Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Charlotte

Charlotte (Charlotte Adelgonde Elisabeth Marie Wilhelmine; 23 January 1896 – 9 July 1985) was Grand Duchess of Luxembourg from 14 January 1919 until her abdication on 12 November 1964. Her reign is the longest of any Luxembourgish monarch since 1815 when the country was elevated to a Grand Duchy. She acceded to the throne on 14 January 1919 following the abdication of her sister, Marie-Adélaïde, due to political pressure over Marie-Adélaïde's role during the German occupation of Luxembourg during World War I. A referendum retained the monarchy with Charlotte as Grand Duchess regnant. She married Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma on 6 November 1919. They had six children. Following the 1940 German invasion of Luxembourg during World War II, Charlotte went into exile: first in France, then Portugal, Great Britain, and North America. While in Britain, she made broadcasts to the people of Luxembourg. She returned to Luxembourg in April 1945. She abdicated in 1964, and was succeeded by her son, Jean, later dying from cancer on 9 July 1985. She was the last agnatic member of the House of Nassau, and the last personal recipient of the Golden Rose. Since her death, there are no living personal recipients of that honour, which in modern times has been awarded by the Pope only to churches and shrines. She is to date the most recent Grand Duchess of Luxembourg in her own right.

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