The Luxembourg royal family rapidly ascended to the upper echelons of European society since Luxembourg became a grand duchy in 1815. With their landlocked placement in Europe and illustrious family ties, the Grand Dukes of Luxembourg have witnessed European history unfold firsthand.
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Origins of the Luxembourg Royal Family
Luxembourg has a rich history. Its current royal family, those of the House of Nassau-Weilburg, only became grand dukes in 1890.
Originally, Luxembourg was the “County of Luxembourg” within the Holy Roman Empire. Those who ruled were counts. Through marriages and subsequent inheritance, the Counts of Luxembourg managed to expand their lands.
By the 14th century, the Counts of Luxembourg became synonymous with the Holy Roman Empire after several members of the House of Luxembourg had acquired the throne. From this lofty status, the County of Luxembourg was elevated to a duchy in 1354. Wenceslaus I was the first Duke of Luxembourg. By the mid-15th century, the main line of the Luxembourg dynasty went extinct, with the Duchy of Luxembourg being passed onto Habsburg relatives.
There was fighting with the French, occupation by the Austrian Habsburgs, by the Spanish Netherlands, and soon enough Luxembourg became annexed by France. By 1815, following the fall of the First French Empire, Luxembourg lost some territory to Prussia. It became a grand duchy in exchange, albeit under the Princes of Orange.
House of Nassau-Weilburg
The House of Nassau-Weilburg came into prominence in 1344 by John I of Nassau-Weilburg. It is a branch of the German House of Nassau and has ruled in Luxembourg since 1890. The House of Nassau-Weilburg originally ruled as counts within the County of Nassau, which was then in the Holy Roman Empire. The region became a part of the Rhine Confederation, and later – thanks to some serious peer pressure from Napoleon – the various families of Nassau united into the Duchy of Nassau.
Thus, the counts became dukes. The transition was messy, but Napoleon wouldn’t budge on the matter.
After the Napoleonic Empire came crashing down, European powers hosted the Congress of Vienna to try and mitigate some damages. During that meeting, Luxembourg, a former duchy, was elevated to grand duchy status. Those present determined that Prince William of Orange, from the House of Orange-Nassau, would rule Luxembourg as the grand duke. Conveniently, the Prince of Orange would also become the King of the Netherlands, thereby making William I of the Netherlands the first Grand Duke of Luxembourg in the Orange-Nassau line.
READ MORE: Netherlands Royal Family Tree: Exploring the Dutch Monarchy
The last surviving branch of the House of Nassau, the House of Nassau-Weilburg, became the official grand ducal family of Luxembourg after the end of the agnatic line of Orange-Nassau in 1890.
Notable Monarchs and Their Contributions
Here we’ve covered the notable sovereigns of Luxembourg, beginning with the first of the House of Nassau-Weilburg to be fashioned as Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
Grand Duke Adolphe (1852–1912)
Grand Duke Adolphe ruled in Luxembourg from 1890 to 1905. He was the first of the House of Nassau-Weilburg to hold the prestigious title, and the first to be grand duke without being the heir of the Netherlands. His father was Wilhelm, Duke of Nassau, whose title he inherited upon his death. His half-sister was Sophia of Nassau, the Queen of Sweden through her marriage to Oscar II of Sweden.
Adolphe became the Duke of Nassau in 1839. He took over the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg after the death of William III of the Netherlands, who left no male heirs. Since Luxembourg was beholden to the Salic Law, William’s daughter, Wilhelmina, could not inherit the grand duchy. Since Adolphe was older (in his 70s!) when he became a grand duke, he was largely removed from the politics of Luxembourg.
Grand Duchess Charlotte (1896–1985)
Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg ruled Luxembourg after her elder sister, Marie-Adélaïde, abdicated in 1919. Marie-Adélaïde had made some pretty poor political choices in World War I, allowing Luxembourg to be occupied by Germany and all that. She was unpopular, but thankfully Luxembourg had a real gem in Charlotte.
Once Luxembourg was free from German occupation, the grand duchy adopted a new constitution that restricted the powers of the monarch. This was fine by Charlotte, who ruled quietly until World War II rolled around. With the rapid progression of Nazi forces on the western front, Luxembourg fell under occupation once again in 1940. The Grand Duchess and her family weren’t in the country at the time but her quick, decisive actions made all the difference.
In her time away from Luxembourg, Charlotte tried to encourage her fellow countrymen through frequent radio broadcasts through the BBC. She toured the United States, spoke publicly on isolationism, and became the face of the Luxembourgish resistance to Nazi occupation. Her wartime efforts gained international recognition of Luxembourg and the House of Nassau-Weilburg.
Grand Duke Jean (1921–2019)
Grand Duke Jean was the eldest child of Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma. He was recognized as the heir apparent, the Hereditary Grand Duke, in 1939, a year before Nazi forces would occupy the country. While the family was in exile in World War II, he volunteered with the British Army in the Irish Guards.
Once Jean became the Grand Duke of Luxembourg, he immediately took to improving the state of the nation. He prioritized the economy and the well-being of the people, with his rule marking one of the most prosperous periods of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Jean was also huge on European integration, where the concept of the European Union (EU) comes from. Jean abdicated in 2000 in favor of his son with Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, Henri, leaving him a thriving and stable country.
