Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d’Aviano was born on 5th January 1921, the eldest child of Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma. As the 19-year-old heir to Luxembourg’s Throne, Jean fled the Grand Duchy under the protection of the French army when German forces invaded on 9th May 1940.
He lived in exile in France, Portugal, the US and Canada, with the rest of the royal family, before arriving in Britain where he volunteered for the Irish Guards in November 1942, on the advice of King George VI.
After training at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Jean landed near Bayeux, Normandy, on 11th June 1944 as part of D-Day. He also took part in the Battle for Caen and the liberation of Brussels. On 10th September 1944, Jean returned to Luxembourg, crossing the border at Rodange, from where he had fled the country four years earlier. Jean returned to battle three days later, taking part in fighting in Arnhem and the Ardennes.
In April 1945, Jean welcomed his mother, Grand Duchess Charlotte, to liberated Luxembourg, succeeding her in November 1964.
Jean had married Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium in 1953, with whom he had five children. 'Jojo' passed away in 2005 after Jean had abdicated in favour of his son Henri 5 years earlier. During his reign, Luxembourg became a centre for financial services after decades of economic decline. The photograph of Grand Duke Jean is courtesy of the website of the Grand Ducal Court of Luxembourg www.monarchie.lu |