  marie-adÃ©laÃ¯de, grand duchess of luxembourg (; marie adelheid thÃ©rÃ¨se hilda wilhelmine; 14 june 1894 â 24 january 1924), reigned from 1912 to 1919. she was the first grand duchess regnant of luxembourg, and its first female monarch since maria theresa (1740â1780), and the first luxembourgish monarch to be born within the territory since john the blind (born 1296). named as heir presumptive by her father william iv in 1907 to prevent a succession crisis due to his lack of a son, marie-adÃ©laÃ¯de became grand duchess in 1912. she ruled through the first world war, and her perceived support for the german occupation led to unpopularity in luxembourg as well as neighbouring france and belgium. in 1919, on the advice of parliament, she abdicated in favour of her younger sister charlotte. after abdicating, marie-adÃ©laÃ¯de became a nun in italy, before leaving due to ill health. she died of influenza in germany in 1924. ==early years==  thumb|left|upright|princess marie-adÃ©laÃ¯de (1909). marie-adÃ©laÃ¯de was born on 14 june 1894 in berg castle as the eldest child of grand duke william iv and his wife, marie anne of portugal. since her father had six daughters and no sons, he proclaimed marie-adÃ©laÃ¯de as the heir presumptive on 10 july 1907, in order to solve any succession crisis due to the use of salic law in the monarchy. just 17 years prior to that the nassau dynasty took luxembourg from the netherlands dynasty due to salic law. thus, when her father died on 25 february 1912, she succeeded to the throne at the age of 17, becoming the first reigning grand duchess of luxembourg. her mother se
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