Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Joséphine-Charlotte Stéphanie Ingeborg Elisabeth Marie José Marguerite Astrid of Belgium was born on October 11, 1927, at the Royal Palace of Brussels in Brussels, Belgium. She was the eldest child, and only daughter, of King Leopold III and Princess Astrid of Sweden. Her two younger brothers were:

 

Joséphine-Charlotte was christened at the Church of St. Jacques-sur-Coudenberg in Brussels, Belgium. Her godparents were:

The family lived at Stuyvenberg Castle, on the Royal Domain at Laeken, Brussels, Belgium. In 1934, her grandfather King Albert I, an avid mountain climber, died in a climbing accident, and her father became Leopold III, King of the Belgians. The following year, her mother Queen Astrid was killed in an automobile crash in Switzerland. Soon after, the family moved to the Royal Palace of Laeken in Laeken, Brussels, Belgium where they would later be held under house arrest following the German invasion of Belgium in 1940.

Princess Joséphine-Charlotte was primarily educated at the palace and attended boarding school briefly before the war began. In 1941, while the family was confined to the Palace of Laeken, her father secretly married Lilian Baels, who was given the title Princess de Réthy. Three more children were born from this marriage, Joséphine-Charlotte’s half-siblings:

After the war, Joséphine-Charlotte finished her studies in Switzerland, where the family had settled after the war, pending the “Royal Question” of her father’s actions during the war. She was able to return to Belgium in 1949 and worked toward restoring her father’s reputation and for his return to the Belgian throne. The following year, a referendum was held to determine if the King should return. With a winning percentage, King Leopold III returned to the country. However, he soon transferred his powers to his elder son Baudouin, and then formally abdicated the following year.

 

On April 9, 1953, Princess Joséphine-Charlotte married Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, the eldest child of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma. They were second cousins once removed, through their mutual descent from King Miguel I of Portugal. The two had become engaged in October 1952, with the announcement made on December 26, 1952. Following a civil ceremony held at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, a religious ceremony was held at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Luxembourg City.

The couple settled at Betzdorf Castle, in eastern Luxembourg, where they raised five children:

Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and his wife Josephine-Charlotte  in1964; Credit – Wikipedia

On November 12, 1964, Grand Duchess Charlotte abdicated, and Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte became the new Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. The couple left Betzdorf and moved to Berg Castle, the traditional residence of the reigning Grand Duke. Both before and after their accession, Joséphine-Charlotte worked extensively with organizations focused on children, families, and the arts. She served as honorary president of the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, and president of the Luxembourg Red Cross, and oversaw the 5-year restoration of the Grand Ducal Palace from 1991-1996.

 

On October 7, 2000, Grand Duke Jean followed his mother’s footsteps and abdicated in favor of his elder son Grand Duke Henri. Jean and  Joséphine-Charlotte soon left Berg Castle and settled at Fischbach Castle in central Luxembourg. Sadly, in 2003 it was reported that Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte had been diagnosed with lung cancer and the planned ceremonies and celebrations for the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary were canceled. Two years later, on January 10, 2005, Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte passed away at Fischbach Castle, surrounded by her family. She was 77 years old.

Her funeral was held at the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the site of her marriage nearly 52 years earlier, and was attended by a large contingent of foreign royals. In accordance with her wishes, her remains were then cremated, and her ashes were placed in the Grand Ducal Crypt at the Cathedral.

 

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