Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Monarchy
Arms of His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Incumbent: Henri
Style:	His Royal Highness
Heir apparent:	Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg
First monarch:	William I of the Netherlands
Formation:	15 March 1815 (&10000000000000196000000196 years, &10000000000000347000000347 days)

The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the sovereign monarch and head of state of Luxembourg. Luxembourg has been a grand duchy since 15 March 1815, when it was elevated from a duchy when placed in personal union with the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. Since then, there have been nine monarchs of Luxembourg, including the current incumbent, Henri.

Car Flag

Constitutional role

The Constitution of Luxembourg defines the Grand Duke's position:

“

The Grand Duke is the head of state, symbol of its unity, and guarantor of national independence. He exercises executive power in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of the country.

”

After a constitutional change in December 2008 resulting from Henri's refusal to sign a law legalizing euthanasia, laws now take effect without the grand duke's approval As a result, the grand duke is no longer even the nominal chief executive.

Succession

Main article: Line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg

Succession to the throne is governed by Salic law, as dictated by the Nassau Family Pact, first adopted on 30 June 1783. A change in the succession laws introduced equal primogeniture beginning with the descendants of Grand Duke Henri. The right to reign over Luxembourg was until June 2011 passed by agnatic-cognatic primogeniture within the House of Nassau, as stipulated under the 1815 Final Act of the Congress of Vienna and as confirmed by the 1867 Treaty of London. The Nassau Family Pact itself can be amended by the usual legislative process, having been so on 10 July 1907 to exclude the Count of Merenberg branch of the House, which was descended from a morganatic marriage.

If there is a male heir apparent, he may be granted the style 'Hereditary Grand Duke'. The current heir is Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume. In June 2011, the agnatic-cognatic primogeniture was dropped in favor of equal primogeniture, allowing any legitimate female descendants within the House of Nassau to be included in the line of succession.

Full titles

Luxembourg

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The current Grand Duke, Henri, bears the full style "His Royal Highness by the Grace of God, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Duke of Nassau, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Count of Sayn, Königstein, Katzenelnbogen and Diez, Burgrave of Hammerstein, Lord of Mahlberg, Wiesbaden, Idstein, Merenberg, Limburg and Eppstein." It should, however, be noted that many of the titles are held without regard to the strict rules of Salic inheritance.

The Grand Ducal Standard is the official flag of the Sovereign.

List of Grand Dukes

Main article: List of monarchs of Luxembourg

Since 1815, there have been seven Grand Dukes of Luxembourg and two Grand Duchesses regnant of Luxembourg:

• William I (1815–1840)
• William II (1840–1849)
• William III (1849–1890)
• Adolphe (1890–1905)
• William IV (1905–1912)
• Marie-Adélaïde (1912–1919)
• Charlotte (1919–1964)
• Jean (1964–2000)
• Henri (2000–present)

See also

• Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg

References

• http://www.gouvernement.lu/dossiers/famille_grand_ducale/chregneuk/infobase/cvhenri.html Official site of HRH Grand Duke Henri
• (French) "Constitution de Luxembourg" (PDF). Service central de législation. http://www.legilux.public.lu/leg/textescoordonnes/recueils/constitution_droits_de_lhomme/CONST1.pdf. Retrieved 2008-01-14.