The Grand Duke of Luxembourg ceded powers to his son and thus began the process of his abdication

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg (69 years old) made public this Sunday his decision to hand over most of his functions to his eldest son and heir to the throne, Prince William (42), from next October. An important announcement that almost represents a resignation, although legally he will remain the nominal head of state, at least for a while. The Grand Duke is the holder of one of the There are 10 parliamentary monarchies in Europe today. Guillermo will become the country’s lieutenant-representative upon taking the oath of the Constitution.

In Luxembourg – a thriving nation of just over 650,000 inhabitants that ranks first in the world in terms of GDP per capita almost every year – abdicating the crown is almost an established tradition. Without going further into history, Grand Duchess Charlotte -a figure particularly relevant to the dynasty because of his resistance to Nazism-, who ascended the throne after the resignation of his sister, abdicated the throne to his son in 1964 Juanwho, in turn, did the same in 2000 after a fruitful reign. He was succeeded by our protagonist Enrique, who thus follows a well-worn path. This kind of case is, however, very unusual in Europe. Because, without completely renouncing the head of state, the Grand Duke imitates the only sovereign of the old continent who made the same decision, Prince Hans Adam of Liechtenstein. He still remains at the head of the small Central European nation, although in 2004 he handed over all his powers to his eldest son, Prince Regent Alois. It should be noted, however, that there have already been five lieutenants-representative in Luxembourg’s history, almost always as a precursor step to the sovereign’s definitive abdication of power. Enrique himself played that role for two years until his father definitively handed him full power.

There has been speculation in Luxembourg for months about the abdication of its sovereign. She herself fueled the discussion with an interview in the program Royal Place to RTL for his 69th birthday last April. He said, “I think it is very important to give opportunities to young people. Transmission and trust are two essential elements in my relationship with my son. At some point I plan to retire. That’s clear.” And finally this Sunday, taking advantage of an important occasion such as Luxembourg’s National Day, he explained his decision with these words: “Grand Duke William will assume the functions of head of state as representative in October (Lieutenant-deputies(With all my love and faith I wish you all the best. Let us look to the future with optimism, knowing that together we can achieve great things.”

Shortly after, Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden clarified that Enrique would not lose his title in the process. “The Grand Duke is still the Grand Duke, but he can delegate certain tasks.” The conservative president took the opportunity to highlight the Crown’s role in Luxembourg’s success, which, in his words, is rooted in social solidarity and a sense of community. “We have managed to maintain this Unit Our country has experienced all the years and crises,” said Frieden, who underlined the peaceful coexistence in the Grand Duchy as an invaluable value given the many conflicts and crises in the world, in clear reference to wars such as Ukraine or Gaza. “Living in peace and freedom cannot be taken lightly,” stressed Frieden, who praised Grand Duke Henri A symbol of our independence, of our identity, of the continuity of the state And as a symbol of our nation.

With ancestors such as the last emperors of Austria-Hungary, the king Charles X of France one of two Albert I of BelgiumThe Grand Ducal family of Luxembourg belongs to the Nassau-Weilburg dynasty. Despite the fact that Henry’s reign has not lacked some scandals, it enjoys immense popularity. The most recent, and the one that caused a real earthquake in the palace, was the one in which his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Theresaof Cuban origin. We refer to the case after the call Waringo ReportAfter names Jeannot Waring ExplainedThe former Inspector General of Finance, now retired, was appointed by the then Prime Minister, Xavier Bettelcommissioned in 2020 to conduct a delicate investigation. Bettel wanted to know how much truth there was in the allegations made against the Grand Duchess regarding her conduct. “He does and erases as he pleases, e.g. a tyrantNo one dared to contradict her, not even her husband or the court martial,” sources revealed. Waringo analysed the royal family’s accounts and personnel management in official residences.

After the findings of the Waringo report were made public, Enrique faced Intensive renovation of the Grand Ducal House and introducing reforms and measures for the modernization and transparency of the institution. Only then did the water return to its course.

At the strictest level of his actions as head of state, Enrique caused an institutional crisis in 2008 when he threatened to refuse to sign the Treaty of Versailles. Law to decriminalise euthanasia Which was then being processed – and approved by the majority – by the Parliament, invoking reasons of conscience, since the Grand Duke is an ardent Catholic follower. This episode is very reminiscent of the episode in which his uncle starred some time ago. King Baudouin of Belgiumwhich was disabled for 36 hours as a legal ploy to overcome the crisis caused by his refusal to sign the abortion law. In Luxembourg, the then prime minister, Christian socialist Jean-Claude JunckerA constitutional reform had to be carried out in record time, which put an end to the Grand Duke’s power from that moment on approve the lawslimiting his action to supporting them. In this way, Enrique was able to avoid the conscience problem that a law regulating euthanasia would entail.

More recently, in 2023, Amended Constitution. It is a fundamental law reform from top to bottom, which also affects the monarchy, including the updating of fundamental aspects. Succession of the Grand Ducal House. Until now, it was governed by the so-called Nassau Treaty, an internal family regulation that was already replaced by a clear constitutional regulation of norms that contemplate a possible lack or even absence of heirs. Possible exclusion of claimants to the throne When exceptional circumstances require it.