Since very young, this expert on crowned heads has nurtured a passion for Luxembourg. ‘‘When the law was modified in 2017, I was able to regain Luxembourg nationality in my grandparents’ name. By filial piety, but also as I have always felt Luxembourgeois. They passed on to me their love of the homeland, and my interest in history and the sovereign family began here. Each week, they sent me a postcard with members of the Grand Duke’s family’’.

Stéphane Bern has devoted several works to Luxembourg. Co-authored with Grand Duchess Maria Teresa for the 40^th anniversary of her marriage to Grand Duke Henri, ‘‘Un amour souverain’’ is undoubtedly the most striking. ‘‘Beyond their love story, the book takes us backstage in Luxembourg’s monarchy. It describes how it evolved and recalls its role in society’’.

Who better than Stéphane Bern to tell an anecdote about Luxembourg? He tells the tale of the devil who flew over the country with his pouch full of castles but, impressed by its beauty, let them fall. ‘‘A tiny country with so many castles!’’ His favourite spot is the Old Town, ‘‘giving the impression that nothing has changed for a thousand years’’.

Interviewed by Aurélie Billecard.