FAQ
- Here are some questions and answers about the Luxembourg monarchy.
If you have any more questions, just add them on the The Benelux Royals Message Board.
- If you find any examples of bad grammar or spelling, and I am sure
you will, do not hesitate to tell
me. I will appreciate it.
- This page was last updated on 27 of March 2003.
-
- 1. What is the name of the Luxembourg Grand
Ducal House and how did this family gain the throne?
- 2. Can a woman become Grand Duchess Regnant
in Luxembourg?
- 3. Have there been any Grand Duchesses Regnant
in Luxembourg?
- 4. Where can I find the part of the Constitution
that regards the succession in English?
- 5. Who are in line of succession to the Luxembourg
throne?
- 6. How can the members of the Grand Ducal House
be styled HRH?
- 7. Why isn't Grand Duke Jean's second son Jean
in line of succession?
- 8. Who was the last Grand Duke to be crowned?
- 9. Why were the Kings of the Netherlands also
Grand Dukes of Luxembourg 1815-1890?
- 10. Which Monarch reigned for the longest period?
- 11. Which Monarch reigned for the shortest
period?
- 12. Can a Prince/Princess of Luxembourg marry
whomever he/she wants?
- 13. What power does the Grand Duke have today?
- 14. Which are the Luxembourg noble titles?
- 15. What is the Luxembourg Coat of Arms?
- 16. Which are the Grand Dukal Regalias?
- 17. Which are the Luxembourg Orders?
- 18. How is Grand Duke Jean related to other
European Monarchs?
- 1. What is the name of
the Luxembourg Grand Ducal House and how did this family gain the throne?
- The name is Nassau. In 1815 the Kingdom of the Netherlands was formed,
including both what we today call the Netherlands, and Belgium. William
of Orange-Nassau became King and was also given Luxembourg as a Grand Duchy.
When his grandson, William III, died in 1890, his Dutch Kingdom was inherited
by his daughter Wilhelmina, but because Luxembourg in those days had a
purely agnatic succession, the Grand Duchee was inherited by Adolf of Nassau.
- Adolf was succeeded by his son William IV, who had no sons. The successional
laws were changed, and his daughter Marie-Adelaide became Grand Duchess.
After her abdication, her sister Charlotte became Grand Duchess. She was
married to Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, so technically the Grand Dukes
Jean and Henri belong to the House of Bourbon-Parma. However, Grand Duke
Jean has decided that the name of the reigning House in Luxembourg should
be Nassau anyway.
To the top
- 2. Can a woman become Grand
Duchess Regnant in Luxembourg?
- Yes, upon the extinction of all male lines.
To the top
- 3. Have there been any
Grand Duchesses Regnant in Luxembourg?
- Yes. Grand Duchess Marie-Adelaide (1912-1919) and Grand Duchess Charlotte
(1919-1964).
To the top
- 4. Where can I find the
part of the Constitution that regards the succession in English?
- You can find it right here.
To the top
-
- 5. Who are in line of succession
to the Luxembourg throne?
- This is the list:
- 1. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume (b. 1981). The Grand Duke's eldest
son.
- 2. Prince Felix (b. 1984). The Grand Duke's second son.
- 3. Prince Louis (b. 1986). The Grand Duke's third son.
- 4. Prince Sebastian (b. 1992). The Grand Duke's youngest son.
- 5. Prince Guillaume (b. 1963). The Grand Duke's brother.
- 6. Prince Paul-Louis (b. 1998). Prince Guillaume's eldest son.
- 7. Prince Leopold (b. 2000). Prince Guillaume's second son.
To the top
- 6. How can the members
of the Grand Ducal House be styled HRH?
- All Grand Dukes (today Luxembourg is the only Grand Duchy) had the
right to be styled HRH, whilst the rest of their family were styled His/Her
Grandducal Highness. But because Grand Duchess Charlotte was married to
HRH Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, Grand Duke Jean's descendants are entitled
to be styled HRH.
To the top
- 7. Why isn't Grand Duke
Jean's second son Jean in line of succession?
- Prince Jean renounced the successional rights for himself and his descendants
on the 26 of September 1986. 18 days earlier he became the father of a
daughter, Marie Gabriëlle. He married Marie Gabriëlle's mother,
Helene Vestur on the 27 of May 1987.
