A polyglot passionate about skiing, classical music and philosophy. This is how the Grand Ducal House characterizes Guillaume, the heir grand duke of Luxembourg, 42, who will soon assume the position of lieutenant, after his father, grand duke Henri, announced last June that he will begin the process of abdication. to the throne, a decision that is not surprising, since it is common in the grand duchy.

“I decided to hand over the position of lieutenant to Prince William in October. With all my love and trust, I wish you happy leadership. Let us look to the future with optimism, knowing that only together we can achieve great things,” proclaimed the Grand Duke. “The signing of the grand ducal decree appointing HRH the Grand Duke heir lieutenant of HRH the Grand Duke will take place this Tuesday, October 8, at the Grand Ducal Palace. The inauguration of HRH the Hereditary Grand Duke will then take place before the Chamber of Deputies, as provided for in the Constitution. The ceremonies will be broadcast on Monarchie.lu,” states the statement released this Sunday by the grand ducal house.

The moment is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. (one hour less in Lisbon), when the grand ducal decree that names the prince lieutenant will be signed. Grand Duke Henri and the country’s Prime Minister, Luc Frieden, will be present at that time. Half an hour later, at 3:30 p.m. local time, the ceremony takes place in the Chamber of Deputies, in which the heir Grand Duke will take the oath.

His Royal Highness the discreet Prince Guillaume

Born in the Grande-Duchesse Charlotte maternity hospital, in Luxembourg, on November 11, 1981, Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie, Prince of Luxembourg, Prince of Nassau and Bourbon-Parma, was raised to one day assume the leadership of the Grand Duchy. Son of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Theresa, Guillaume is the eldest of five siblings: Félix, Louis, Alexandra and Sébastien. Following his father’s accession to the throne on October 7, 2000, the prince was sworn in on December 18 of the same year and officially became heir to the Grand Duke of Luxembourg.

Despite the prominent role he has played since his birth, as it was known that he would one day assume the country’s throne, Guillaume has remained discreet in his personal life. As a child he attended public primary school in Lorentzweiler and later studied at the Robert Schuman Lyceum in Luxembourg City. At the age of 16 he left the Grand Duchy and moved to Switzerland, where he studied first at the Institut Le Rosey, a boarding school, and later at the prestigious Collège Alpin Beau Soleil, where he completed his studies in 2001. as mentioned in the biography of the heir on the page of the grand ducal family.

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He followed the path of his father and grandfather, Grand Duke Jean, and entered the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in England for one academic year, having completed his officer training in August 2002. Four months later he took up the position of officer of the Luxembourg Army and currently holds the position of Colonel. He studied international politics in the United Kingdom and continued his studies in France, where he obtained a double degree in Letters and Political Science at the University of Angers in 2009.

The Grand Dukes Henri and María Teresa with their five children, Guillaume, Félix, Louis, Alexandra and Sébastien, in 1992

In parallel with his university studies, the prince also had experience in the areas of politics and economics, doing internships in multinational companies, such as União Química Belga, in 2003, and Deutsche Bank, in London, in 2004. The following year he worked for the Sucursal Spanish steel group ArcelorMittal.

As he grew up, and in parallel with his education, Prince Guillaume developed hobbies and personal tastes, such as swimming, skiing and tennis, in the field of sport, and was also a lover of classical music. He sang in a choir as a child and learned to play the guitar. Regarding languages, he speaks fluent Luxembourgish, French, German, English and Spanish.

In 2017, Guillaume joined the board of directors of the World Scout Foundation to support the scouting movement around the world and following the death of Grand Duke Jean, who had been Chief of the Scouts of Luxembourg since 1945, the prince made his pledge in October 2019 before about three thousand scouts in the municipal park of Luxembourg City and proudly assumed the title that had belonged to his grandfather. In September 2021 he accepted the position of President of the World Scout Foundation.

