Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids María Teresa |
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Maria Teresa in 2024
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| Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg | |
| Tenure | 7 October 2000 – present |
| Born | María Teresa Mestre y Batista 22 March 1956 Marianao, Havana, Cuba |
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| Father | José Antonio Mestre y Álvarez |
| Mother | María Teresa Batista y Falla |
Maria Teresa (born María Teresa Mestre y Batista; March 22, 1956) is the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. She is the wife of Grand Duke Henri, who became the ruler of Luxembourg in 2000.
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Early life and education
Maria Teresa was born on 22 March 1956 in Marianao, Havana, Cuba, to José Antonio Mestre y Álvarez (1926–1993) and wife María Teresa Batista y Falla de Mestre (1928–1988), both from bourgeois families of Spanish descent.
In October 1959, at the time of the Cuban Revolution, Maria Teresa Mestre’s parents left Cuba with their children, because the new government headed by Fidel Castro confiscated their properties. The family settled in New York City, where as a young girl she was a pupil at Marymount School. From 1961 she carried on her studies at the Lycée Français de New York. In her childhood, Maria Teresa Mestre took ballet and singing courses. She practices skiing, ice-skating and water sports. She later lived in Santander, Spain, and in Geneva, Switzerland, where she became a Swiss citizen.
In 1980, Maria Teresa graduated from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva with a degree in political sciences. While studying there, she met her future husband Henri of Luxembourg.
Helping Others and Humanitarian Work
Maria Teresa is very active in social and humanitarian causes. Since 2005, she has led the international jury for the European Microfinance Award. This award recognizes projects that help people in developing countries get small loans and financial services. Since 2006, she has also been the honorary president of LuxFLAG. This is an agency that checks if investment funds are truly helping with microfinance around the world.
On April 19, 2007, Maria Teresa was named a UNICEF Eminent Advocate for Children. In this role, she has visited Brazil (2007), China (2008), and Burundi (2009) to help children.
She is also a member of the Honorary Board of the International Paralympic Committee. She supports organizations like the Ligue Luxembourgeoise de Prévention et d’Action medico-sociales and SOS Villages d’Enfants Monde. The Grand Duchess and Grand Duke Henri are part of the Mentor Foundation in London. ..... She is also the president of the Luxembourg Red Cross and the Cancer Foundation. In 2016, she organized the first international meeting in Luxembourg about learning disabilities.
Maria Teresa supports the UNESCO Breaking the Poverty Cycle of Women project. This project helps improve the lives of girls, women, and their families in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. She also started her own foundation, Projet de la Main Tendue (Project of the Helping Hand). She created this project after visiting a prison in Bujumbura, Burundi, in 2009. The project helps young people leave prison and find new opportunities for their future.
In October 2016, Maria Teresa joined the international Council of Patrons of the Asian University for Women (AUW). This university is in Chittagong, Bangladesh. It helps talented women from 15 countries across Asia and the Middle East get an education.
In 2019, Maria Teresa launched her initiative called Stand Speak Rise Up! ..... It was created with the Women’s Forum and supported by the Luxembourg government. The conference works with the Dr. Denis Mukwege Foundation and We Are Not Weapons of War.
Family Life
On February 14, 1981, Maria Teresa Mestre married Henri of Luxembourg. Their wedding took place at the Notre-Dame Cathedral of Luxembourg. They have four sons and one daughter:
- Prince Guillaume (born in 1981), the Hereditary Grand Duke. He married Princess Stéphanie of Luxembourg in 2012.
- Prince Félix (born in 1984). He married Princess Claire of Luxembourg in 2013.
- Prince Louis (born in 1986). He married Mrs. Tessy Anthony in 2006 and they divorced in 2019.
- Princess Alexandra (born in 1991). She married Mr. Nicolas Bagory in 2023.
- Prince Sébastien (born in 1992).
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa is a grandmother to six grandsons and two granddaughters:
- Prince Charles (born May 10, 2020) and Prince François (born March 27, 2023). They are the two sons of Prince Guillaume and Princess Stéphanie.
- Princess Amalia (born June 15, 2014), Prince Liam (born November 28, 2016), and Prince Balthazar (born January 7, 2024). They are the three children of Prince Félix and Princess Claire.
- Prince Gabriel (born March 12, 2006) and Prince Noah (born September 21, 2007). They are the two sons of Prince Louis and Mrs. Tessy Anthony.
- Victoire (born May 14, 2024). She is the daughter of Princess Alexandra and Mr. Nicolas Bagory.
Honours and Awards
Maria Teresa has received many important awards and honours from Luxembourg and other countries. These awards recognize her dedication and hard work in her royal duties and humanitarian efforts.
See also
In Spanish: María Teresa de Luxemburgo para niños
