The Royal Family is bracing for a seismic shift as abdication looms just hours away, setting the stage for a historic change in the monarchy.
On Friday, the Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, the head of the country's Grand Ducal Family, will abdicate the throne after 25 years.
His eldest son, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, will inherit the Luxembourg throne.
Following his father’s abdication at the Grand Ducal Palace on Friday, Guillaume will assume the throne and swear in front of Luxembourg’s 60-member parliament.
The family will also gather on the palace balcony in the capital just after noon, ending with a reception at City Hall.
After succeeding his father, Guillaume will tour the nation, with the festivities ending in a Sunday mass led by Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich at Notre-Dame Cathedral.
To note, during the Christmas address in December 2024, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg officially announced his abdication plans after he had hinted at his plans earlier in October.
Henri said, "Prince Guillaume has been Lieutenant-Représentant since 8 October and is preparing intensively for his accession to the throne,” adding, "It's a natural process that has its raison d'être (reason to be). This also applies to me."
He added about his son and his wife, "I know that they will do their utmost to contribute to the well-being of our country."
Guillaume will be Luxembourg’s seventh grand duke since 1890, when the modern monarchy was established.