To the top
- 8. Who was the last Grand
Duke to be crowned?
- The Grand Dukes of Luxembourg have never been crowned.
To the top
- 9. Why were the Kings of
the Netherlands also Grand Dukes of Luxembourg 1815-1890?
- he stadtholders of the Republic of the Netherlands originally came
from Germany and also owned territories there: the northern part of Nassau.
The southern part of Nassau was owned by another branch of the Nassau family
which also owned Saarbrücken. After the defeat of Napoleon Prussia
demanded Saarbrücken to guard France in the future. The Duke of (the
southern part of) Nassau also gained the northern part of Nassau in exchange
for Saarbrücken. King Willem (Guillaume) I of the Netherlands, who
was the owner of the northern part of Nassau, received the Duchy of Luxembourg
in exchange.
- Luxembourg was promoted to a Grand-Duchy on occassion of the exchange.
- In 1783 the heads of the different branches of the Nassau family signed
a Family Treaty concerning the succession in case one of the branches would
become extinct. Decided was that the succession would be according the
Salic Law (male succession only). If one of the branches would become extinct
the head of the other branch would succeed. When King Willem I received
Luxembourg in exchange for his Nassau territories in 1815 both he, the
head of the Branch of Otto, and the Duke of Nassau, the head of the branch
of Walram, decided that the Nassau Family Treaty would also apply to the
succession in Luxembourg. [note: it still does!] When King Guillaume III
died in 1890, he had no son to succeed him. His daughter succeeded him
as Queen of the Netherlands, but in Luxembourg he was succeeded by the
head of the branch of Walram: Duke Adolphe of Nassau, since Luxembourg
at that time had Salic law (male succession only). [note: King Willem III
first had the intention to change the Luxembourg succession laws, so that
his daughter could succeed him there too. It was his wife Emma who persuaded
him not to do so, as Duke Adolphe of Nassau was Emma's maternal uncle!].
To the top
- 10. Which Monarch reigned
for the longest period?
- That was Charlotte, who reigned for 45 years in 1919-1964.
To the top
- 11. Which Monarch reigned
for the shortest period?
- Grand Duke Guillaume IV reigned for 6 years in 1905-1912.
To the top
- 12. Can a Prince/Princess
of Luxembourg marry whomever he/she wants?
- No, he/she needs the consent of the Grand Duke and the Parliament.
To the top
- 13. What power does the
Grand Duke have today?
- According to the Constitution he is quite powerful, but in reality
he has the same position as e.g. the British Queen. He appoints the Prime
Minister, but he always appoints the one that he knows will be accepted
by the Parliament.
To the top
- 14. Which are the Luxembourg
noble titles?
- There is only one noble title, and that is Comte.
To the top
- 15. What is the Luxembourg
Coat of Arms?
- You find a picture here:
To the top
- 16. Which are the Grand
Ducal Regalias?
- To be answered.
To the top
- 17. Which are the Luxembourg
Orders?
Luxembourg has four orders:
1. The Order of the Oak Crown. Founded in 1841 by Grand Duke Willem II
who was also King of the Netherlands. It was founded as a state order for
Luxembourg but the main purpose was to create an order which could be granted
without the necessary countersign of a minister. That had become necessary
in the Netherlands since the change of the constitution in 1840. Many Dutchmen
have been granted the order between 1841 and 1890! Since 1890 it's solely
a state order for Luxembourg. Grandmaster is the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
2. The House Order of the Golden Lion of Nassau. Founded in 1858 by King
Willem III and Duke Adolf of Nassau. It was founded as a house order for
the Grand Duke of Luxembourg and a state order for the Duchy of Nassau.
In 1866 it became a house order for the Duke of Nassau too, as the Duchy
of Nassau became a part of Prussia. In 1890 after the death of King Willem
III the order became a house order for the new grand duke of Luxembourg:
the former Adolf Duke of Nassau. Queen Wilhelmina lost the house order as
she did not succeed in Luxembourg. In 1905 Grand Duke Wilhelm IV re-instated
the co-grandmastership of the order. Grandmasters are the Grand Duke of
Luxembourg and the King of the Netherlands. It is tradition that one grandmaster
grants the order to the sons of the other grandmaster when they come of
age.
