Tessy Antony-de Nassau has been bestowed the honour of Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Drum of Rwanda by the King of Rwanda – who lives in the UK in exile – at the Oxford and Cambridge Club in London on Wednesday, 23 October.
The Royal Order of the Drum of Rwanda is the highest order in Rwanda’s Royal Court.
Tessy was invested with the royal order because of her humanitarian work in education and women’s empowerment – including her work with her NGO Professors Without Borders. Specifically, it was given to her for her work in women’s inclusion and education in African states.
The former Princess of Luxembourg said she was “very humbled” to receive the “great” order from King Emmanuel Bushayija (or Yuhi VI). She added that “His Majesty is so wonderful. He has so much love for his country. It’s incredible…He’s a really incredible man who loves his country a lot.”
Yuhi VI is the nephew of the last ruling King of Rwanda, Kigeli V, who died in 2016. Yuhi VI was proclaimed by the Royal Council of Abiru as the exiled King of Rwanda in 2017. The Kingdom of Rwanda ceased to exist in 1961 after a referendum in which the country became a republic.
Although, the family lives in exile, they retain their titles and have their court abroad with a monarch as titular king, which Tessy wanted to highlight. “They still work a lot for their country [outside Rwanda]” she said.
This is the second order Tessy has received this year. Earlier in 2019, she was presented with the Ordre Lafayette in Geneva, as well as the Luxembourg Leadership Academy’s Leader of the Year Award. The Paris College of Art also gave her an honorary doctorate in May.
