Prince François of Luxembourg Rose Baptised

On Friday 14 June 2024, the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn reported that it had christened the new rose "Prince François de Luxembourg" earlier this month.

The rose baptism took place in the rose garden at Château de Munsbach on 3 June 2024 in the presence of the Hereditary Grand Ducal couple, Prince Guillaume and Princess Stéphanie, and their son Prince François of Luxembourg.

The Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn association recalled that Prince François was born on 27 March 2023. Like the rose christened in 2020 in honour of his older brother Prince Charles, the new rose "Prince François de Luxembourg" was awarded the Luxembourg Honorary Prize at the New Rose Competition in Baden-Baden.

"We were delighted by her pure white colour, she has such a beautiful face and when you look at her you think she is laughing," commented Maryse Weirig-Hensel, President of the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn asbl, at the rose baptism in Munsbach on 3 June. The "Prince François de Luxembourg" is not only beautiful, but also unfilled and therefore insect-friendly.

As Maryse Weirig-Hensel explained, Luxembourg has an interesting history as a land of roses and the country's own rose varieties were exported worldwide until the First World War. It has long been a tradition in Luxembourg to christen roses in honour of members of the Grand Ducal family. With its desire to preserve the national rose heritage, the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn created the rose garden at Munsbach Castle in 2017.

As reported by the association, the Hereditary Grand Ducal couple and Prince François were delighted with the beautiful custom of the rose baptism and thanked the association for the new special rose.

The "Prince François de Luxembourg" rose was bred over six years by Spanish breeder Matilde Ferrer Sena, chairwoman of the Association Española de la Rosa (AER). The modern floribunda rose is characterised by its small, delicately scented white flowers, which have a pink tint when in bud, and its shiny leaves. The rose also boasts long, lush blooms, excellent health and great robustness, according to the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn.

Several guests of honor attended the christening ceremony, including Martine Hansen, Luxembourg's Minister for Agriculture, Food and Viticulture. In her speech, she highlighted the Grand Ducal family's long-standing connection to nature and thanked the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn for their commitment to preserving Luxembourg's rose heritage.

"The birth of a child is the most beautiful moment in a family's life," emphasised Claude Marson, Mayor of the municipality of Schuttrange. He added that the rose expresses the parents' love for their child in a special way and is also a symbol of Luxembourg's bond with the Grand Ducal family. As Mayor Marson emphasised, in the rose garden of Munsbach Castle, one can feel the professional rose care at every turn: an expertise that was recognised with the Award of Garden Excellence by the World Federation of Rose Societies in 2022.

After baptising the roses with water from the Munsbach stream, the Hereditary Grand Ducal couple and Prince François took a tour of the castle's rose garden. They paid particular attention to the roses that bear the names of Grand Ducal family members.

The rose garden is maintained by volunteers from the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn and is open to the public free of charge.

The rose baptism was accompanied by the melodic sounds of cellist André Mergenthaler. The municipality of Schuttrange later invited everyone to enjoy a glass of crémant.

The new rose "Prince François de Luxembourg" will be available from the Lëtzebuerger Rousefrënn from autumn 2024. Further details: https://www.rousefrenn.lu.