Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg Announces He's Stepping Back ...

Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg announced yesterday he plans to step back from royal duties this October, appointing his eldest son, Prince Guillaume, as Lieutenant-Représentant. "It is with all my love and all my trust that I wish him good luck," he said in an announcement on Luxembourg's National Day.

Prince Guillaume, 42, is the eldest child of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. He and his wife, Princess Stéphanie, have two children, Prince Charles (b. May 2020) and Prince François (b. March 2023). Charles and François are second and third in the Luxembourg line of succession, respectively, after their father.

According to the Luxembourg royal family's website, "The designation of the Lieutenant-Representative traditionally occurs in the process of change of reign. The procedure is governed by the provisions of the Constitution." Henri, before he became Grand Duke, was a Lieutenant-Représentant from March 1998 through the abdication of his father in October 2000. In a lieutenancy, according to the royals, "the Grand Duke delegates his powers to his Lieutenant and this acting capacity may be either temporary or permanent."

In April of this year, Henri announced his plans to abdicate. "There are plans. There will come a day when it will have to be done, and I intend to retire at some point. It's obvious," he said. "All this is planned in family consultation. I find that it is very important to give young people a perspective. Transmission and trust are the two essential elements in my relationship with my son Guillaume." October 2025 would mark 25 years on the throne for Henri.

Prime Minister Luc Frieden revealed yesterday that he has been discussing the succession plans with Henri, and the lieutenancy move has his "full support," per RTL Today.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.

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