40 years of Princess Claire: a jubilee in the Luxembourg grand-ducal family

Friday 21 March 2025 is a special day for Princess Claire of Luxembourg, who is celebrating her 40th birthday. Born in Germany, she has become an integral part of the royal family, combining her royal duties with her role as mother of three children.

Claire was born on 21 March 1985 in Filderstadt, Germany, the second child of Hartmut and Gabriele Lademacher. At the age of 11 her family moved to Atlanta, USA, where her school years were spent. In 1999, Claire returned to Germany and later continued her education in Paris, earning a Bachelor's degree in International Communication.

In December 2012, she became engaged to Prince Félix of Luxembourg, the second son of Grand Duke Henri. Their wedding took place on 21 September 2013, after which Claire officially received the title Her Royal Highness Princess Claire.

Since then, the princess has led a fairly low-key and family-oriented life, raising three children, Princess Amalia Gabriela Maria Teresa, born on 15 June 2014, Prince Liam Henri Hartmut, born on 28 November 2016, and the youngest, Prince Balthasar Felix Karl, born on 7 January 2024.

Although Claire rarely appears in the public spotlight, her presence in the grand ducal family symbolises a modern European monarchy where personal paths intersect with historical traditions. The combination of her German roots, American upbringing, and Luxembourg royal role makes her biography an example of cultural synthesis in the twenty-first century.