The history of the Nassau dynasty

In 1839, William I finally signed the treaty formalising this division, which also confirmed the independence of the Grand Duchy, though it ceded nearly half of its territory to the newly created Belgium. The personal union with the Netherlands was maintained, as was Luxembourg’s membership in the German Confederation.

It established a constitutional monarchy, limiting the prerogatives of the Grand Duke to those conferred on him by the Constitution, while legislative power was henceforth exercised by Parliament. The office of Chancellor of State was abolished.

Article 3 specified that : 

the constitutional powers of the Grand Duke are hereditary in the family of His Majesty William II, Frederick George Louis, Prince of Orange-Nassau, King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, in accordance with the Pact of the House of Nassau of 30 June 1783, and Article 71 of the Treaty of Vienna of 9 June 1815.

In April 1889, King Grand Duke William III fell seriously ill

The Dutch parliament declared him incapable of reigning, and a regency had to be established.

In Luxembourg, this role fell to Adolphe of Nassau, already the designated heir to the Grand Ducal throne. This first regency, which lasted from 8 April to 3 May 1889, gave the future Grand Duke an opportunity to become acquainted with the people and institutions of Luxembourg.

Article 44 of the Constitution granted the Grand Duke two official residences in Luxembourg: the Government House and Walferdange Castle.

Neither was suitable for the needs of the new Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, so the Grand Duke personally financed the extension and renovation of the Palace in Luxembourg City. Based on the plans of Gédéon Bordiau - who had already overseen the transformation of the Grand Duchess’s castle in Königstein - the state architect Charles Arendt began work to give the building a uniform façade on Rue du Marché-aux-Herbes and to add a new rear wing, known as the ‘Baden’ wing. The project was completed in December 1895.

These were 5- and 10- centime coins, the first to bear the profile of a Luxembourg Grand Duke – Adolphe - thus inaugurating a tradition that continues to this day. Their design was entrusted to the Brussels Mint, whose chief engraver, Alphonse Michaux, signed this first portrait.

Delayed in Germany for his father’s funeral, the new Grand Duke William IV took the oath of office before a delegation from the Chamber of Deputies that had been sent there. In the presence of Luxembourg’s Minister of State, Paul Eyschen, the new Grand Duke was sworn in on the afternoon of 22 November 1905.

On 15 September 1911, Grand Duke William IV arrived by train on the Luxembourg–Ettelbrück line. Very weak, he was carried to the castle, where he died on 25 February 1912. His heir, Marie-Adélaïde, was only 17 years old at the time.

Last agnate of the House of Nassau-Weilburg, he rests alongside his ancestors in the ducal crypt of the Protestant church in Weilburg.

On the afternoon of 3 August 1914, the Grand Duchess invited numerous leaders of local charitable organisations to an informal meeting at the Grand Ducal Palace, with the aim of establishing a Luxembourg branch of the International Red Cross.

Under the impetus of ARBED director Émile Mayrisch and his wife, Aline Mayrisch-de Saint-Hubert, the Luxembourg Red Cross was officially founded on 8 August 1914 under the patronage of the Grand Duchess. Its statutes stipulated that soldiers would be treated for their wounds regardless of nationality.

Thus, at the Maréchalat du Palais, the Grand Duchess and her sisters took an active part in caring for French and German wounded soldiers.

The ‘Grande-Duchesse Charlotte’ maternity hospital is just one example of how the Grand Ducal family lends its name to projects of national importance.

In 1963, the ‘Pont Rouge’ (‘Red Bridge’) bridge connecting Limpertsberg to Kirchberg was named the ‘Pont Grande-Duchesse Charlotte’, as were the MUDAM (Museum of Modern Art), named in honour of Grand Duke Jean, and the Philharmonie, named after Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte.

Thus began a long journey in which the Grand Ducal family crossed France and Spain before finally reaching Portugal. On 15 July, Prince Felix and his children embarked for the United States aboard the American destroyer USS Trenton. Before joining them, Grand Duchess Charlotte travelled to Great Britain at the end of August to plead the cause of her country with King George VI. It was from London that she delivered her first BBC broadcast on 5 September, addressing her compatriots, who were now living under Nazi rule, in Luxembourgish.

A month later, on 4 October, Grand Duchess Charlotte arrived in New York aboard the Yankee Clipper, a Pan American Airways seaplane. After a few months in the United States, the Grand Ducal family settled in Canada, where the children continued their education, while the parents divided their time between the American continent and Great Britain.

Welcomed by an enthusiastic crowd, she set out to meet the people and, in May, began touring villages devastated by the violent fighting of the Battle of the Bulge.

Upon her return, she received numerous expressions of admiration and sympathy: she had earned a special place in the hearts of the Luxembourgish people, who would always be grateful to her for her efforts with the Allies to preserve Luxembourg’s independence. Throughout the Second World War, the Grand Duchess lent her voice to the Luxembourgish people and embodied the Resistance of this ‘small country’.

This was the first time that the ‘Grand Duke’s Birthday’ was celebrated on 23 June.

To make this day a major public holiday, the festivities and ceremonies usually held on 23 January, the birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte, were moved to the summer. By Grand Ducal decree of 23 December 1961, 23 June officially became the ‘day of public celebration of the Grand Duke’s birthday’, regardless of the Head of State’s actual date of birth.

In a difficult economic climate, marked by the crisis in the steel industry that had built Luxembourg’s fortune and reputation, the country sought new opportunities by diversifying its economy.

The government decided to create an organisation specifically dedicated to promoting the Grand Duchy’s economy, particularly in the booming American and Asian markets. Hereditary Grand Duke Henri was appointed Honorary President of the Economic Development Committee and, in this capacity, took part in Luxembourg’s very first economic mission.

From the 1950s onwards, the Grand Ducal family played an active role in the country’s economic development: Prince Charles, the youngest son of Grand Duchess Charlotte, joined prospecting trips alongside members of the government and Luxembourgish industrialists to promote the national economy.

Mir hun Iech gaer

When Grand Duchess Charlotte died in July 1985, the government decided to erect a monument in her memory. A national fundraising campaign was launched to allow those who wished to contribute to this tribute.

Of the twenty-six designs submitted to the competition, the one by artist Jean Cardot, a member of the Institut de France, was selected by the international jury. The sculpture, which now stands on Place Clairefontaine in Luxembourg City, was cast by the Fonderie de Coubertin in Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse. The Grand Duchess Charlotte Monument was inaugurated on 29 April 1990 in the presence of the Grand Ducal family, members of the government, and the mayor of Luxembourg City.

The words ‘Mir hun Iech gaer’ (‘We love you’) are inscribed on the base of the cast-iron statue, the ultimate declaration of love from a people to their sovereign.

In the new version, which remains in use today, the Grand Duke chose to emphasise the Luxembourgish identity of the Head of State: he reversed the order of the arms of Nassau and Luxembourg, giving pride of place to the red lion of Luxembourg before the golden lion of Nassau. This ‘Luxembourgisation’ of the Grand Duke’s coat of arms represents a striking symbolic and visual break with the past.

In December 2008, Grand Duke Henri chose not to sign the euthanasia law passed by the Members of Parliament, as it presented a moral dilemma for him.

To ensure the smooth functioning of the institutions was not disrupted, a constitutional amendment was made: the term “sanction” was removed from Article 34, which had stated that “the Grand Duke sanctions and promulgates laws.” This allowed him to sign the law while remaining true to his personal convictions.

This one-off amendment to the Constitution sparked a broader debate on the possible revision of all articles of the Luxembourg Constitution. The euthanasia law was ultimately promulgated by the Grand Duke in March 2009.

On 1 July 2023, Luxembourg’s new Constitution came into force.

Divided into four separate chapters, the Grand Duke’s powers, responsibilities and authority are set out in Chapter III, which received final approval on 22 December 2022. Find out more about the Grand Duke’s constitutional powers.

Learn more about the constitutional powers of the Grand Duke.