Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
Grand Duchess of Luxembourg from 1912 to 1919 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marie-Adélaïde (Marie-Adélaïde Thérèse Hilda Wilhelmine; 14 June 1894 – 24 January 1924), was Grand Duchess of Luxembourg from 1912 until her abdication in 1919. She was the first Grand Duchess regnant of Luxembourg (after five grand dukes), its first female monarch since Duchess Maria Theresa (1740–1780, who was also Austrian Archduchess and Holy Roman Empress) and the first Luxembourgish monarch to be born within the territory since Count John the Blind (1296–1346).
Marie-Adélaïde | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grand Duchess of Luxembourg | |||||
Reign | 25 February 1912 – 14 January 1919 | ||||
Predecessor | William IV | ||||
Successor | Charlotte | ||||
Regent | Marie Anne of Portugal (1912) | ||||
Prime Ministers | |||||
Born | (1894-06-14)14 June 1894 Berg Castle, Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg | ||||
Died | 24 January 1924(1924-01-24) (aged 29) Schloss Hohenburg, Lenggries, Bavaria, Germany | ||||
Burial | |||||
| |||||
House | Nassau-Weilburg | ||||
Father | William IV of Luxembourg | ||||
Mother | Marie Anne of Portugal | ||||
Religion | Catholicism |
Named as heiress presumptive by her father Grand Duke William IV in 1907 to prevent a succession crisis due to his lack of a son, Marie-Adélaïde became Grand Duchess in 1912. She ruled through the First World War, and her perceived support for the German occupation forces led to great unpopularity in Luxembourg as well as neighbouring France and Belgium. On the advice of Parliament and under enormous pressure from the Luxembourgish people, she abdicated on 14 January 1919 in favour of her younger sister Charlotte, who managed to save the monarchy and the dynasty in a national referendum later that year.
Following her abdication, Marie-Adélaïde retired to a convent in Italy, before leaving due to ill health. She died of influenza in Germany on 24 January 1924, at the age of 29.