Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Henri
Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Reign 7 October 2000 – present
(&000000000000001000000010 years, &0000000000000130000000130 days)
Predecessor Jean
Heir apparent Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume
Spouse Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista-Falla
Issue
Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Prince Felix
Prince Louis
Princess Alexandra
Prince Sébastien
Full name
Henri Albert Gabriel Félix Marie Guillaume
House House of Bourbon-Parma
House of Nassau-Weilburg
Father Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Mother Princess Josephine-Charlotte of Belgium
Born 16 April 1955 (1955-04-16) (age 55)
Betzdorf Castle, Luxembourg
Religion Roman Catholic

Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg OIH (given names: Henri Albert Gabriel Félix Marie Guillaume; born at Betzdorf Castle in Betzdorf, Luxembourg, 16 April 1955) is the head of state of Luxembourg. He is the eldest son of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. His maternal grandparents were King Leopold III of Belgium and Astrid of Sweden. He is a nephew of the current King of the Belgians, Albert II.

Contents

Childhood and education

Grand Duke Henri has four siblings: Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria (b. 1954), Prince Jean of Luxembourg (b. 1957), Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein (b. 1957) and Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg (b. 1963).

Henri became Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg on 12 November 1964 and was educated in Luxembourg and in France, where he obtained his baccalaureate in 1974. He then studied political sciences at University of Geneva, graduating in 1980. The Grand Duke also undertook military officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, England.

Marriage and family

While studying in Geneva, Henri met the former María Teresa Mestre y Batista, who was also a political sciences student. They married in Luxembourg on 4 February/14 February 1981 with the previous consent of the Grand Duke, dated 7 November 1980.

The couple have five children:

  1. Prince Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg (b. 11 November 1981)
  2. Prince Félix Léopold Marie Guillaume (b. 3 June 1984)
  3. Prince Louis Xavier Marie Guillaume (b. 3 August 1986), married to Princess Tessy
  4. Princess Alexandra Joséphine Teresa Charlotte Marie Wilhelmine (b. 16 February 1991)
  5. Prince Sébastien Henri Marie Guillaume (b. 16 April 1992)

and two grandsons:

  1. Prince Gabriel Michael Louis Ronny of Nassau (born 12 March 2006), son of Prince Louis and Princess Tessy
  2. Prince Noah Guillaume of Nassau (born 21 September 2007), son of Prince Louis and Princess Tessy

Constitutional position

Royal Standard
Monarchical styles of
Grand Duke Henri I of Luxembourg
Armoiries Luxembourg Bourbon avec ornements.svg
Reference style His Royal Highness
Spoken style Your Royal Highness
Alternative style Sir

Prince Henri became heir apparent to the Luxembourg throne on the abdication of his paternal grandmother, Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg, on 12 November 1964. From 1980 to 1998, he was a member of the Council of State.

On 4 March 1998, Prince Henri was appointed as Lieutenant Representative by his father, Grand Duke Jean, meaning that he assumed most of his father's constitutional powers. On 7 October 2000, immediately following the abdication of his father, Henri acceded as Grand Duke of Luxembourg and took the constitutional oath before the Chamber of Deputies later that day.

Henri's full name, style and title is: His Royal Highness Henri, by the Grace of God, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Duke of Nassau, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Count of Sayn, Königstein, Katzenelnbogen and Diez, Burgrave of Hammerstein, Lord of Mahlberg, Wiesbaden, Idstein, Merenberg, Limburg and Eppstein.

However, on ascending the throne, Grand Duke Henri relinquished the styling "by the Grace of God", and in the laws, decrees, and official documents his name and title is: "Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Duke of Nassau".

Euthanasia controversy

On 2 December 2008 it was announced that Grand Duke Henri had stated he would refuse to sign into law the act on euthanasia that had been voted on earlier in the year by the Chamber of Deputies. A second and final vote has yet to take place, at which point signature of the Grand Duke would be necessary to approve and enact the law. Whilst the long-term implications for the constitutional position of the Grand Duke are unclear, it was announced by Minister of State Jean-Claude Juncker that a Constitutional Amendment would be proposed, whereby the signature of the Monarch would no longer be necessary for a law to take effect. This would remove one of the legislative roles of the Grand Duke, namely approving new legislation. The Luxembourg royal house has tried to block a decision by parliament only once before, when the Grand Duchess Marie-Adelaide refused to sign an education bill in 1912.

Role and interests

The Grand Duke Henri, his wife Maria Teresa and his son Guillaume, hereditary Grand Duke

As the head of a constitutional monarchy, Grand Duke Henri's duties are primarily representative. However, he retains the constitutional power to appoint the Prime Minister and Government, to dissolve the Chamber of Deputies, to promulgate laws and to accredit ambassadors.

Grand Duke Henri is Commander-in-Chief of the Luxembourg Army, in which he holds the rank of General. He is also an Honorary Major in the British Parachute Regiment.

One of the Grand Duke's main functions is to represent Luxembourg in the field of foreign affairs. In May 2001, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa undertook their first foreign state visit to Spain, at the invitation of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.

Grand Duke Henri is a member of the International Olympic Committee, a member of The Mentor Foundation (established by the World Health Organisation) and a Director of the Charles Darwin Trust for the Galapagos Islands.

The Grand Duke lives with his family at Berg Castle in Luxembourg. He also has a holiday home at Cabasson in the south of France.

Media and publicity

Since the accession of Henri to the Grand Ducal Throne in 2000, the Court's approach to media and publicity has varied markedly. In 2002, Grand Duke Henri expressly identified himself with a press conference called by Grand Duchess Maria Teresa with a view to discussing with journalists the shortcomings of her personal relations with her mother-in-law, the former Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium.

