Newport Beach : Royal Couple to Be Feted at Luncheon

Crown Prince Henri and Crown Princess Maria Teresa of the tiny Grand Duchy of Luxembourg will be feted Tuesday at a luncheon and reception.

The royal couple are making a brief visit to the county as part of a larger U.S. tour. They will arrive Monday night from Los Angeles and travel on to Denver after Tuesday’s 11:30 a.m. luncheon at the Hotel Meridien.

Their local itinerary includes a meeting with the county Board of Supervisors at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. The prince has also scheduled a private tour of Western Digital Corp. in Irvine, while the princess will visit the Newport Harbor Art Museum.

Crown Prince Henri, 32, is heir to the title of Grand Duke of the Western European constitutional monarchy of Luxembourg, which at 998 square miles is smaller than Rhode Island.

Luxembourg is an important banking center, according to Pat Ware, administrative coordinator of the Orange County Office of Protocol. “It’s more important than its size would indicate,” said Ware, whose office is coordinating the royal visit.

The royal couple “are definitely interested in making some business contacts, and just letting people know something about Luxembourg,” he said.

The Office of Protocol, established by the Board of Supervisors in 1984, handles 30-40 visits by foreign officials and dignitaries each month, Ware said. Visits by royalty are still rare, she added, but “we expect more to be coming now that there is more awareness of Orange County.”

Ware said the county’s economic success, joined with its planned developments, the rising international status of UC Irvine and the opening of the Performing Arts Center, makes it an increasingly strong draw to representatives of foreign governments.