In English, the title translates to My heart says yes, my head says no.
Paul Schmit, a Luxembourg diplomat, is the author of this book, a detailed history about Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and her government's painstaking and painful decision in 1940 to go into exile as the German army advanced its invasion of the small Grand Duchy.
The Grand Duchess had to balance two roles: head of state and a mother of seven children. This was not the first time Luxembourg had been invaded by Germany. In 1867, Luxembourg became an independent nation. The European powers recognized the Grand Duchy's independence and neutrality. In August 1914, Germany violated Luxembourg's neutrality by occupying the country, despite protests from Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde and the Luxembourg government.
Schmit's book is in French. There are no plans for an English translation. As I browsed through the book, translating paragraphs, I concluded that this book is a masterful study of a difficult point in Luxembourg's history. There are 57 pages of endnotes! True scholarship with the quality of a Ph.D dissertation.
Here is the translation for the above: "The choice of exile during the fateful year of 1940 was long debated and argued. For the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, these were moments of terrible hesitation and anxiety, but also of heroic struggle and resistance. Even if the decision to leave the country at dawn on May 10 can and should be debated, the actions of Grand Duchess Charlotte, her family, and the government in promoting the country's independence serve as a notable example."
The Nazis invaded Luxembourg on May 9. 1940. The following day, Grand Duchess Charlotte and her family fled to France, along with members of the Government. They were given security in France, but when that country was invaded by Germany, Grand Duchess Charlotte and her government traveled to Portugal. She arrived in London in August 1940, where she did radio broadcasts to her country. During the next few years, she traveled between the United Kingdom and the United States and Canada, where her younger children attended school. Her eldest son, the future Grand Duke Jean, joined the Irish Guards.
A Luxembourg government in exile was established in London in 1943. On April 14, 1945, Grand Duchess Charlotte returned to a liberated Luxembourg.
Mon cœur dit oui, mais ma tête dit non is a rare scholarly work that will be appreciated by historians and others. Schmitt offers insight into how a constitutional monarch, working with her government, makes difficult and challenging decisions that ultimately save the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
Heads prevailed.
The book was published by the Luxembourg-based publisher Éditions Guy Binsfield. The book's price is €30.00. You can order through their website. The book is not available on Amazon or Amazon.co.uk
