost summery, day was ahead of us. Guillaume and Stephanie certainly have been lucky that the sun shined and we had no rain. I must admit I was worried that it rained or was too cold, since that would have ruined the festive atmosphere. I wondered what Stephanie would have done if it had rained - did she get Elie Saab to make a matching jacket for her dress to wear for the day in case it rained?
The cathedral was quite full of people as I arrived. Flowers decorated the cathedral although there wasn't an overpowering smell of flowers, that is usually too heavy for some guests. I bet some people appreciated! Screens inside the cathedral showed video footage from the civil marriage the previous day and from the gala dinner at the palace the night before.
Organizers were around the cathedral making sure everything went as planned. There were even policemen touring the cathedral, both before and during the ceremony, which I thought was most unusual.
The ladies looked amazing in their headpieces, looking at them was an excellent past-time as we waited for the ceremony to start
The screen started showing the guests arriving to the cathedral. We heard the excitement from the crowds outside as the grand duke arrived and marveled as we saw Guillaume arriving and obviously when he bride arrived in her gorgeous dress.
As they entered the cathedral, Guillaume welcomed guests saying hello to the people as they were entering the cathedral. The grand duchess was smiling and we could tell she was beaming, even though she didn't speak as Guillaume did.
The royal representatives entered the cathedral through the middle aisle. All of the crown princes and their wives (and the crown princess of Sweden and her spouse of course) traversed the aisle before the grand ducal family and the bride and groom if I well remember. The people around me seemed to recognize them as they moved down the cathedral and smiled and gossiped as they recognized them (is that really Caroline of Monaco?).
Lalla Salma seemed to recognize the protection officer that was assigned to her in the cathedral and said hello, both as she entered and as she left the cathedral. Some of the royals seemed keener to smile to the guests than others, who just walked down the aisle with no distraction. There seemed to be disguised protection officers all over the cathedral, in black.
Stephanie’s family also walked down the aisle. Her sisters and brothers all looked extremely elegant and dignified that no one missed their entrance.
The moment came for Stephanie to arrive. Her dress shined as he moved and she walked slowly through the cathedral down to the altar.
The ceremony was shown to all the guests, some of them far from the altar, with the screens.
We could hear the cheers from the crowd outside as they were pronounced husband and wife and as they exchanged rings.
The ceremony was simple and traditional. Guests were invited to take communion; priests were placed all along the cathedral.
As the ceremony ended, the bridal party left in the protocolar order. The couple was congratulated by the people in the church as they left. Everyone clapped as the ceremony was over. We could hear the clapping advancing through the cathedral as the couple approached each row. They looked happy and relaxed.
Some of the guests were in the cathedral by the time they arrived to the palace and went to greet the crowds at the balcony. The cathedral started clapping again as they kissed on the balcony, as if everyone wanted to accompany the couple until the very last moment.
I spoke to other guests, some of which worked for charities of the grand ducal families. One told me about the work of the duchess with the guide dogs association and said she had a very sweet, approachable demeanor. Other guests explained how at the gala dinner Stephanie's dad suffered from a small breakdown and told us how the duchess came immediately to comfort him. Everyone seemed to have positive words to say about the duchess.
I left the cathedral and saw the crowds still lining along the streets and the military along the cathedral. I decided to reach my hotel walking. Several members of the public asked me how the wedding was at the cathedral, as they saw I had a wedding programme. With a big smile I told them it was a great experience and that the atmosphere inside was superb.
I got changed and went for a walk in Luxembourg. I was delighted to discover it, it's a beautiful place. What most caught my attention were the lovely fall colors of the trees. I understood why guillaume and Stephanie chose autumn for their wedding: Luxembourg has the nicest autumnal colors I have seen in a long time, and the fact that the town is surrounded by a lush valley with trees really lets you appreciate the beauty: if you ever go to Luxembourg you will know exactly what I mean as you cross Pont Adolphe.
As I walked through the town I saw a train passing with two black and white drawings of Guillaume and Stephanie's faces. I thought it was a nice gesture to do it but was surprised as not many people seemed to had seen it (I only saw it by surprise as I crossed a very empty passage). My surprise when I saw the same drawings at the fireworks later on in the day, decorated with lights, which left in the middle of the fireworks through the same bridge through where I saw them arrive.
I joined the Luxembourgish in the evening for the fireworks and the concerts which wrapped up a fantastic day.
It was an early start of the day to make sure I had time to do everything and be on time. I got to the cathedral some time before the ceremony started. The streets were lined with decorations with Guillaume and Stephanie’s monogram. Cars lined in front of the le royal hotel where several guests were staying for the occasion.
