Almost a year after the marriage of the Hereditary Grand Duke, the Luxembourg royal family is preparing to celebrate another wedding.Prince Felix, the 29-year-old son of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, will marry his German sweetheart Claire Lademacher, who is the daughter of telecomms millionaire Harmut Lademacher, in two ceremonies next week.
Expect a more muted affair than the two days of lavish celebrations for his elder brother Prince Guillaume who tied the knot with Countess Stephanie de Lannoy in October 2013. According to the Grand Ducal Palace it is not an official state occasion. Nor will it be held in Luxembourg.The civil service will take place at Königstein im Taunus in Germany, the home of the bride, on Tuesday 17 September.A religious celebration will follow four days later at the Sainte Marie-Madeleine de Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume basilica in the Provence region of France.That won't stop royal watchers in the tiny country getting excited. When Felix presented his intended to the press it was evident that the couple are very much in the mould of modern royalty: attractive, educated and charming.
Hand in hand at the photo call in Chateau de Berg, the royals' official residence, they could hardly stop beaming. The young Prince then wrapped up proceedings by planting an impromptu kiss on his 28-year-old fiancée's cheek.
Felix attended Royal Military Academy Sandhurst – although he left for health reasons. He went on to work in marketing and PR for a renowned Swiss company, before pursuing a master's degree in bioethics.
Meanwhile, his 28-year-old bride is brainy and beautiful, with a Kate Middleton-style mane and long legs.
Claire, who will become a Princess of Luxembourg and be styled Royal Highness, was educated in Atlanta, Switzerland and Paris. Currently studying towards a PhD in Rome in the field of organ donation ethics, she has also worked for the UNESCO Chair of Bioethics and Human Rights.