Luxembourg crowns Guillaume as new Grand Duke after Henri abdicates throne

Grand Duke Guillaume swore an oath to ascend to the throne of Luxembourg on Friday (October 3, 2025) in a traditional ceremony attended by royals and European heads of state.

Flanked by his wife, the new Grand Duchess Stéphanie, Grand Duke Guillaume (43) swore the oath in Luxembourg’s parliament and took the throne.

“I will live the life of my people, from whom I do not want to be separated by any barrier. I will share their joys and sufferings,” Grand Duke Guillaume said, quoting a 1919 speech by one of his predecessors, the Grand Duchess Charlotte, in his first address to the nation. He drew a parallel between the carnage of World War I and geopolitical tensions today.

“A symbol of the principles of freedom and unity enshrined in our Constitution, the monarchy has remained — then as now — a constant point of reference and a steadfast support in times of crisis. In this sense, the oath I have just taken on the Constitution marks a significant institutional milestone for our country.”

Grand Duke Guillaume takes over from his father Henri (70), who had served for 25 years in the largely symbolic role.

Crowds gathered outside the yellow stone and ornate turrets of the palace. Some had their faces painted in the Luxembourg flag: red, white and light blue — the same colour of gown worn by the new Grand Duchess, Belgian-born Stéphanie. The couple has two sons — 5-year-old Charles and 2-year-old François.

At the swearing-in ceremony of Luxembourg’s Grand Duke Guillaume.
| Photo Credit:
AP

Royals from the Netherlands and Belgium attended the ceremonies. Later on Friday, the new grand duke will host an evening gala for guests including French President Emmanuel Macron and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Guillaume is Luxembourg’s seventh grand duke since 1890, when the modern monarchy was established.

Cleaved from part of what are now France, Belgium and Germany in the 17th and 19th centuries, the small nation is a parliamentary democracy with the Grand Duke as head of state, akin to King Charles in the United Kingdom or King Philippe in Belgium.