HGD Couple expecting their first child

[Somebody]

This is not only a royal thing but a catholic. Traditionally the baptism is a event with only neat family and godparents. Even familys who have the money prefr to do it in a quiet way and often do not even go out to a restaurant but keep it at home. From earlier days when babies were baptised shortly after birth and mothers understandably prefered not to take the lil ones out this tradition sources. ��

Why would it even be an option to go a restaurant after a child's baptism? I never heard of it or even thought about it... I am used to baptisms taking place on a regular Sunday morning service and some additional family members or friends of the parents (many times several babies are baptized in the same service) will attend the service but that's about it. After the church service there might be a room in the church (or as part of the church complex) where the congregation and/or the family and some guests will meet for coffee/tea and that's it... Closest family members and/or godparents might join the young family to their home afterwards; just like they might spend some time together on other moments of the year.

Of course, a royal baptism is different in that it is normally not done in a regular Sunday morning service... so it can be either rather grand (Dutch royals; for example, Amalia's baptism to which my husband was invited) or small (Belgian royals) depending on their own preferences; and I would assume they will invite their personal guests to spend some time with them after the service. Especially if they had to travel a longer distance to attend.

 

[maria-olivia]

I hope a Baptism in the Cathedral with the Royals of Luxembourg and the Noble family de Lannoy. It as such a great Event.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

All my Catholic and Orthodox friends hosted parties after the baptisms of their children...either at restaurants, the parish hall, or even the family home.

 

[Pranter]

Pretty typical here for there to be a big food event in the Church Hall or at a local place to eat after baptism (Catholic).


LaRae

 

[Somebody]

Church hall or a small gathering at home both seem normal; a restaurant was a new thought for me.

I wonder whether there might be a difference between people who would normally attend church every week vs those for who baptism is more of an 'event' without being active members of the church community?

 

[Helen.CH]

Why would it even be an option to go a restaurant after a child's baptism? I never heard of it or even thought about it... I am used to baptisms taking place on a regular Sunday morning service and some additional family members or friends of the parents (many times several babies are baptized in the same service) will attend the service but that's about it. After the church service there might be a room in the church (or as part of the church complex) where the congregation and/or the family and some guests will meet for coffee/tea and that's it... Closest family members and/or godparents might join the young family to their home afterwards; just like they might spend some time together on other moments of the year.

Of course, a royal baptism is different in that it is normally not done in a regular Sunday morning service... so it can be either rather grand (Dutch royals; for example, Amalia's baptism to which my husband was invited) or small (Belgian royals) depending on their own preferences; and I would assume they will invite their personal guests to spend some time with them after the service. Especially if they had to travel a longer distance to attend.

Well, this is my experience in Europe, you may have a different one.
We do spend the day as a feastday , but as I wrote rather at home with the guests, not going out to a restaurant, but do cook/prepare the meals ourselves or get some catering.

 

[An Ard Ri]

There's an existing thread on Baptism Photos, Godparents and Godchildren of the Grand Ducal Family ,see below.

http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...dchildren-of-the-grand-ducal-family-1459.html

 

[QueenJen]

I'm late to this party, as I'm just reading the announcement of the baby on the way. I'm so thrilled for them! I've always liked them, and was really hoping for this!

?

 

[Denville]

It has been a long wait..

 

[QueenJen]

Probably that is why they went to London.

I wondered the very same thing when they went.

 

[Prisma]

HGD Guillaume and HGD Stephanie's interview with Point de Vue. Mostly about their baby news and a bit about London and Château de Fischbach?

https://www.pressreader.com/france/point-de-vue/20200122/281547997850200

Stephanie wears a Seraphine coat

https://twitter.com/x/status/1219993992303206401

 

[Moonmaiden23]

https://www.pressreader.c.../20200122/281547997850200

Quick recap of the interview:

Stephanie came home and said "Guess what"?? And Gui said he knew by the expression on her face and they both "whooped and yelled"...Steph said Gui yelled loudest and Gui said Steph did.

