From MSN:
“Grand Duke Henri abdicates
and his son Guillaume becomes the new Head of State of Luxembourg in a historic
day”
(Guillaume)
At 10:05, the former Head of
State of the Central European country signed his abdication document; his son
was proclaimed before the Chamber of Deputies in a solemn session, surrounded
by the monarchs of the Benelux. With just four days left until the exact 25
years of reign would have been completed, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (70
years old) ceased to be Head of State at 10:05 this Friday, with the signature
of his abdication document.
The prosperous Central European
country, with 680,000 inhabitants and one of the highest per capita incomes in
the world, is experiencing a historic day of crown transfer, which will see the
new sovereign proclaimed as the former heir, Prince Guillaume (43 years old). And
now, after taking his oath and pledging to defend the Constitution before the
Chamber of Deputies in a solemn session, the firstborn of Henri and Marie
Teresa has become the tenth monarch of Luxembourg, an independent state with
the political form of a Grand Duchy since 1815. The anticipation is enormous,
as abdication in Europe is still considered exceptional, even though in recent
years it seems to be gaining ground, and in nations like the one at hand, it is
actually already a well-established custom.
Everything was, in fact,
prepared, as this historic Friday arrives with all the necessary steps
completed, as the final chapter of a phased abdication. The (relative) surprise
came on June 23, 2024, when Grand Duke Henri publicly announced his decision to
delegate most of his functions to his firstborn and successor to the throne
since October of that year. Indeed, Guillaume then became a
lieutenant-representative of the country, a sort of co-monarch, a position
established in the Luxembourg Constitution from which he has undergone an
accelerated "master's" training in the last 12 months to be able to
assume the reins with the utmost rigor today. And in his last Christmas
Message, Henri announced the date for this great day, that October 3 that has
now arrived. "It will be a key moment for our institutions and all the
citizens of the country," he emphasized in his televised address.
Since 9 in the morning, the
guests who will be present at Henri's abdication ceremony have started to
arrive at the Grand Ducal Palace. Among them, former Prime Ministers
Jean-Claude Juncker and Xavier Bettel - who has a strained relationship with
Grand Duchess Marie Teresa - as well as the current Prime Minister, Luc
Frieden, have already entered the venue. Henri and Marie Teresa themselves - he
in the military uniform of the army chief - then went to the main entrance of
the Palace to receive the most illustrious foreign guests: the President of the
European Council, António Costa, the President of the European Parliament,
Roberta Metsola, the King and Queen of the Belgians, Felipe and Matilde, along
with the Heir Isabel, and the monarchs of the Netherlands, Willem and Máxima,
along with the Heir Amalia. At exactly 10 o'clock, all members of the extensive
Grand Ducal family entered the grand hall of the Palace, including Henri of
Luxembourg's siblings, with their respective spouses, as well as all the
children of the former sovereign and Marie Teresa, including the Princess
Alexandra, who is very pregnant.
Hundreds of Luxembourg citizens
crowd the surroundings of the Grand Ducal Palace, many occupying positions
since dawn to witness the arrival of international dignitaries. The city is
well decorated for the occasion. After the abdication ceremony, everyone
proceeded to the nearby seat of the Chamber of Deputies. During their
procession, the new Grand Dukes, Guillaume and Stéphanie, very smiling and
visibly emotional, were cheered with "vivas" by the public crowding
the central streets of the Luxembourg capital. One of the most amusing moments
before the solemn proclamation ceremony occurred when the outgoing Grand Dukes
entered the Parliament carrying by the hand the one who from this Friday
becomes the new heir to the Grand Duchy, Prince Charles (5 years old), the
elder of Guillaume and Stéphanie's two children. The most important
institutional act of the day began with an address to the Chamber by Prime
Minister Luc Frieden, who, after reading as required the abdication decree
signed by Henri, praised his reign, emphasizing the prominent role he played in
ensuring the stability of the Central European country. "Grand Duke
Guillaume and Princess Stéphanie represent a modern monarchy that listens and
participates," Frieden also highlighted. Next, Claude Wiseler, President
of the Chamber of Deputies, took the floor, who, after thanking Henri for what
he had done for the country - which was interrupted by a long applause from all
the parliamentarians - emphasized that Guillaume becomes the first Grand Duke
to swear to the new Luxembourg Constitution. Wiseler was in charge of
administering the oath to Guillaume, who has been the new Head of State of
Luxembourg since 11:17 in the morning.
In his first speech as sovereign,
Guillaume promised to "always remain politically neutral and defend our
fundamental democratic principles." "The monarchy must evolve with
the times. I want to be a Grand Duke between generations, between tradition and
innovation," he added. "In Luxembourg, we are well positioned for the
challenges of tomorrow. I wish we could build more bridges between communities.
I believe in values such as openness, diversity, tolerance, and
solidarity," he asserted before the representatives of the national
sovereignty. Guillaume emphasized the challenges of the future. "Young
people, in particular, are called to it. They are growing up in a world where
AI is a reality. They must learn to use this technology but also to question it
critically," he said. And he specifically called on young people to get
more involved in volunteering in associations and communities. Beethoven's
well-known Ode to Joy was performed by the orchestra in the Chamber just after
the new monarch's words. Then, the national anthem of Luxembourg, Ons Hémécht,
was sung, marking the end of the ascension ceremony. A section of the Härebierg
Military Center fired a salute of 21 cannon shots at Fetschenhof to welcome the
new sovereign. The new reigning Grand Ducal couple had their first encounter
with the crowds of the day, covering the distance from the Chamber of Deputies
to the Palace. While being warmly greeted by hundreds of Luxembourgers, the
military band played, among other pieces, the new march Grand Duke Guillaume,
composed by Georges Sadler especially for the ascension to the throne.
