Tessy Antony de Nassau has opened up about her new life during lockdown with her two sons Prince Gabriel, 14, and 12-year-old Prince Noah. The family moved from London to Switzerland to be with Tessy's extended family before quarantine was imposed. "I chose to stay with family who live outside of the city, for the boys," says Tessy, 34, in our exclusive interview in this week's issue of HELLO! magazine. "We're lucky as we had the opportunity to be somewhere where they can run around in a forest with no one around. It's so beautiful to see my kids reconnect with nature, but I know not everyone has that opportunity."
WATCH: Tessy reveals how the Luxembourg royal family helped her adjust to life in the limelight in a video recorded last year
Like many parents, Tessy oversees her sons' schoolwork – including three hours of maths – or Zoom meetings the Princes have to do. "They're doing really well," she says proudly. "I give them a task and say: 'How about you do it yourself and if you have a problem, you tell me.' I try and teach them to become a more independent and confident student, although it doesn't always work and sometimes they can be a bit tired and distracted – similar to us adults. We don't always have perfect days, either."
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The former Luxembourg royal, who runs a bespoke consultancy, Finding Butterflies, and is also a co-founder of charity Professors Without Borders, shares her two sons with ex-husband Prince Louis. The pair divorced last April after almost four years of separation. Prince Louis is now in another relationship and Tessy, too, has embarked on a new romance, with businessman Frank Floessel.
Tessy has been based in Switzerland with her sons during the lockdown period
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"I'm very happy," she says. "It took me a long time, but I'm happy now. I am sure each and everyone reading this who has ever got divorced will understand and remember how it feels. After every relationship it takes a while to heal when the heart has been broken. It has been really, really wonderful for me to realise that I am able to trust and love again. It's nice to see that life goes on."
She is, she says, "very happy" for her ex-husband, who has a close bond with their sons. "It's wonderful to see that, although they can't see each other during this time, the love and trust [the boys] have for their dad hasn't changed. If anything, it becomes stronger." Tessy's first plan post lockdown will be to see her family. "I really miss my parents," she says. "We talk to them every day. And we are all very excited about meeting Gabriel and Noah's cousin HRH Charles of Luxembourg who was born last week."
Pick up the new issue of HELLO! for the full interview and exclusive photos.
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