SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

Luxembourg

Princess Tessy to receive £4,000 a year in support from Prince Louis

Prince Louis of Luxembourg has paid tribute to his estranged wife, Princess Tessy during divorce proceedings in the United Kingdom.

The Prince, who is the third son of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, told a London divorce court judge that Tessy had undertaken her royal role with grace.

Mr Justice MacDonald revealed that His Royal Highness said, “We married young and much has been expected from the applicant in her role as princess. She undertook that role with grace and represented my family well, for which I am grateful to her.”

Prince Louis, 32, had been ordered to pay £4,000 a year in support for each of his two sons with Tessy. Additionally, he will have to pay a “nominal” maintenance to her, as well. In her closing request, Tessy, 33, remarked that she was “simply asking for a house for her and her children” as well as financial support.

Mr Justice MacDonald reviewed the case and its evidence in October in a private hearing in the UK capital.

He remarked about the media coverage of the Princess which at one point saw her be branded as a “gold digger” which was quickly denied by those closest to her.

“Although a legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression, and whilst the point does not fall formally for me to determine, on the detailed evidence that has been available to me, I take the view that the manner in which the wife has been traduced in some sections of the press by the use of that malign characterisation is both unfair and unwarranted,” he said.

Prince Louis and Princess Tessy (with their son Prince Gabriel) on the day of their wedding in 2006. Photo: By Schnékert – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2468528

The High Court judge went on to say the divorce was “simply a sad case” which involved a couple who married for love but whose “fairytale” relationship eventually fell apart.

He said, “At its heart, this is simply a sad case about a young couple who determined to marry for love despite the considerable challenges posed by the way in which history, tradition and chance had conspired to define their respective social status and to shape attitudes towards their marriage.

“It is a case about a couple who thereafter, for a time, were happy together, before the fairytale soured.”

The judge allowed for Prince Louis and Princess Tessy to be named in media coverage but has limited the amount of information allowed to be reported.

A different judge ordered a decree nisi for divorce in February 2017 (decree nisi means the court order will come into effect at a later date and is not finalised at that time).

It was announced on 18 January 2017 by the Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg that Prince Louis and Princess Tessy were to divorce with proceedings taking place in London, where they had resided with their two sons, Prince Gabriel and Prince Noah, for several years.

About author

Brittani is from Tennessee, USA. She is a political scientist and historian after graduating with a degree in the topics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in December 2014. She also holds a master's degree from Northeastern University. She enjoys reading and researching all things regarding the royals of the world. She's been researching, reading, and writing on royalty for over a decade. She became Europe Editor in October 2016, and then Deputy Editor in January 2019, and has been featured on several podcasts, radio shows, news broadcasts and websites including Global News Canada, ABC News Australia, WION India and BBC World News.