Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg came to Olympia in 1943 to raise support for her Nazi-occupied homeland. A small landlocked country in western Europe, Luxembourg is only slightly larger than Thurston County.
From Princess to Grand Duchess Charlotte
Charlotte was born in 1896, the second of six sisters. Her father Grand Duke William IV ascended the throne in 1905. William named his eldest daughter Marie-Adélaïde as heir, securing Luxembourg’s continued independence. She became grand duchess after his death in 1912.
The Germans occupied the neutral country during World War I. Seen as too pro-German and with her country facing possible annexation by Belgium, Marie-Adélaïde abdicated in favor of her younger sister Charlotte in 1919.
A referendum was held. Three-quarters of the population supported a constitutional monarchy headed by Charlotte instead of becoming a republic.
Charlotte married Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma (1893-1970) in 1919. The 18th of 24 children of the deposed Duke of Parma, his father had lost his title following Italian unification. Felix served with the Austrians during World War I, even saving his brother-in-law Emperor Karl from drowning.
Felix and Charlotte had six children.
Luxembourg: Nazi Invasion and Government-in-Exile
While Charlotte worked to raise her country’s international profile, the small nation was under threat from the rising power of Nazi Germany. The invasion began during the early hours of March 9, 1940. The capital fell by noon, the country’s 1,000 man army overwhelmed. Belgium and the Netherlands were invaded the same day.
The duchess, her family and government leaders fled into exile. They first sought refuge in France, but as it teetered towards collapse they made for Portugal via Spain. Turning down a Nazi offer of restoration, Charlotte chose to accept American refuge – after stopping in London to address her people by radio, urging them to resist the occupation.
The government in exile settled in London while Charlotte and her family sailed for New York City. With the United States officially neutral, they moved to Montreal, Canada.
Grand Duchess Charlotte Raised Support in Washington
The Nazi’s brutal occupation of her homeland was ever on Charlotte’s mind. The Duchess became a patriotic symbol to the population, including an armed resistance movement.
Once the United States entered the war, Charlotte embarked on several goodwill tours of the United States and Canada. Her purpose, she told a Seattle Star reporter, was “to become better acquainted with the people and the country and to create an interest in the United States in my small country.”
In spring 1943, Charlotte embarked on a tour of the West Coast. She picked Olympia as one of her stops.
The Duchess and her party, consisting of Luxembourg Prime Minister Pierre Dupong, envoy Hughes LeGallais, aid-de-camp Guillaume Konsbruck and lady in waiting Georgette Bech, arrived in Seattle from Vancouver, B.C. on March 23, 1943. They met with civic leaders, toured the Boeing plant and visited a Naval Hospital.
Then it was time to head to Olympia on March 24. Ross Cunningham, assistant to Governor Arthur Langlie, and his wife came to Seattle to accompany the party to the capital with the state patrol as escort.
Newspapers praised Charlotte as the type of woman “your wife could get along with.”
Grand Duchess Charlotte Visited Olympia
The Duchess’ party was greeted at the Capitol campus in the early afternoon by a welcome committee consisting of Governor Edward Langlie, First Lady Evelyn Langlie, and other state leaders.
The party enjoyed a hearty lunch in the governor’s mansion. Charlotte and the governor talked about agriculture and natural resources. She compared Washington farmers concerns about elk and deer to her people’s concern over wild boars and rabbits. She worried about the Nazi’s interference with her reforestation program.
The governor also had Charlotte sign a postcard of her father William sent by Mary Madeline Scheiber-Kreeger of Kennydale. Born in Luxembourg, she shared a birthday with the duchess and had once seen the young duchess playing with her sisters in her castle garden. Her son, Lt. Edward John Schieber, born in Luxembourg, was serving in the army. He moved to Olympia decades later. The governor sent the signed postcard back to Mary.
The Luxembourg party was given a tour of the capitol and grounds by the governor. State workers gathered to greet her as the state patrol lined the way at attention. Charlotte was impressed with the capitol building, especially the ornate Reception Room. She enjoyed the campus’ many trees, shrubs and flowers. She asked so many questions that the governor joked that she was a botanist at heart.
A reception was held in the party’s honor in the Reception Room. Ross Cunningham introduced guests, state elective and appointed officials, as well as Olympia and Thurston County Commissioners and their wives.
The party then left to continue their tour.
Rebuilding Luxembourg After WWII
Charlotte moved to London later that year. Most of Luxembourg was liberated in September 1944. The Battle of the Bulge would later ravage large parts of the country. Charlotte returned in April 1945.
Luxembourg was left devastated by the war and took many years to rebuild. Prince Felix served as head of the country’s Red Cross, concentrating on the search for missing persons. These included one of Charlotte’s sisters and three of his siblings who were imprisoned (and tortured) by the Nazis.
Charlotte abdicated in 1964 and was succeeded by her son Grand Duke Jean. She passed away on July 9, 1985. Her great-grandson, Guillaume IV, became Grand Duke in October 2025.
Grand Duchess Charlotte’s 45-year reign gave Luxembourg stability in changing times and hope during the dark days of World War II.
