Since October 3, 41-year-old Stéphanie de Lannoy has officially held the title of Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. This followed the abdication of her father-in-law, Henri, and the accession of her husband, Grand Duke Guillaume, to the throne. Wearing a long lavender gown with delicate embroidery and a flowing cape, the Belgian aristocrat embraced her new role, which now places her at the forefront of both institutional and media life. For more than ten years, Stéphanie has been in the spotlight since joining the world’s only grand ducal family. Remaining in the shadow of her controversial mother-in-law, Maria Teresa Mestre, she has gradually expanded her official duties. Today, she is not only a key figure on the royal scene of the Old Continent, but also the mother of five-year-old Charles, the youngest heir to the throne in Europe.
The path to this status for Stéphanie Marie Claudine Christine de Lannoy, born in 1984 in Ronse, in the Belgian region of East Flanders, was long and not always smooth. She is the youngest of eight children of Count Philippe de Lannoy and Alix della Faille de Leverghem. Her siblings are Count Jean, Count Christian, Countess Nathalie, Countess Gaëlle, Count Amaury, Count Olivier, and Countess Isabelle. The future Grand Duchess grew up in the family’s castle of Anvaing, located an hour from Brussels. She belongs to an aristocratic family whose history dates back to the 13th century and who produced outstanding military leaders and statesmen. Interestingly, on her father’s side, her ancestry traces back to Charles de Lannoy, who served as Master of the Horse to the young Duke Charles of Burgundy, who later became King of Spain Charles I.
Although her family spoke French, the young countess began her education at the local Sancta Maria primary school with instruction in Dutch in the neighboring town of Ronse. She then continued her studies at Sainte-Odile College in northern France, where she spent two years, before transferring to Institut de la Vierge Fidèle in Brussels. She pursued higher education in Germany, and afterwards briefly worked at an investment firm.
Stéphanie and Guillaume first met at a party in 2004, but it took some time before a romantic relationship developed between them. The spark was ignited five years later, at another party in Berlin. Because of the royal status of the future Grand Duke, they had to keep their relationship secret from the public to protect their privacy. Finally, in April 2012, they announced their engagement at Berg Castle.
The royal wedding was overshadowed by tragedy. Despite the joy and anticipation that swept the country as the last bachelor heir in Europe prepared to marry, the day was marked by sorrow. The bride’s mother, Countess Alix de Lannoy, died of a stroke just two months before her daughter was to walk down the aisle at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg. In memory of the countess, the ceremony began with a minute of silence, and her daughter wore her mother’s wedding ring alongside her own. Due to her father’s frail health—he passed away in 2019—her elder brother Jean walked her down the aisle.
In one interview, Stéphanie admitted that she was very fortunate with the warmth shown to her by her mother-in-law, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. She was always there for her and helped her find a second mother in Luxembourg. Starting her own family with her husband was also one of her top priorities. With a sense of humor, Stéphanie remarked that having as many children as she had siblings would probably be too much, but she hoped to preserve the spirit of a large family when the time came. As a result, she and Guillaume currently have two sons: Charles and François.
