 He announced his retirement on 8 January 2008, stating that he intended to step down by the end of 2008 after more than 31 years at his post.Born Guy Philippe Henri Lannes de Montebello in Paris in 1936 to a family descended from the Napoleonic aristocracy, de Montebello was the second of four sons.His father, Marquis André Roger Lannes de Montebello (Biarritz, July 6, 1908 - New York City, December 2, 1986), was a portrait painter, art critic, and a member of the French Resistance during World War II.