Abdications, the norm in the
dynasty
(Henri)
Abdications are the norm in the
Nassau-Weilburg dynasty, which has ruled Luxembourg since 1890. Adolphe, the
first grand duke of this House, appointed his heir as his representative in
1902, three years before his accession to the throne as William IV. This was a
political strategy at a time in history when it was still very necessary to
strengthen the bond between the dynasty and the nation. Years later, in 1919,
Grand Duchess Charlotte succeeded her older sister, Maria Adelaide, who was
forced to abdicate due to the strong political and social rejection generated
by her pro-German sympathies during World War I. At that time, 77.8% of
citizens supported the maintenance of the monarchy and the continuity of the
dynasty in a decisive referendum.
Charlotte abdicated in favor of
her successor, Grand Duke John, considered one of the national heroes for his
fight against Nazism during World War II. The current head of state, the eldest
son of the previous one, first served as his lieutenant in 1998, before
succeeding him in 2000, also as a result of an abdication that took place with
absolute normality and stability. Everything in the extensive program of
institutional events marking the proclamation of the new Grand Duke follows the
script of the transfer of power ceremonies held 25 years ago. Although at that
time, a family tragedy, which fortunately turned out to be nothing more than a
scare, forced a last-minute change of plans. The signing of Grand Duke Juan's
abdication and the swearing-in of his eldest son, initially scheduled for the
end of September 2000, had to be postponed for a few days due to the serious car
accident suffered by Prince Guillermo, Henry's brother, and his wife Sibilla.
The princess broke her leg. But he suffered the worst of it, as he had a head
injury and had to remain in an induced coma in the hospital for quite some
time. On the day Henry was finally proclaimed Grand Duke, his mother, Grand
Duchess Josephine, was unable to hide her enormous concern for her son, who
remained in serious condition in a French hospital bed, which she left for only
a few hours to participate in the solemn official ceremonies.
Exciting ceremony Enrique's
swearing-in was, all in all, a moment charged with emotion in which, despite
rehearsals, he was unable to avoid a linguistic slip during his acceptance as
sovereign, the result of understandable nerves. The nation faced the turn of
the millennium with a new monarch who, like his peers in the Old Continent, had
to tackle reforms in an institution such as the monarchy in search of its place
in modern societies, which are increasingly pluralistic, demanding, and open,
and with global challenges in which the role of crowned heads of state,
stripped of effective powers but with more than considerable symbolic
influence, is not always easy. For Henry's proclamation ceremony in
Parliament, the throne used for Grand Duke Adolph's ascension in 1890 was used.
For William's ceremony this Friday, however, the throne used by his
grandfather, the aforementioned John, 61 years ago, when Grand Duchess
Charlotte ceded her position to him, will be used. It comes from a series
commissioned for the grand knights' hall of the old Berg Castle.
As in 2000, the Grand Ducal Court
and the Government have invited the heads of state of neighboring countries to
the celebrations, so that if at that time we saw the young Henry accompanied by
the then sovereigns of the other Benelux monarchies, Beatrix of the Netherlands
and Albert and Paola of Belgium, today King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima
of the Netherlands and King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium will do the
same. This time, however, the two royal couples will be accompanied by their respective
heirs, Princess Amalia and Princess Elisabeth. Alongside the crowned heads, the
presidents of France, Emmanuel Macron, and Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier,
are expected to attend, along with their wives, Brigitte and Elke Büdenbender,
who are expected this afternoon to participate in the gala banquet at the Grand
Ducal Palace, as well as the president of the European Parliament, Roberta
Metsola, and the president of the Council, António Costa.
Luxembourg's Prime Minister, Luc
Frieden, has emphasized in recent months the role played by Grand Duke Henri
"as a symbol of our independence, our identity, the continuity of the
state, and as a symbol of our nation." Discreet and conciliatory in
nature, he has exercised his functions for a quarter of a century without
incident and with broad public support, although his reign is remembered for
the institutional crisis he caused in 2008 when he warned of his refusal to
sign the law to decriminalize euthanasia that was then being processed—and
approved by a majority—by Parliament, citing reasons of conscience, as the
Grand Duke is a devout Catholic. The episode was very reminiscent of one
involving his uncle, King Baudouin of Belgium, who was incapacitated for 36
hours as a legal ploy to circumvent the crisis caused by his refusal to sign an
abortion law. In Luxembourg, the then prime minister, the Christian Social
Jean-Claude Juncker, had to get to work to push through a constitutional reform
in record time, whereby from that moment on, the Grand Duke ceased to sanction
laws, limiting his role to endorsing them. In this way, Henri was able to
circumvent the problem of conscience that came with giving his approval to a
law regulating euthanasia. The most recent polls indicate that 69% of
Luxembourg citizens consider the parliamentary monarchy to be the best form of
government for their country, a figure not far below the 77.8% of Luxembourgers
who supported the maintenance of the institution and dynastic continuity in a
decisive referendum after the First World War.
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