3. The Military and Civil Order of Merit of Adolf of Nassau. Founded
in 1858 by Duke Adolf of Nassau as state order for the Duchy of Nassau.
Since 1890 it's a state order of Luxembourg. Grandmaster is the Grand Duke
of Luxembourg.
4. The Order of Merit. Founded in 1961 by Grand Duchess Charlotte. Grandmaster
is the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
To the top
- 18. How is Grand Duke Jean
related to other European Monarchs?
- Denmark
- Grand Duke Henri and Queen Margrethe II are second cousins once removed.
They are descendants of the Danish King Frederik VIII. These are the lines:
Frederik VIII - Ingeborg - Astrid - Joséphine-Charlotte - Henri
and Frederik VIII - Christian X - Frederik IX -Margrethe II.
- Sweden
- Grand Duke Henri and King Carl XVI Gustaf are third cousins. They are
descendants of the Swedish King Oscar II. These are the lines: Oscar II
- Carl - Astrid - Joséphine-Charlotte - Henri and Oscar II - Gustaf
V - Gustaf VI Adolf - Gustaf Adolf - Carl XVI Gustaf
- Norway
- Grand Duke Henri and King Harald V are first cousins once removed.
They are descendants of Carl, Duke of Västergötland. These are
the lines: Carl - Astrid - Joséphine-Charlotte - Henri and Carl
- Märtha - Harald V.
- United Kingdom
- Grand Duke Henri and Queen Elizabeth II are third cousins once removed.
They are descendants of the Danish King Christian IX. These are the lines:
Christian IX - Frederik VIII - Ingeborg - Astrid - Joséphine-Charlotte
- Henri and Christian IX - Alexandra - George V - George VI - Elizabeth
II.
- Spain
- Grand Duke Henri and King Juan Carlos are fourth cousins once removed.
They are descendants of the King Francesco I of Both Sicilies. These are
the lines: Francesco I - Carolina - Louise - Roberto I of Parma - Felix
- Jean I - Henri and Francesco I - Ferdinando II - Alfonso - Carlo - Maria
- Juan Carlos I.
- Belgium
- Grand Duke Henri is King Albert II's nephew. King Albert's sister Josephine-Charlotte
is the Grand Duke's mother.
- The Netherlands
- Grand Duke Henri and Queen Beatrix are fourth cousinsd. They are descendants
of Wilhelm of Nassau-Weilburg. These are the lines: Wilhelm - Adolphe -
Guillaume IV - Charlotte - Jean I - Henri and Wilhelm - Helene - Emma -
Wilhelmina - Juliana - Beatrix.
- Monaco
- Grand Duke Henri and Prince Rainier III are fourth cousins once removed.
They are descendants of Karl Ludwig, Grand Duke of Baden. These are the
lines: Karl Ludwig - Josefine - Marie - Albert I - Leopold III - Joséphine-Charlotte
- Henri and Karl Ludwig - Marie Elisabeth - Mary Victoria Douglas-Hamilton
- Louis II - Charlotte - Rainier III.
- Liechtenstein
- Grand Duke Henri and Prince Hans Adam II are third cousins. They are
descendants of the Portuguese King Miguel I. These are the lines: Miguel
I - Marie-Anne - Charlotte - Jean I - Henri and Miguel I - Marie-Therese
- Elisabeth - Franz Josef II - Hans Adam II.
- Bulgaria
- Grand Duke Henri and King Simeon II are second cousins. They are descendants
of Roberto I, Duke of Parma. These are the lines: Roberto I - Felix - Jean
I - Henri and Roberto I - Maria Luisa - Boris III - Simeon II.
- Greece
- Grand Duke Henri and King Constantinos II are third cousins once removed.
They are descendants of the Danish King Christian IX. These are the lines:
Christian IX - Frederik VIII - Ingeborg - Astrid - Joséphine-Charlotte
- Henri and Christian IX - Giorgios I - Konstantinos I - Giorgios II -
Konstantinos II.
- Portugal
- Grand Duke Henri and Prince Duarte Pio are
- Romania
- Grand Duke Henri and King Mihai I are third cousins once removed. They
are descendants of the Danish King Christian IX. These are the lines: and
Christian IX - Frederik VIII - Ingeborg - Astrid - Joséphine-Charlotte
- Henri and Christian IX - Georgios I - Constantine I - Helena - Mihai
I.
To the top