They kept the news just to the two of them for three months, then invited the entire Grand Ducal family to dinner at Fischbach on the pretext that they wanted to have a housewarming and show their families how they had remodeled the castle. The entire family exploded with joy. Felix thought that it was a trick and refused to believe it MT cried and told Gui how important it was to take care of Stephanie now.

Stephanie's family is so large that each of them was contacted by phone and word of mouth.

Stephanie said she gets emotional going to buy toys and decorations for the nursery, and she "drags" Gui along but he said he likes it too..

Gui said ever since the announcement, even non monarchists have been stopping he and Steph on the streets of Luxembourg to express their joy that an heir is on the way.

A lot of childless couples who are having fertility issues have confided in the Royal couple . Gui and Steph feel "complicity" with these couples.

Stephanie said the baby is extremely active and kicks non stop.



****My personal impression is that there is no more doubt in my mind that this couple did not remain childless so long by choice. They repeated several times that they have "waited so long" and the part where they said they now feel a certain "solidarity' with other childless couples was poignant and revealing.

***Fischbach Castle is absolutely stunning. It has some of the fairy tale aura of Stephanie's childhood home Castle Lannoy, and is surrounded by woodland. They can't wait to take the baby on walks through the woods.

***I am almost certain they are having a son. Guillaume slipped and called the baby "he" several times and Stephanie is wearing a lot of BLUE since she public announcement. And Gui even matched her baby blue coat for the interview with a baby blue shirt of his own. ?

 

[HereditaryPrincess]

I shall have a read of the article when I have free time tomorrow - sounds like it'll be an interesting one!

 

[Moonmaiden23]

It's a great article. They have waited a long time and they are SO happy and excited!?

And i think it's a boy!

 

[Tatiana Maria]

And i think it's a boy!

Does anything in particular give you that impression (apart from the fact that the patrilineal descendants of Grand Duke Jean are overwhelmingly male)?

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Stephanie is wearing a lot of blue and, and in the interview they mostly referred to their baby as "he".

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Stephanie is wearing a lot of blue and, and in the interview they mostly referred to their baby as "he".

Thank you. ? In regard to referring to the baby as "he", I haven't yet read the interview, but would that not be the grammatically correct pronoun given that baby (bébé) is a masculine noun in French, or am I mistaken?

 

[rominet09]

The word "bébé" is a masculine noun in French and it is used for both sexes. It's totally neutral so it can be used for a girl or a boy. It means Nothing else.

 

[Mbruno]

Thank you. ? In regard to referring to the baby as "he", I haven't yet read the interview, but would that not be the grammatically correct pronoun given that baby (bébé) is a masculine noun in French, or am I mistaken?

Yes, "bébé" is a masculine noun in French and also in Portuguese (spelled "bebê") and Spanish (spelled "bebé") .

 

[Somebody]

In the interview Guillaume said that the big surprise (for the public) will be the name and the gender of the baby; to which Stephanie added that they know one of the two. I wasn't sure about the meaning of the sentence prior to that on working on the name of the baby; do they already know or is that still up in the air.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

I thought it was funny that Felix refused to believe them at first...I wonder why?

And yes...if they already know the name of the baby wouldn't they know the gender, and vice versa?

Stephanie looks quite advanced to be only 5-6 months along...and she said the baby is very active now too.

I still think it's a little prince.

 

[Somebody]

I thought it was funny that Felix refused to believe them at first...I wonder why?

And yes...if they already know the name of the baby wouldn't they know the gender, and vice versa?

Stephanie looks quite advanced to be only 5-6 months along...and she said the baby is very active now too.

I still think it's a little prince.

I noticed that too. He probably thought they were pulling a trick on him as his children (and Claire and himself) were/are most effected by this news.

It could be that they already know the name the baby would have IF a boy or IF a girl. Vice versa is easier to explain: they might very well know that it's either a boy or a girl without having decided on the name yet.

