The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg took part in the events surrounding the closure of the Octave, a religious festivities.
In the morning, Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie took part in the pontifical service, which also served as the moment to renew the consecration of Luxembourg’s Cathedral to the Virgin Mary.
Prince Guillaume and Princess Stéphanie paid homage to the patron saint; the Prince wore a baby blue tie, and the Princess wore a bouclé coat in the blue hues, as blue is traditionally the colour that represents the Virgin Mary.
The four royals then went on to take part in the solemn procession and closure service in the afternoon, as Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie managed to bring along their two-year-old son Prince Charles.
The young royal sat at his father’s feet throughout the ceremony, dressed in a white polo shirt and a baby blue striped pair of dungarees, in yet another nod to the country’s patron.
The closure of the Octave is one of Luxembourg’s most important religious moments and is returning in 2022 after having been cancelled for two years in a row due to health safety restrictions, in a crucial moment for the local Catholic population, which in 2019 represented roughly 60% of the citizens.
The Octave represents the period of time between the 3rd and 5th Sundays after Easter and is dedicated to Our Lady of Luxembourg, Maria Mutter Jesu, Consolatrix Afflictorum, Patrona Civitatis et Patriae Luxemburgensis (Mary mother of Jesus, Consoler of the Afflicted, Patron of the City and Motherland of Luxembourg).
The Virgin Mary was established as Luxembourg’s patron on the 20th of February 1678, and during World War II, this took on a patriotic meaning, which it has preserved to this day.
