Allegations of Grand Duchess Maria Teresa’s behaviour have begun to swirl in the Luxembourgish media.
According to RTL, the Lëtzebuerger Land published a piece on how the Cuban-born Grand Duchess does what she wants without fear of retribution as no one dares to confront her – even Grand Duke Henri.
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa has long been rumoured to be difficult and have a temper. The current Prime Minister is said to be the only one with the courage to confront her. She used to enjoy discussing current events with former Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, but Prime Minister Bettel put a stop to it which reportedly caused issues with the government’s relationship with the Grand Ducal Court.
LSAP MP Alex Bodry revealed that the allegations against Her Royal Highness came from inside the palace, with some sources saying Marshall of the Court Lucien Weiler or the Chief of Staff Michel Heintz were the whistleblowers.
Back in August, it was revealed Prime Minister Xavier Bettel appointed a special commission to look into the Grand Ducal Family’s staff operations and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa’s role.
They were to regularly review all pages of staff management and report to the Prime Minister. They could also advise reforms.
They particularly were to be looking into how the Grand Ducal Court has lost more than 30 staff members (1/3 of their staff) since 2015. Sources, including a former staff member, told Luxembourg’s Reporter that Grand Duchess Maria Teresa has played a decisive role in the departure of the staff.
The government wants to know the power the Grand Duchess has in personnel decisions. A former employee told Reporter, “In case of doubt, the Grand Duchess is the contact person. She also conducts job interviews, even with personnel who are expressly not personally subordinated to her.”
The investigation report is due to be submitted to the Prime Minister in the coming weeks.
