The Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg constitutes the House of Luxembourg-Nassau, headed by the sovereign

Grand Duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. In status, a grand duke traditionally ranks in order of precedence below an emperor, as an approx ...

, and in which the throne of the

grand duchy A grand duchy is a country or territory whose official head of state or ruler is a monarch bearing the title of grand duke or grand duchess. Relatively rare until the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the term was often used in th ...

is hereditary. It consists of heirs and descendants of the

House of Nassau-Weilburg The House of Nassau-Weilburg, a branch of the House of Nassau, ruled a division of the County of Nassau, which was a state in what is now Germany, then part of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1344 to 1806. On 17 July 1806, upon the dissolution of ...

, whose sovereign territories passed

cognatic Cognatic kinship is a mode of descent calculated from an ancestor counted through any combination of male and female links, or a system of bilateral kinship where relations are traced through both a father and mother. Such relatives may be know ...

ally from the

House of Nassau The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled "Count ...

to a

cadet branch In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets— realm, t ...

of the

House of Bourbon-Parma The House of Bourbon-Parma ( it, Casa di Borbone di Parma) is a cadet branch of the Spanish royal family, whose members once ruled as King of Etruria and as Duke of Parma and Piacenza, Guastalla, and Lucca. The House descended from the Fren ...

, itself a branch of the Spanish Royal House which is agnatically a cadet branch of the

House of Capet The House of Capet (french: Maison capétienne) or the Direct Capetians (''Capétiens directs''), also called the House of France (''la maison de France''), or simply the Capets, ruled the Kingdom of France from 987 to 1328. It was the most ...

that originated in France. This is descended from the

Capetian dynasty The Capetian dynasty (; french: Capétiens), also known as the House of France, is a dynasty of Frankish origin, and a branch of the Robertians. It is among the largest and oldest royal houses in Europe and the world, and consists of Hug ...

– itself a derivative dynasty from the

Robertians The Robertians (sometimes called the Robertines in modern scholarship) are the proposed Frankish family which was ancestral to the Capetian dynasty, and thus to the royal families of France and of many other countries. The Capetians appear first ...

History

In 1443 the last member of the senior branch of the House of Luxemburg, Duchess Elisabeth, sold the

Duchy of Luxembourg The Duchy of Luxemburg ( nl, Luxemburg; french: Luxembourg; german: Luxemburg; lb, Lëtzebuerg) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire, the ancestral homeland of the noble House of Luxembourg. The House of Luxembourg, now Duke of Limburg, b ...

to Duke

Philip the Good Philip III (french: Philippe le Bon; nl, Filips de Goede; 31 July 1396 – 15 June 1467) was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty, to which all 15th-century kings of France belonge ...

Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The ...

, a prince of the French

House of Valois The Capetian house of Valois ( , also , ) was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. They succeeded the House of Capet (or "Direct Capetians") to the French throne, and were the royal house of France from 1328 to 1589. Junior members of the f ...

. In 1477 the duchy passed by marriage of Philip's granddaughter,

Mary of Burgundy Mary (french: Marie; nl, Maria; 13 February 1457 – 27 March 1482), nicknamed the Rich, was a member of the House of Valois-Burgundy who ruled a collection of states that included the duchies of Limburg, Brabant, Luxembourg, the counties of ...

, to Archduke Maximilian I of

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

of the

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

. Luxembourg was one of the fiefdoms in the former

Burgundian Netherlands In the history of the Low Countries, the Burgundian Netherlands (french: Pays-Bas bourguignons, nl, Bourgondische Nederlanden, lb, Burgundeschen Nidderlanden, wa, Bas Payis borguignons) or the Burgundian Age is the period between 1384 and ...

which Maximilian and Mary's grandson, Emperor

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...

, combined into an integral union, the

Seventeen Provinces The Seventeen Provinces were the Imperial states of the Habsburg Netherlands in the 16th century. They roughly covered the Low Countries, i.e., what is now the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and most of the French departments of Nord (F ...

, by issuing the

Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 The Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 was an edict, promulgated by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, reorganising the Seventeen Provinces of the present-day Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg into one indivisible territory, while retaining existing custo ...

. The southern Netherlands remained part of the

Habsburg Empire The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

, first held by the Spanish branch and then by the Austrian line, until 1794 when French revolutionaries replaced Habsburg rule with French hegemony until the defeat of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

. Luxembourg's territories, centering on the ancestral castle, were captured from occupying

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

forces in the first stages of the fall of

. Some were eventually ceded to William VI of Nassau, Prince of Orange, who had been declared Sovereign Prince of the Netherlands in 1813, by his cousin King

Frederick William III of Prussia Frederick William III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm III.; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, w ...

who annexed other territories which had been held by princes of the various branches of the

. The

Great Powers A great power is a sovereign state that is recognized as having the ability and expertise to exert its influence on a global scale. Great powers characteristically possess military and economic strength, as well as diplomatic and soft power in ...

agreed at the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon ...

in 1815 to re-constitute and elevate Luxembourg into a grand duchy, to be hereditary in the male line of the entire House of Nassau, beginning with the

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands. The titl ...

