Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg Appoints Prince Guillaume to New Royal Role

Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg has a new royal role as he prepares to reign one day.

On Oct. 8, the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, 42, and his father, Grand Duke Henri, participated in a Lieutenancy Ceremony at the Grand Ducal Palace. The ceremony began at 3 p.m. local time, and saw the signature of the Grand Ducal decree appointing Prince Guillaume as Lieutenant-Representative of his father by the Grand Duke and Prime Minister Luc Frieden.

The festivities then moved to the Chamber of Deputies for Prince Guillaume’s swearing in at 3:30 p.m. local time before a return on foot to the Grand Ducal Palace. 

A Lieutenant-Representative is comparable to the role of a royal regent, and the Grand Ducal Court said that such an appointment is traditional in a change of reign. While Grand Duke Henri remains head of state, the shift will enable him to delegate certain duties to his eldest son and expected successor, the government of Luxembourg said.

Voluntary abdication has become an informal tradition in Luxembourg, and Grand Duke Henri, 69, served as Lieutenant-Representative for his father, Grand Duke Jean, for nearly three years before he acceded to the throne on Oct. 7, 2000. 

Luxembourg is a representative democracy in the form of a constitutional monarchy, and while Grand Duke Henri hasn’t hinted when he may abdicate one day, the Lieutenancy Ceremony kickstarts a transfer of power that will help prepare Prince Guillaume to reign one day. 

“The Grand Duke may be represented by a Prince or Princess of the blood, who will have the title of Lieutenant of the Grand Duke and must reside in the Grand Duchy. The Lieutenant-Representative takes an oath to observe the Constitution before exercising his powers,” the royal website says about the step. 

“The Grand Duke therefore delegates his powers, and this substitution may be either temporary or permanent. The Grand Duke is free to attach limitations to the mandate that he deems necessary,” it explains. “The powers of the Lieutenant-Representative are limited by this mandate and the provisions that he makes by virtue of his mission have the same effect as if they came from the Grand Duke himself.”

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Guillaume’s lieutenancy is the sixth in the history of the Grand Duchy, and Royal Central likened it to a “dress rehearsal” for when the Crown Prince and Hereditary Grand Duke accedes one day.

The father and son spoke with journalists Claude Zeimetz and Maurice Molitor about the key appointment and their futures in a podcast-style interview that the Grand Ducal Court shared on the day of the Lieutenant-Representative ceremony.

“I’ve known for a long time that this moment was coming,” Prince Guillaume said in a snippet shared to Instagram, per a translation into English. “But when he arrives, it’s a completely different matter.”

Grand Duke Henri made the surprise announcement on June 23, Luxembourg’s National Day, that he planned to appoint Prince Guillaume as Lieutenant-Representative in October. The Oct. 8 date — which is the day after the 24th anniversary of his own accession — was announced the following month. 

“I would like to inform you that I have decided to appoint Prince Guillaume as Lieutenant-Representative in October,” the Grand Duke said in June, per a translation. “It is with all my love and confidence that I wish him the best of luck.”