Grand Duke Henri (1955–present)
Grand Duke Henri is the current monarch of Luxembourg. He was the second child and eldest son of Grand Duke Jean and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. From his parents, he adopted a booming Luxembourg. As the head of a constitutional monarchy, Henri fulfills his representative role through various social and cultural foundations within and outside of the country. As of June 2024, he announced plans for his eldest son to become the lieutenant representative (i.e. the regent). This suggests that Henri’s abdication would be coming within the next handful of years.
The Current Line of Succession
The current line of succession of Luxembourg begins with Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the heir apparent and future lieutenant representative. Since Luxembourg follows cognatic primogeniture succession, his son, Prince Charles, is the second in line to the grand duchy. Once Guillaume becomes Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Charles will be fashioned as the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg to signify his position as heir apparent.
Since Grand Duke Henri has five children with his wife, Grand Duchess María Teresa Mestre y Batista, the line of succession will continue through them and their children. The exception is their son, Prince Louis, who entered a morganatic marriage and gave up his and his children’s right to succession. Other members in line for succession include the sons of Prince Charles, a son of Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Felix, and the younger brother of Grand Duke Henri.
Here is a list of the current members of the House of Nassau-Weilburg who are considered in Luxembourg succession, in order:
- Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, heir apparent
- Prince Charles, 2nd in line
- Prince François, 3rd in line
- Prince Félix of Luxembourg, Prince of Bourbon-Parma and Prince of Nassau, 4th in line
- Princess Amalia of Nassau, 5th in line
- Prince Liam of Nassau, 6th in line
- Prince Balthasar of Nassau, 7th in line
- Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg, 8th in line
- Victoire Bagory, 9th in line
- Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg, Prince of Bourbon-Parma and Prince of Nassau, 10th in line
- Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, 11th in line
- Prince Paul Louis of Nassau, 12th in line
- Prince Léopold of Nassau, 13th in line
- Prince Jean André of Nassau, 14th in line
- Prince Robert of Luxembourg, Prince of Bourbon-Parma, Prince of Nassau, 15th in line
- Prince Alexandre of Nassau, 16th in line
- Prince Frederik of Nassau, 17th in line
Crown Prince Guillaume (1981-present)
Crown Prince Guillaume is the heir to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and is set to inherit the title of Grand Duke after his father abdicates – whenever that may be. He has been married to Belgian noblewoman Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy since 2012. The couple shares two sons, Charles and François. Their children are the second and third in line to the grand duchy.
As of October 2024, Guillaume is expected to become his father’s regent until his abdication.
Marriages and Alliances
Marriages have played a major role in politics since the dawn of time. There is no better way to make sure someone won’t stab you in the back than to make them family. That said, marriages within the Luxembourg royal family have naturally struck alliances with other European royal houses.
Royal intermarriages were once an expectation since a morganatic marriage could ax someone from the line of succession. While not all monarchies see marrying below one’s station as a scandal nowadays, it used to be a huge deal. Marriages could, then, form alliances, impact succession, or affect a multitude of political policies. Since the 20th century, most royals have married into titled nobility, rather than someone of an opposing house that could be their cousin.
Examples of marriages within the royal family of Luxembourg that have political consequences (or are simply evident of royal intermarriage) include the marriages of…
- Sophia of Nassau and King Oscar II of Sweden
- Grand Duke William IV and Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal
- Princess Hilda Charlotte Wilhelmine of Nassau and Grand Duke Frederick II of Baden
- Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma
- Princess Antonia of Luxembourg and Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria
- Princess Sophie of Luxembourg and Prince Ernst Heinrich of Saxony
- Grand Duke Jean and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium
- Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg and Archduke Carl Christian of Austria
- Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein
- Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy
Connections with Other European Royal Families
By marriage, the Luxembourg royal family has familial ties to other European monarchies. These include the royal families of…
- Belgium
- Austria
- Sweden
- The Netherlands
- Portugal
- Russia
- France
- Spain
- The United Kingdom
Since Luxembourg was originally an inheritance of the Crown of the Netherlands through the House of Orange-Nassau, it is no surprise to see that royal family on our list. Grand Duke Adolphe’s niece, Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, married William III of the Netherlands. Otherwise, the relationship is distant – several cousins and all that.
Their relations with the royal families of Belgium and Sweden are far closer. Grand Duke Henri’s mother was a Belgian princess and the wife of his son, Guillaume, is a Belgian noble. Alternatively, Grand Duke Adolphe’s half-sister, Sophia, married Oscar II of Sweden.
The Role of the Luxembourg Royal Family Today
Today, as with most royals of the 21st century, the Luxembourg royal family has somewhat modernized. They are a constitutional monarchy that functions as an absolute primogeniture as of 2011. So, their function is mostly representative and now women are in line for succession.
As the grand ducal family of Luxembourg, it is up to the House of Nassau-Weilburg to maintain Luxembourg’s culture and heritage. They fulfill this through their representative, oftentimes very public, roles. Outside of their involvement in charities and foundations, the Luxembourg royal family has active positions in national celebrations and festivities.
Wrapping Up the Luxembourg Royal Family Tree
The Luxembourg royals are a bit newer to the scene, with the House of Nassau-Weilburg having only been titled grand dukes since the late 19th century. However, they led the nation through both World Wars and, in the face of occupation, refused to sacrifice their ideals. It was those monarchs, Grand Duchess Charlotte and her descendants, who directly transformed Luxembourg into the metropolis it is today.
The country has come far from its early years as a country, and even farther from its original dynasty. The House of Nassau-Weilburg may have attained the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg through stringent Salic Laws, but they have done all in their power to modernize the nation beyond what it was. And, if history is at all telling, then the future for Luxembourg looks pretty bright.