Sovereign: Henri Grand Duke of Luxembourg (Betzdorf Castle, Luxembourg, April 16th, 1955).
Son of Jean Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1921) and Joséphine-Charlotte Princess of Belgium (1927).
Succeeds his father Jean Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1921), who abdicated on October 7th, 2000.
Inauguration: Chambre des Députés, Luxembourg City, October 7th, 2000.
Motto: Ich Dien (I Serve).
Religion: Roman Catholic.
Married (1981): Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista (1956)
Children:
* Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume (Luxembourg City, November 11th, 1981)
* Félix (1984)
* Louis (1986), married (2006): Tessy Antony (1985). They have two sons: Gabriel (2006) and Noah (2007)
* Alexandra (1991)
* Sébastien (1992)
Address:
Palais Grand-Ducal
17, rue du Marché-aux-Herbes
1728 Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Titles: Until July 28th, 1987, the Grand Duke of Luxembourg was titled Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Duke of Nassau, Prince of Bourbon of Parme, Count palatine of the Rhine, Count of Sayn, Königstein, Katzenelnbogen and Diez, Viscount of Hammerstein, Lord of Mahlberg, Wiesbaden, Idstein, Merenberg, Limburg and Eppstein. After this date the Grand Duke abandoned the title Prince of Bourbon of Parme. Since the dynasty's name is just Nassau. The oldest son is Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, crown prince of Nassau. The other members are Prince(ss) of Luxembourg and Nassau.
Succession: The throne is hereditary in the Nassau family and is given through in straight male line according to the right of the first-born male. If there are no male heirs in straight line anymore, the throne is given to the male descendants of another branche. If there is no male heir anymore in all branches, the throne goes according to the right of the first born to the female descendance of the reigning dynasty. Afterwards the succession continues in male line. Princes are not allowed to marry without permission of the sovereign, as otherwise they will loose their rights to the throne, and their titles.
History
Luxembourg was founded in the 2nd half of the 10th century and since there were many reigning houses. The House of Ardennes died out in 1336 and Luxemburg came to the House of Limburg. The county of Luxembourg became a duchy and was sold to Philip the Good Duke of Burgundy in 1443. In 1477 it came to the Habsburg Empire. In 1795 it became a department of France and in 1815 it was promoted to a grand duchy as a part of the new Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1830 it lost half the grand duchy to the new Kingdom of Belgium. King Willem II gave the grand duchy constitutions in 1841 and 1848. King Willem III made his brother Prince Hendrik stadtholder of Luxembourg in 1850, which he stayed until his death in 1879. Stadtholder Hendrik reached that Luxembourg after the liquidation of the German Alliance in 1867 became an independent state.
Until 1890 Luxembourg was in Dutch hands. As the Salian law was in force in Luxembourg, after the death of King Willem III the throne of Luxemburg was given to Adolph Duke of Nassau, from the Walramian branch of the House of Nassau. In 1866 the Prussian King Wilhelm I had driven him away from the duchy of Nassau, and he had been stadtholder of Luxembourg since 1879. In 1905 Adolph died and was followed by his son Guillaume IV who already died in 1912. Guillaume IV only had six daughters from his marriage to Maria Anna Princess of Braganca. In 1907 the Salian Law was abolished and thus his eldest daughter Marie Adelaïde became the new Grand Duchess. In World War I she was (wrongly) accused of pro-German sympathies. She was forced to give up her throne in 1919 and died in 1924. After Luxembourg almost had become a republic, it was clear that her sister Charlotte was willing to become the new Grand Duchess and soon married Prince Felix of Bourbon of Parma. In World War II she fled to Portugal and from there to England. Her husband Felix and her son Jean served in the allied army. Grand Duchess Charlotte abdicated in 1964 in favour of her oldest son Jean, and died in 1985. Grand Duke Jean in 1953 married Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. Their oldest son Henri since March 4th 1998 was the lieutenant-représentant of Luxembourg (regent). He became the Grand Duke on October 7th, 2000.
The Grand Dukes of Luxembourg
| Willem I (1772-1843) | 1815-abd. 1840 |
| Willem II (1792-1849) | 1840-1849 |
| Willem III (1817-1890) | 1849-1890 |
| Adolph I (1817-1905) | 1890-1905 |
| Guillaume IV (1852-1912) | 1905-1912 |
| Maria Anna (1861-1942) | Regent: 1908-1912 |
| Marie Adélaïde (1894-1924) | 1912-abd. 1919 |
| Charlotte (1896-1985) | 1919-abd. 1964 |
| Jean (1921- ) | 1964-abd. 2000 |
| Henri (1955- ) | 2000- |