They also seemed to have enjoyed the keeping it a secret for the first 3 months.

 

[Countessmeout]

In the interview Guillaume said that the big surprise (for the public) will be the name and the gender of the baby; to which Stephanie added that they know one of the two. I wasn't sure about the meaning of the sentence prior to that on working on the name of the baby; do they already know or is that still up in the air.

They know the gender but not the name picked out.

Unless going with a unisex name, for them to Know the name would need to know the gender.

 

[Tilia C.]

I thought it was funny that Felix refused to believe them at first...I wonder why?

And yes...if they already know the name of the baby wouldn't they know the gender, and vice versa?

Stephanie looks quite advanced to be only 5-6 months along...and she said the baby is very active now too.

I still think it's a little prince.

The way I understood it, they invited Guillaume's siblings with the pretext of wanting to show them some changes they had made to their home. But Felix didn't believe that, so he must have guessed that the real reason for the invitation was the baby news. I can imagine that Felix and Claire are delighted, because the new baby takes a lot of pressure from their little Amalia.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

They know the gender but not the name picked out.

Unless going with a unisex name, for them to Know the name would need to know the gender.

Unless they have two names chosen--one for a baby of either sex. That's what my husband and I did when we chose not to know the sex of our first child before the birth.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Stephanie also apparently really loves London. She was almost lyrical in describing the countryside, the museums, and the City itself as "abundant and radiant".?

 

[QueenJen]

I am just so happy for them, and happy to hear they are overjoyed by this!

 

[carlota]

Very fun interview! Always nice to hear from these two given how discrete they are.

To me also it is clear that they struggled with pregnancy and fertility from the sounds of what they say in the interview. Things like they “had to wait” for it etc. I’m glad it’s worked out for them.

Their time in London sounds like a good time that probably let them relax and make it happen. Sounds like pregnancy came at the end of their stay in Uk also (which also makes me think they possibly had some sort of fertility treatment there and left when it was successful - which would make sense in case they want to avoid rumours in Luxembourg which seems like a small place) as they mention they told family in Luxembourg in their home. Did the court mention the dates when they officially moved and came back?

 

[Tatiana Maria]

The word "bébé" is a masculine noun in French and it is used for both sexes. It's totally neutral so it can be used for a girl or a boy. It means Nothing else.

Yes, "bébé" is a masculine noun in French and also in Portuguese (spelled "bebê") and Spanish (spelled "bebé") .

Thanks. ? But I ought to have phrased my question less confusingly: With French grammatical rules, was there any chance that the couple would not refer to their child as "he" given that they chose not to reveal the sex?

If it would meet the rules to refer to a person whose sex has not been revealed as either "he" or "she", then the interpretation above that a reference to "he" implies they are expecting a son would be correct. But if a person whose sex is unknown must be referred to as "he" in French, then it would mean nothing.

I don't think a gender-neutral personal pronoun exists in French, but please correct me if that is wrong.

 

[Tilia C.]

Thanks. ? But I ought to have phrased my question less confusingly: With French grammatical rules, was there any chance that the couple would not refer to their child as "he" given that they chose not to reveal the sex?

If it would meet the rules to refer to a person whose sex has not been revealed as either "he" or "she", then the interpretation above that a reference to "he" implies they are expecting a son would be correct. But if a person whose sex is unknown must be referred to as "he" in French, then it would mean nothing.

I don't think a gender-neutral personal pronoun exists in French, but please correct me if that is wrong.

I'm not French but I understand French fairly well. French has two grammatical genders: male and female. So every noun is either male or female, and the corresponding male or female forms of the articles and pronouns must be used with them. There is no gender neutral 'it'. They were referring to 'the baby', 'le bébé' in French, and bébé is a male noun. The only grammatically correct way to refer to it was by using the male form of the article and pronouns.

Therefore I'd say that they didn't give away anything. Chances for a girl are still 50%.?