Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, at the age of 70, abdicated the throne of Luxembourg in favour of his eldest son, Guillaume, on 3 October 2025 at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City. [1]
Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, at the age of 70, abdicated the throne of Luxembourg in favour of his eldest son, Guillaume, on 3 October 2025 at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City. [1]
Per tradition in the Grand Ducal family of Luxembourg, the monarch, prior to their abdication, typically appoints their heir apparent as Lieutenant-Representative (regent), meaning they assume most of their constitutional powers to prepare them for their accession to the throne. On 28 April 1961, Prince Jean of Luxembourg was made Lieutenant-Representative by his mother, Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, to prepare him for the position. [2] Charlotte abdicated in his favour on 12 November 1964. [3] Similarly, Jean made his son, Henri, Lieutenant-Representative on 4 March 1998, before he formally abdicated on 7 October 2000. [4]
During the twentieth anniversary of his accession to the throne and following the release of the Waringo report, Henri was asked by the Luxembourg Times whether circling rumours of his imminent abdication were true. Henri said an abdication "isn't possible" and added that it would "be like surrendering". [5] [ additional citation(s) needed ] In April 2024, following the abdication of Margrethe II of Denmark, Henri was interviewed by La Libre and was questioned on his possible future retirement. Henri answered that he "intends to retire at some point" and confirmed, "There are plans. There will come a day when it will have to be done, and I intend to retire at some point. It's obvious." [6] He explained that his future abdication had been planned and discussed in "family consultation" and when asked whether he knew when it would occur, he responded, "Yes, but I won't tell you that!" [7] [8]
During his official birthday speech on 23 June 2024, Henri signified that he planned to abdicate in the future and announced that he would begin transferring his constitutional powers, roles and positions to his eldest son and the heir apparent, Guillaume. Despite his past statements about a future abdication, the announcement was widely described as unexpected. [9] [10] Henri said during his address, "I would like to inform you that I have decided to appoint Prince Guillaume as Lieutenant-Representative in October. It is with all my love and confidence that I wish him the best of luck." [11] The Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Luc Frieden, named the announcement "the beginning of a next chapter for our monarchy" and explained that he had been in discussions with Henri regarding the matter "for some time". He agreed with Henri's decision to announce it on 23 June, the national holiday, as "the grand duke is the symbol of" Luxembourg. [11] It was later announced in July 2024 that Guillaume's appointment as Lieutenant-Representative would occur on 8 October 2024. On 8 October, Guillaume was sworn in as Lieutenant-Representative at the Grand Ducal Palace, followed by in the Chamber of Deputies. [12] Henri commented, "I really want to give Prince Guillaume a lot more responsibility, because I think I really need to slow down." [13]
The year 2024 is drawing to a close, and Christmas is the perfect time to reflect on the past year. This time, I do so with great emotion, as it is the last time that I will deliver the Christmas speech as Head of State. [14]
On 24 December 2024, during his annual Christmas address, Henri officially announced that he would abdicate the throne on 3 October 2025 in Guillaume's favour. Henri's opening line mentioned his abdication and he commented, "Prince Guillaume has been Lieutenant-Représentant since 8 October and is preparing intensively for his accession to the throne". [14] Henri described his feelings of "deep gratitude and humility" when reflecting on the past 25 years of his reign and noted that he and his wife, Maria Teresa, were "pleased to have been able to be part of that journey". Henri justified his abdication by citing that "most" of his generation had reached the time of retirement, saying that "the time has now come" and calling it a "natural process". Additionally, he also reassured his trust in Guillaume and his wife, Stéphanie, saying, "I know that they will do their utmost to contribute to the well-being of our country." [14]
Henri signed the decree formalizing his abdication at 10:00 (CEST) on 3 October 2025 at the Grand Ducal Palace, four days prior to what would have been his Silver Jubilee. At 11:00, Guillaume, in accordance with the constitution, swore an oath at the adjacent Chamber of Deputies, officially marking the start of his reign as Grand Duke. [15] [14] [16] The elder of Guillaume's two sons, Charles, consequently became heir apparent, the youngest in the world at five years old. [17]
The following guests attended the Trounwiessel[ further explanation needed ] festivities.
The King and Queen of the Belgians [18] 
The King and Queen of the Netherlands [19] 
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany, and Elke Büdenbender (present at gala dinner only) [16] 
Emmanuel Macron, President of France, and Brigitte Macron (present at gala dinner only) [16] 
Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, and Ukko Metsola [16] António Costa, President of the European Council [16] 
China: Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and President of China, congratulated Grand Duke Guillaume on his enthronement, noting that "bilateral cooperation has produced fruitful outcomes in sectors including steel, finance and logistics". [20] 
Denmark: King Frederik X and Queen Mary extended their "warmest congratulations" to the grand ducal couple. [21] 
Norway: King Harald V extended his "warmest congratulations and best wishes" to Grand Duke Guillaume. [22] 
Sweden: King Carl XVI Gustaf congratulated Grand Duke Guillaume on his accession to the throne in a telegram, which read: "In recent years I have highly valued our cooperation within the World Scout Foundation, in which you have followed in the footsteps of your grandfather, Grand Duke Jean. As you now succeed your father, Grand Duke Henri, as your nation's Head of State, I look forward to further deepening the ties between us and between our two countries." [23]
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