In 1912, Marie-Adelaide of Nassau-Weilburg, ascended the grand-ducal throne of Luxembourg. She was not only the first ruling princess but a devout Catholic succeeding her Protestant father. She encountered many problems, including war and modernism. Like Blessed Charles of Austria, she tried to be a Catholic ruler in the twentieth century. She was forced to abdicate in 1919, and entered a Carmelite monastery. It did not work out for her there, either, and she had to leave. She tried medical school--another disaster. Her health deteriorated and she died in 1924 at the age of twenty-nine. She met every catastrophe with a spirit of humility and resignation to the will of God. In her failure, she achieved ultimate triumph.Here is a short but deeply inspiring biography of Marie-Adelaide by Diane Moczar. Share
4 comments:
When I was little, I had this fantasy I would escape in; that I was king of a small country, and my friends all had titles such as Grand Duke and Grand Duchess. If I was offended by anyone, or abused, I would either strip people of their titles, or, if they were relly bad, I would exile them. I must be a monarchist at heart. :)
I so enjoy your posts.
Thank you so much, Terry.
Of course, the French government that accused Marie-Adelaide of cooperating with the Germans was, for all intents and purposes, virtually identical to the one that had stolen most of France's monasteries in 1905, and banned free speech in the name of equality and freedom, arguably the largest heist in European history. Perhaps a few different faces, but the same program.
The charge that she leaned toward the Boche, as if that wasn't her prerogative as a sovereign of a sovereign nation, must have been quite convenient. (Many of the neutrals were pro-German, in part because they thought the French were fanatics.)
How many Americans know that the only president to have been in the Ku Klux Klan was Woodrow Wilson?
Wow, another interesting piece! I've never heard of Princess Marie-Adelaide. Luxembourg is one of those countries that you never hear about until a major event arises.
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