Former Princess Tessy of Luxembourg has claimed that she was ‘put all the way at the back’ behind a ‘huge concrete column’ at Grand Duke Jean’s funeral in 2019.
The ex-royal, 34, who lives in London and spent much of lockdown with her two sons Prince Gabriel of Nassau, 14, and Prince Noah of Nassau, 12, shared an Instagram post about her ex-husband Prince Louis’ grandfather earlier today.
In the post, she commented: ‘At his funeral, even though I was put all the way in the back with a huge concrete column in front of me so that I could not see anything, I knew he knew I was there for him.’
Grand Duke Jean, who reigned for 36 years but stepped aside in 2000 in favour of his eldest son Henri, died in April 2019, weeks after Tessy and Prince Louis were officially granted a divorce.
Former Princess Tessy of Luxembourg, 34, has revealed that she was ‘put all the way at the back’ behind a ‘huge concrete column’ at Grand Duke Jean’s funeral in 2019
Grand Duke Jean, who reigned for 36 years but stepped aside in 2000 in favour of his eldest son Henri, died in April 2019, weeks after Tessy and Prince Louis were officially granted a divorce
In the post, Tessy shared a photograph of Jean with her two sons Gabriel and Noah, writing: ‘We miss Urapapa everyday. The most wonderful, informed, Fair and kind man i have ever known.
‘A man who loved his family as much as he loved his country.’
She continued: ‘I am far from being perfect. Yet, that was never an issue. Since the moment our paths crossed he made me feel loved, accepted — like family.’
She went on to recall his funeral where she was ‘put’ at the back of the church, saying: ‘I didn’t mind that journalist[s] were sitting with family while I was put where they put me.
Tessy was granted a divorce from Prince Louis weeks before the Grand Duke died, and was stripped of her royal titles (pictured, at their wedding)
‘Just the blessing of being there for him and for my children to know that mama is there if needed was all that mattered. I closed my eyes and saw everything in my heart.’
‘It is rare to have such precious souls touch your life in a way that HRH did for all of us! A real role model to look up to for Gabriel and Noah.’
Tessy of Luxembourg wed Louis in 2006, and has two children Prince Gabriel of Nassau and Prince Noah of Nassau with the Prince, who is the third son of the country’s reigning monarch Grand Duke Henri.
The former Princess, who lost her title after divorcing Louis in April 2019, is said to have maintained a close relationship with ex husband Louis, 34.
European royalty including Princess Anne and King Philippe of Belgium attended the Grand Duke’s funeral in 2019
The couple’s fairytale marriage broke down in 2016, and they were granted a decree nisi in February 2017, after 12 years together.
They were only 20 when they wed in 2006, getting married six months after the birth of their eldest son Prince Gabriel of Nassau.
Prince Louis, who will now pay £8,000 a year child support, renounced his succession rights to the throne in 2006, a month after marrying Tessy – who was not born of royal blood – but to a modest family in the small town of Niederkorn.
At a hearing in December, Louis was ordered to pay just £75-a-week to each of his two sons after a judge found his family’s vast wealth could not be factored into a divorce battle with his ex-wife.
Born a commoner, Tessy joined the Luxembourg Army in 2002 at the age of 18, rising to the rank of corporal. Two years later, when she was one of a handful of female UN peacekeepers in Kosovo, she met Prince Louis, who was visiting the army
Their divorce was made official in April 2019, just weeks before the Grand Duke died aged 98.
European royalty including Princess Anne and King Philippe of Belgium attended the funeral.
Louis now lives in Paris, while Tessy juggles a busy work life with raising the couple’s two children across the Channel.
The philanthropist is the co-founder of social enterprise Professors Without Borders which aims to improve access to higher education across the globe.
She also works as a consultant, public speaker and is a UN Association patron.
The former royal shares her sons Prince Gabriel and Prince Noah with her ex-husband Prince Louis (pictured together)
She recently spoke about the devastating impact of her divorce on a podcast, saying: ‘When the divorce broke out, when it became public, my body just shut down – literally.
‘I couldn’t walk, properly speak, eat, sleep. I was a prisoner.’
‘For me, I really had to build myself up again one day at a time. It was really hard. I learned you could not fix that with pills, so I never took any pills like anti-depressants or stuff…I had so much anxiety, I couldn’t go shopping for food.’
She added: ‘Divorce was one of the most painful things I have gone through. I lost 98% of my friends.’