It was a chilly morning but we would soon learn that a nice, almost summery, day was ahead of us. Guillaume and Stephanie certainly have been lucky that the sun shined and we had no rain. I must admit I was worried that it rained or was too cold, since that would have ruined the festive atmosphere. I wondered what Stephanie would have done if it had rained - did she get Elie Saab to make a matching jacket for her dress to wear for the day in case it rained?
The cathedral was quite full of people as I arrived. Flowers decorated the cathedral although there wasn't an overpowering smell of flowers, that is usually too heavy for some guests. I bet some people appreciated! Screens inside the cathedral showed video footage from the civil marriage the previous day and from the gala dinner at the palace the night before.
Organizers were around the cathedral making sure everything went as planned. There were even policemen touring the cathedral, both before and during the ceremony, which I thought was most unusual.
The ladies looked amazing in their headpieces, looking at them was an excellent past-time as we waited for the ceremony to start
The screen started showing the guests arriving to the cathedral. We heard the excitement from the crowds outside as the grand duke arrived and marveled as we saw Guillaume arriving and obviously when he bride arrived in her gorgeous dress.
As they entered the cathedral, Guillaume welcomed guests saying hello to the people as they were entering the cathedral. The grand duchess was smiling and we could tell she was beaming, even though she didn't speak as Guillaume did.
The royal representatives entered the cathedral through the middle aisle. All of the crown princes and their wives (and the crown princess of Sweden and her spouse of course) traversed the aisle before the grand ducal family and the bride and groom if I well remember. The people around me seemed to recognize them as they moved down the cathedral and smiled and gossiped as they recognized them (is that really Caroline of Monaco?).
Lalla Salma seemed to recognize the protection officer that was assigned to her in the cathedral and said hello, both as she entered and as she left the cathedral. Some of the royals seemed keener to smile to the guests than others, who just walked down the aisle with no distraction. There seemed to be disguised protection officers all over the cathedral, in black.
Stephanie’s family also walked down the aisle. Her sisters and brothers all looked extremely elegant and dignified that no one missed their entrance.
The moment came for Stephanie to arrive. Her dress shined as he moved and she walked slowly through the cathedral down to the altar.
The ceremony was shown to all the guests, some of them far from the altar, with the screens.
We could hear the cheers from the crowd outside as they were pronounced husband and wife and as they exchanged rings.
The ceremony was simple and traditional. Guests were invited to take communion; priests were placed all along the cathedral.
As the ceremony ended, the bridal party left in the protocolar order. The couple was congratulated by the people in the church as they left. Everyone clapped as the ceremony was over. We could hear the clapping advancing through the cathedral as the couple approached each row. They looked happy and relaxed.
Some of the guests were in the cathedral by the time they arrived to the palace and went to greet the crowds at the balcony. The cathedral started clapping again as they kissed on the balcony, as if everyone wanted to accompany the couple until the very last moment.
I spoke to other guests, some of which worked for charities of the grand ducal families. One told me about the work of the duchess with the guide dogs association and said she had a very sweet, approachable demeanor. Other guests explained how at the gala dinner Stephanie's dad suffered from a small breakdown and told us how the duchess came immediately to comfort him. Everyone seemed to have positive words to say about the duchess.
I left the cathedral and saw the crowds still lining along the streets and the military along the cathedral. I decided to reach my hotel walking. Several members of the public asked me how the wedding was at the cathedral, as they saw I had a wedding programme. With a big smile I told them it was a great experience and that the atmosphere inside was superb.
I got changed and went for a walk in Luxembourg. I was delighted to discover it, it's a beautiful place. What most caught my attention were the lovely fall colors of the trees. I understood why guillaume and Stephanie chose autumn for their wedding: Luxembourg has the nicest autumnal colors I have seen in a long time, and the fact that the town is surrounded by a lush valley with trees really lets you appreciate the beauty: if you ever go to Luxembourg you will know exactly what I mean as you cross Pont Adolphe.
As I walked through the town I saw a train passing with two black and white drawings of Guillaume and Stephanie's faces. I thought it was a nice gesture to do it but was surprised as not many people seemed to had seen it (I only saw it by surprise as I crossed a very empty passage). My surprise when I saw the same drawings at the fireworks later on in the day, decorated with lights, which left in the middle of the fireworks through the same bridge through where I saw them arrive.
I joined the Luxembourgish in the evening for the fireworks and the concerts which wrapped up a fantastic day.
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