Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie have given an exclusive interview to Place Royal on the occassion of their fourth wedding anniversary. The couple were given “carte blanche” to show the most beautiful places in Luxembourg.
On 19th of October 2012, Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg married Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy in a civil ceremony. The next day the religious wedding took place in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Luxembourg. Because of this occassion, the couple gave an interview to the Belgian royalty programme Place Royale. Instead of doing an ordinary interview, the tv-crew let Guillaume and Stéphanie decide which places in Luxembourg they wanted to show to the Belgians.
Before the tour kicked off, Stéphanie confessed she didn’t know much about Luxembourg before she met Guillaume. A big contrast with the present, as she considers Luxembourg as her home now. She said, “Discovering Luxembourg is like opening a box without base – the treasures keep coming. Luxembourg is so diverse.” Guillaume added, “Luxembourg has no secrets anymore for my wife.” Furthermore, Stéphanie is, after four years of marriage, excellent in speaking Luxembourgish.
The tour started off in the north of Luxembourg. The trio first headed to Vianden where they climbed up a hill to have a great view of the old castle. The castle once belonged to the first Grand Duke of Luxembourg Adolphe, an ancestor of Guillaume. The city Vianden was almost completely destroyed during World War Two but has been completely restored. Vianden is also famous for being the city where the famous Victor Hugo once lived. They visited his old house and even paused in his bedroom. Victor Hugo was a famous French poet and novelist who once lived in Luxembourg before his exile.
The second place on their tour was a city more up north, Clervaux. Both Guillaume and Stéphanie are very passionate about art. Stéphanie is also patron of a museum, and earlier this year she became Chairman of the Board of the Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean. The introduction to the city included a visit to a castle in which there was an art exhibition. Stéphanie talked about the exhibition and about her passion for art. She said, “Art is very important for the youth. The youth doesn’t like many rules because they feel locked. Art is a great way to express oneself. There are no rules or barriers in contemporary art.”
After that, the couple and television crew headed to the Luxembourg Moselle Region in the south. The Moselle Region is known for its famous wine. The Hereditary Couple made a stroll along the grapevines. Guillaume and Stéphanie confided they are both very fond of wine. “It’s a product with such a variety,” said Guillaume. But there was a more important reason the couple wanted to show the Moselle Region. It was the first region Princess Stéphanie discovered upon her arrival in Luxembourg. It has a very special meaning for the both of them. During the tour, Guillaume also talked about his passion for food. He is said to be a great chef.
At the end of the episode, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie warmly invited everyone to come and visit Luxembourg as soon as possible.