Archduchess Marie-Astrid Turns Sixty

Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria today marks her sixtieth birthday. The Archduchess was born a Princess of Luxembourg in 1954.

The eldest child of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and his wife, Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, Marie-Astrid Liliane Charlotte Léopoldine Wilhelmine Ingeborg Antoinette Élisabeth Anne Alberte was born at Betzdorf Castle in east Luxembourg, her parents’ residence. Her four siblings – Henri, Jean, Margaretha and Guillaume – were also born at the castle over the following years.

Princess Marie-Astrid studied in Luxembourg and Belgium, becoming a registered nurse in 1974. In 1977, she graduated from the Prince Leopold Institute with a certificate in tropical medicine.

In fall 1981, the engagement between Marie-Astrid and her second cousin, Archduke Carl Christian of Austria, was announced by the Luxembourg Grand Ducal Court. They were married on February 6, 1982 at the Cathédrale Notre Dame in Luxembourg City, in front of a large group of royal guests, including Empress Zita of Austria, the groom’s grandmother. The couple settled in Brussels, and welcomed five children: Marie Christine, Imre, Christoph, Alexander and Gabriella. The family moved to Switzerland in the late 1980s.

Archduchess Marie-Astrid and her family currently live in Luxembourg, where she is seen mostly on family occasions.

Filed under Austria-Hungary, Luxembourg
Tagged Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria, Biography, Birthday, House of Habsburg.

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