Grand Duke of Luxembourg
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Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy whose Head of State is the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (or Grand Duchess of Luxembourg in the exceptional but twice occurred event of the sovereign being female). The Grand Duke's eldest son is the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Since 1964, the Grand Duchy is inherited within the House of Bourbon-Parma.
The Grand Duke and other members of the Grand Ducal Family are styled Royal Highnesses. They are also Princes and Princesses of Nassau and Bourbon-Parma.
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The line of succession
Present monarch: HRH Grand Duke Henri (since October 7, 2000), born 1955
- HRH Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, son of the Grand Duke, born 1981
- HRH Prince Félix, son of the Grand Duke, born 1984
- HRH Prince Louis, son of the Grand Duke, born 1986
- HRH Prince Sébastien, son of the Grand Duke, born 1992
- HRH Prince Guillaume, brother of the Grand Duke, born 1963
- HRH Prince Paul-Louis, son of Prince Guillaume, born 1998
- HRH Prince Léopold, son of Prince Guillaume, born 2000
History
At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the Duchy of Luxembourg was raised to the rank of a grand duchy and was ceded to the new King of the Netherlands, who thus also became the first Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Luxembourg stayed in this personal union until 1890, when different rules of succession parted the titles from each other. Luxembourg was inherited in accordance to the Nassau Family Pact which was based firstly upon Salic Law in favor of all agnatic lines of the medievally-originated House of Nassau, and apparently was interptetable to allow female succession only in Semi-Salic basis if all agnatic lines become extinct. However, The Netherlands changed its succession law into cognatic primogeniture during King William III of the Netherlands when it had become apparent that he would leave no permanent agnatic issue. Specifically, partition occurred when the daughter of William III became Queen of the Netherlands, while a woman was not allowed to succeed to the throne of Luxembourg, giving way to a more distant relative.
In 1907, however, Grand Duke William IV, having no sons, allowed his eldest daughter to succeed him (this interpretation implying that the Nassau Family Pact allows Semi-Salic succession). The Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde had great impact on Luxembourgish politics, until she was forced to abdicate in 1919. Since then, the Grand Dukes have kept to fulfilling representative duties.
As in the Dutch tradition, none of the recent Grand Dukes of Luxembourg has died in office: each has abdicated when he felt his heir was ready to assume the title.
Grand Dukes of Luxembourg
The House of Orange-Nassau
- 1815–1840 : William I (1772–1843) (also King William I of the Netherlands)
- 1840–1849 : William II (1792–1849) (also King William II of the Netherlands)
- 1849–1890 : William III (1817–1890) (also King William III of the Netherlands)
The House of Nassau-Weilburg
- 1890–1905 : Adolf (1817–1905)
- 1905–1912 : William IV (1852–1912)
- 1912–1919 : Marie-Adélaïde (1894–1924 abdicated)
- 1919–1964 : Charlotte (1896–1985, abdicated)
- 1964–2000 : Jean (born 1921, abdicated)
- Since 2000 : Henri (born 1955)
External links
- Accession to the Throne of HRH Grand Duke Henri (http://www.gouvernement.lu/dossiers/famille_grand_ducale/chregneuk/index.html) - Official government site, with background informationde:Liste der luxemburgischen Herrscher
es:Gran Duque de Luxemburgo fr:Liste des grands-ducs de Luxembourg it:Lista di granduchi del Lussemburgo lb:Lëscht vun den Herrscher vu Lëtzebuerg nl:Lijst van groothertogen van Luxemburg pl:Wielcy Książęta Luksemburga pt:Lista de grão-duques do Luxemburgo