Royal Central - Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
© Maison du Grand-Duc / Sophie Margue
Luxembourg has a new royal baby as Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie welcomed their second child, Prince Francois, on 27 March.
The Grand Ducal Court announced that the new royal was named Francois Henri Luis Marie Guillaume.
Where did the baby get his names from?
The Grand Ducal Family has not used Francois as a first name. It is the French version of Francis, which is the Papal name of the current Pope, and the Grand Ducal Family are staunch Catholics. It is, however, a middle name to Prince Robert – a paternal first cousin to Grand Duke Henri. The Grand Duke’s great-nephew, Count Leopold de Limburg-Stirum, also has Francois as a middle name.
His middle name Henri honours his paternal grandfather, the reigning monarch, Grand Duke Henri; Luis is one of his paternal uncles, while Marie and Guillaume are traditional names that every Luxembourg royal baby has in some form. Marie was also the middle name of his maternal grandfather, Count Philippe de Lannoy, and his mother, the Hereditary Grand Duchess, counts it as one of her middle names.
His full title is His Royal Highness Prince Francois of Luxembourg, and he is third in the Luxembourg line of succession.
Prince Francois was born at 10.04 am on 27 March in Luxembourg’s Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital.