| Grand Duke of Luxembourg | |
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| Monarchy | |
 Arms of His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Luxembourg |
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| Incumbent: Henri |
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| Style: | His Royal Highness |
| Heir apparent: | Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg |
| First monarch: | William I of the Netherlands |
| Formation: | 15 March 1815 |
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 Grand Dukes, including the current incumbent, Henri I.
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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.[1] | ” |
After a constitutional change in December 2008 resulting from his refusal to sign a law legalizing euthanasia, Grand Duke Henri forfeited his role of signing laws to enact them.[2]
Succession
Succession to the throne is inherited by Salic law, as dictated by the Nassau Family Pact, first adopted on 30 June 1783.[1] The crown is 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[1]. 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.[3]
If there is an heir apparent (which must necessarily be a son of the Grand Duke), he may be granted the style 'Hereditary Grand Duke'. The current heir is Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume.
Full titles
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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.
List of Grand Dukes
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 (1840–1890)
- Adolphe (1890–1905)
- William IV (1905–1912)
- Marie-Adélaïde (1912–1919)
- Charlotte (1919–1964)
- Jean (1964–2000)
- Henri (2000–present)
See also
Footnotes
- ^ a b c (French) "Constitution de Luxembourg" (PDF). Service central de législation. http://www.legilux.public.lu/leg/textescoordonnes/recueils/constitution_droits_de_lhomme/CONST1.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/12/luxembourg-monarchy
- ^ (French)/(German) "Mémorial A, 1907, No. 37" (PDF). Service central de législation. http://www.legilux.public.lu/leg/a/archives/1907/0371107/0371107.pdf#page=1. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
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.
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