Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. (Havana)
Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, was born in Marianao, Havana, Cuba, de nombre María Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla; born 22 March 1956, is the spouse of Grand Duke Henri. whith father José Antonio Mestre y Álvarez (Vedado, Havana, 1926 -) and wife (m. Vedado, Havana, 1951) María Teresa Batista y Falla de Mestre (Vedado, Havana, 1928–1988), both from families of the bourgeoisie and also Spanish in descent like many Cubans are.
The family Mestre (via female descendants from Ferdinand I of León and Castile) have as patriarch Arnau Mestre, born Landorthe, who married in 1625 in San Pedro de Ribas. One of his descendants, Francisco Mestre y Roig Benaprés (born in 1787 in Sitges) travels to Cuba in 1830 where he married Josefa Dominguez y Morales (born in 1764, daughter of Andres Domínguez Bencomo and Manuela Morales Ponce de León), being the founder of the Mestre family in Cuba. The Grand Duchess also descends from his father of the Spanish Espinosa de los Monteros family.
In October 1959, at the time of the revolution, Maria Teresa Mestre left Cuba with her parents. The family settled in New York City, New Jersey, 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 lived in New York City, Santander, Spain, and Geneva, where she met her future husband.
In 1980 she graduated from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva with a degree in political sciences. Miss Mestre met Prince Henri at this university. For four years they both carried on similar studies, working sometimes in the same study groups.
During the same period she took an interest in social and human problems, following the family tradition which had allegedly brought her grandparents to devote themselves to philanthropy and cultural tasks in Cuba.Besides her studies, Miss Mestre was a member of a group in Geneva taking interest in the well-being of residents of retirement homes. She also taught children in a Geneva classroom.
As a Cuban, Spanish is her native language, and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa knows French thoroughly, having carried on her studies at the French School (Lycée Vauban) and in Switzerland. When she was young, she learned English. After her marriage she learned Luxembourgish, and she also speaks German and Italian.
In 2006, the Grand Duchess received the Path to Peace Award from a Holy See Foundation for her “relentless contribution to humanitarian causes.” She is also the President of the Luxembourg Red Cross.
Maria Teresa Mestre married Prince Henri of Luxembourg on 4 February 1981 (civil ceremony) and 14 February 1981 (religious ceremony) with the previous consent of the Grand Duke given on 7 November 1980. For the religious ceremony, the bride wore a silk gown with fur trim by Balmain with the Congo Diamond Tiara from the Luxembourg royal family jewels.
The couple has five children:
The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg (Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie), born 11 November 1981, married Belgian Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy on 20 October 2012 in Luxembourg.
Prince Félix Léopold Marie Guillaume of Luxembourg, born 3 June 1984, married German Claire Margareta Lademacher on 17 (the civil wedding which took place in Königstein im Taunus, Germany) and 23 (the religious wedding which took place in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, France) September 2013.
Princess Amalia Gabriela Maria Teresa of Nassau, born 15 June 2014
Prince Louis Xavier Marie Guillaume of Luxembourg, born 3 August 1986, who married Tessy Antony on 29 September 2006 in Gilsdorf, Luxembourg. The couple has two sons:
Prince Gabriel Michael Louis Ronny of Nassau, born 12 March 2006
Prince Noah Etienne Guillaume Gabriel Matthias Xavier of Nassau, born 21 September 2007
Princess Alexandra Joséphine Teresa Charlotte Marie Wilhelmine of Luxembourg, born 16 February 1991
Prince Sébastien Henri Marie Guillaume of Luxembourg, born 16 April 1992
Titles, styles and honours.
The Grand Duke Henri, his wife Maria Teresa and his son Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke
Titles and styles. From her marriage until her husband’s accession on 7 October 2000 she was styled Her Royal Highness The Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. Since then, she has been known as Her Royal Highness The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg.
Agencies/Various/InternetPhotos/www.thecubanhistory.com
The Cuban History, Hollywood.
Arnoldo Varona, Editor.