In a very human gesture, His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri bid his father farewell in a personal letter.
The letter, titled “Iwwer mäi Papp” (About my father), expresses how much Grand Duke Jean meant to his family. The late Grand Duke, who was the head of state between 1964 and 2000, is survived by five children, 22 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren. Grand Duke Henri describes his father as an “exceptionally positive human” and highlighted that he would continue to show enthusiasm for exhibitions and the like up until weeks before his death.
Grand Duke Henri describes his father as someone whose life was shaped by his love for his homeland and his people. The Grand Duke also highlights that witnessing how many people paid tributes to his father remains one of the most important experiences of his life.
The Grand Duke remembers his father as someone believing in the best of everyone. He concludes the letter with the experience the family had surrounding the patriarch in hospital:"Two days before he left us, he thanked those who had cared for him with devotion. He then said goodbye to all of us. His lasts words showed his nobility and his concern for his fellow humans again.”
The letter then ends simply, much as a son says goodbye to his role model: “Thank you, dad.
We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything that you did for us.”