It was when he was only 23 years old, on June 24, 2005, when the prince became a member of the Council of State, regularly attending plenary sessions and different commissions, essential tasks for the future role he will play. Since reaching first place in the line of succession to the throne, Guillaume began to accompany his parents in various representative and institutional activities, such as national celebrations, New Year’s audiences and numerous state visits and official visits.

As a member of the grand ducal family, Guillaume holds the titles of Knight of the Order of the Golden Lion of the House of Nassau, Grand Cross of the Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolf of Nassau and Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown oak. Beyond the borders, the prince received the Grand Officer medal of the French Legion of Honor in 2015.

The marriage to Stéphanie de Lannoy and the future of the Grand Duchy

On April 26, 2012, the Grand Dukes announced the engagement of the Hereditary Grand Duke to Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy. The civil wedding took place on October 19, 2012 and the following day the religious ceremony took place at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg. The celebration began at 11 a.m. (local time) and was presided over by Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Luxembourg.

The hereditary grand dukes Guillaume and Stéphanie on their wedding day, October 20, 2012

The bride got married wearing an ivory dress with French sleeves, embroidery and lace, designed by Lebanese designer Elie Saab. The countess wore the Lannoy family tiara and a veil made of silk tulle with floral designs. The prince wore the Luxembourgish military uniform. After their marriage, Stéphanie became the heir of the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. The ceremony was attended by numerous figures of European royalty, both from reigning and non-reigning monarchies. D. Duarte Pío, Duke of Bragança, and D. Isabel de Herédia were present from Portugal.

Prince Francis’ first birthday celebration on March 27, 2024

On May 10, 2020, the couple welcomed their first child, Prince Charles, who is second in line to the throne behind his father and is expected to one day become Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Three years later, on March 27, 2023, their second son, Prince Francis, was born. Like their father, the two brothers were born at the Grande-Duchesse Charlotte maternity hospital.

Since they were very young, the princes have accompanied their parents at various official events and, more recently, on September 26, they were present with the grand dukes and their heir grand dukes at the reception of Pope Francis at the Grand Ducal Palace.

What position will Prince Guillaume occupy?

The position of lieutenant corresponds to a role similar to that of a prince regent. “The Grand Duke may be represented by a person who meets the conditions of paragraph 1 of article 56 and who has the title of lieutenant of the Grand Duke,” establishes article 58 of the country’s new Constitution, which came into force on December 1. July 2023.

Guillaume will only be able to assume office after taking the oath before the Chamber of Deputies. “I swear to defend the Constitution and the laws and faithfully exercise my constitutional functions,” will be the exact words that the eldest of Grand Duke Enrique’s five children will have to say. Among the conditions of Article 56, the first paragraph stipulates that the “function of Head of State is hereditary in the direct descent of His Royal Highness Adolf, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Duke of Nassau, by order of primogeniture and by representation. Only children born of marriage have the right to succession.” Once the decision to abdicate has been made, the Constitution also establishes that it is an “irrevocable” act.

Grand Dukes Henri and Maria Theresa with their heirs, Grand Dukes Gullaume and Stéphanie, at the National Day celebrations in 2019 © Getty Images

Regarding the powers that Guillaume will be able to exercise, “the Grand Duke is free to impose on the mandate the limitations he considers necessary. The lieutenant’s powers are limited by the mandate and the measures he takes by virtue of his mission have the same effect as if they emanated from the Grand Duke himself,” the Virgule newspaper states.

This will be the first step of the transition, following the line of what has already happened previously. While some monarchs reign until death, as is tradition in countries such as England, Norway and, until this year, Denmark, voluntary abdication has become common in destinations such as the Netherlands and also Luxembourg. Henri ruled as a lieutenant for two years before succeeding his father, Grand Duke Jean, in October 2000. Jean also inherited the throne when his mother, Grand Duchess Charlotte, abdicated in 1964. However, he had already held the throne. lieutenant position for three years. years, since May 1961.