In contrast, when the Grand Ducal Couple's first grandchild was born in 2006, the Court Circular pointedly omitted to mention the event, probably as the father Prince Louis was not married at the time. However, the pregnancy was announced on 2005, so the country was informed that the prince and his girlfriend were going to be parents. The press also had access to the child's baptism.

The Grand Ducal Family's approach to media and publicity issues has itself given rise to media comment regarding the quality of communications advice which has been sought and followed. As well as the public airing of the difficulties between the Grand Duchess and her mother-in-law, several other events have resulted in adverse publicity, most notably: in 2004, the opening of Parliament by the Grand Duke in person, the first time in over 100 years the Monarch had done so; in 2005, the Grand Duke announced he intended to vote in favour of the European Constitution in the impending referendum, only to be reminded by senior politicians that he had no such right; the proposed sale of large tracts of the Gruenewald in the summer of 2006 shortly followed by the proposed sale (cancelled shortly afterwards) at Sotheby's of recently-deceased Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte's effects.[1]

Ancestors

Patrilineal descent

Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg
Armoiries Luxembourg Bourbon avec ornements.svg
  • HRH The Grand Duke
    HRH The Grand Duchess
    • HRH The Hereditary Grand Duke
    • HRH Prince Félix
    • HRH Prince Louis
      HRH Princess Tessy
      • HRH Prince Gabriel
      • HRH Prince Noah
    • HRH Princess Alexandra
    • HRH Prince Sébastien

HRH Grand Duke Jean

  • HI&RH Archduchess Marie-Astrid
  • HRH Prince Jean
    HRH Princess Diane
    • HRH Princess Marie-Gabrielle
    • HRH Prince Constantin
    • HRH Prince Wenceslas
    • HRH Prince Carl-Johan
  • HRH Princess Margaretha
  • HRH Prince Guillaume
    HRH Princess Sibilla
    • HRH Prince Paul Louis
    • HRH Prince Léopold
    • HRH Princess Charlotte
    • HRH Prince Jean

  • HRH The Dowager Duchess of Hohenberg
  • HRH Princess Marie Gabriele
  • HRH Prince Robert
    HRH Princess Julie
    • HRH Princess Charlotte
    • HRH Prince Alexandre
    • HRH Prince Frederik
  • HRH The Dowager Princess of Ligne

Henri's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son.

Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations - which means that if Duke Henri were to choose an historically accurate house name it would be Robert, as all his male-line ancestors have been of that house.

Henri is a member of the House of Bourbon-Parma, a sub-branch of the House of Spain, itself originally a branch of the House of France, and thus of the House of Capet and of the Robertians.

Henri's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son. It follows the Dukes of Parma as well as the Kings of Spain, France, and Navarre. The line can be traced back more than 1,400 years and is one of the oldest in Europe.

  1. Robert or Radon, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia in 613
  2. Robert, Referendary in 629 and Duke in 631
  3. Erlebert, Noble of Therouanne
  4. Robert, Mayor of the Palace of Neustria in 653, Referendary in 658 and Count in Alsace in 673
  5. Robert I of Worms and Rheingau, d. 764
  6. Thuringbert of Worms and Rheingau
  7. Robert II of Worms and Rheingau (Robert of Hesbaye), 770 - 807
  8. Robert III of Worms and Rheingau, 808 - 834
  9. Robert IV the Strong, 820 - 866
  10. Robert I of France, 866 - 923
  11. Hugh the Great, 895 - 956
  12. Hugh Capet, 941 - 996
  13. Robert II of France, 972 - 1031
  14. Henry I of France, 1008–1060
  15. Philip I of France, 1053–1108
  16. Louis VI of France, 1081–1137
  17. Louis VII of France, 1120–1180
  18. Philip II of France, 1165–1223
  19. Louis VIII of France, 1187–1226
  20. Louis IX of France, 1215–1270
  21. Robert, Count of Clermont, 1256–1317
  22. Louis I, Duke of Bourbon, 1279–1342
  23. James I, Count of La Marche, 1319–1362
  24. John I, Count of La Marche, 1344–1393
  25. Louis, Count of Vendôme, 1376–1446
  26. Jean VIII, Count of Vendôme, 1428–1478
  27. François, Count of Vendôme, 1470–1495
  28. Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, 1489–1537
  29. Antoine of Navarre, 1518–1562
  30. Henry IV of France, 1553–1610
  31. Louis XIII of France, 1601–1643
  32. Louis XIV of France, 1638–1715
  33. Louis, Dauphin of France (1661-1711), 1661–1711
  34. Philip V of Spain, 1683–1746
  35. Philip, Duke of Parma, 1720–1765
  36. Ferdinand, Duke of Parma, 1751–1802
  37. Louis of Etruria, 1773–1803
  38. Charles II, Duke of Parma, 1799–1883
  39. Charles III, Duke of Parma, 1823–1854
  40. Robert I, Duke of Parma, 1848–1907
  41. Felix of Bourbon-Parma, 1893–1970
  42. Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, 1921 -
  43. Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, 1955 -

The descent before Robert of Worms is taken from [1] and may be partially fabricated.

See also

References

  1. Revue 10 December 2008, Editions Revue S.A., Luxembourg

External links

Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
House of Nassau-Weilburg
Cadet branch of the House of Bourbon-Parma
Born: 16 April 1955
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Jean
Grand Duke of Luxembourg
2000 – present
Incumbent
Heir:
Guillaume
Titles in pretence
Preceded by
Jean, Grand Duke
of Luxembourg
— TITULAR —
Duke of Nassau
2000 – present
Reason for succession failure:
Duchy annexed by Prussia in 1866
Incumbent
Heir:
Guillaume
Line of succession to
the French throne (Legitimist)

c. 43nd position
Succeeded by
Guillaume, Hereditary
Grand Duke of Luxembourg