, who was simultaneously but separately recognised as King of the Netherlands. Thus

William I of the Netherlands William I (Willem Frederik, Prince of Orange-Nassau; 24 August 1772 – 12 December 1843) was a Prince of Orange, the King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg. He was the son of the last Stadtholder of the Dutch Republic, who went ...

ascended the grand ducal throne as the first Grand Duke of Luxemburg. When the male line of the House of Orange-Nassau became extinct in 1890, the crown of the Netherlands went to his descendant, Wilhelmina of Orange-Nassau, but the crown of Luxembourg continued in the male line, devolving upon the head of the only surviving branch of the House of Nassau, ex- Duke Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg. His son, Guillaume IV (reigned 1905–1912), left no sons and was succeeded by his daughters, Marie-Adélaïde and then by

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

(reigned 1919–1964). Her descendants (from her marriage to

Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma Prince Félix of Bourbon-Parma (later Prince Félix of Luxembourg; 28 September 1893 – 8 April 1970) was the husband of Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and the father of her six children, including her successor Jean, Grand Duke of ...

) comprise the Grand Ducal House in the 21st century.

Titulature

The monarch bears the style of ''

Royal Highness Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Monarchs and their consorts are usually styled ''Majesty''. When used as a direct form of address, spoken or written, it t ...

'' (subsumed in the higher style of ''

Majesty Majesty (abbreviated HM for His Majesty or Her Majesty, oral address Your Majesty; from the Latin ''maiestas'', meaning "greatness") is used as a manner of address by many monarchs, usually kings or queens. Where used, the style outranks the s ...

'' that was borne by its sovereigns during the

personal union A personal union is the combination of two or more states that have the same monarch while their boundaries, laws, and interests remain distinct. A real union, by contrast, would involve the constituent states being to some extent interli ...

of the Grand Duchy with the

Kingdom of the Netherlands , national_anthem = ) , image_map = Kingdom of the Netherlands (orthographic projection).svg , map_width = 250px , image_map2 = File:KonDerNed-10-10-10.png , map_caption2 = Map of the four constituent countries shown to scale , capital = ...

until 1890), to which the

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

is also entitled.de Badts de Cugnac, Chantal. Coutant de Saisseval, Guy. ''Le Petit Gotha''. Nouvelle Imprimerie Laballery, Paris 2002, pp. 572-573, 582, 665-668, 678, 684 (French) The other male-line descendants of

Grand Duke Adolphe Adolphe (Adolf Wilhelm August Karl Friedrich; 24 July 1817 – 17 November 1905) was Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 23 November 1890 to his death on 17 November 1905. The first grand duke from the House of Nassau-Weilburg, he succeeded King Willia ...

held the titles "Prince/Princess of Luxembourg" and "Prince/Princess of Nassau", with the style of '' Grand Ducal Highness''. Until 1995, the daughters and male-line issue of

Grand Duchess Charlotte Charlotte (Charlotte Adelgonde Elisabeth Marie Wilhelmine; 23 January 1896 – 9 July 1985) reigned as Grand Duchess of Luxembourg from 14 January 1919 until her abdication on 12 November 1964. She acceded to the throne on 14 January 1919 foll ...

also bore the title of "Prince/Princess of Bourbon-Parma" and were addressed as ''

'', in right of their descent from her consort,

. On 28 July 1987, by grand ducal decree, members of the dynasty assumed the surname "de Nassau" and discontinued use of the princely title and

inescutcheon In heraldry, an escutcheon () is a shield that forms the main or focal element in an achievement of arms. The word can be used in two related senses. In the first sense, an escutcheon is the shield upon which a coat of arms is displayed. In the s ...

of the

(the Dukes of which had not consented to the marriages to commoners of the dynasts of their Luxembourg

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

in 1967 and Hereditary Grand Duke Henri in 1981), while retaining the

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

of ''Royal Highness''. Since the grand ducal decree of 21 September 1995, dynasts who are the children of a Grand Duke or Hereditary Grand Duke hold the titles "Prince/Princess of Luxembourg" and "Prince/Princess of Nassau" with the style of ''Royal Highness''. Shortly after his accession to the throne in October 2000, Grand Duke Henri issued a grand ducal decree conferring upon his eldest son and heir, Prince Guillaume, the title of "Hereditary Grand Duke" and restoring to him the title "Prince of Bourbon-Parma". Male line descendants of

who are not the children of a Grand Duke or Hereditary Grand Duke are "Prince/Princess of Nassau" with the style of ''His/Her Royal Highness''. A grand ducal decree in 2012, concerning the ''family pact'', further defined the rules of titles borne. The wives, children and male-line descendants of a prince of the dynasty whose marriage has not received grand ducal consent are "Count/Countess de Nassau".

Religion

Grand Dukes

Adolphe ''Adolphe'' is a classic French novel by Benjamin Constant, first published in 1816. It tells the story of an alienated young man, Adolphe, who falls in love with an older woman, Ellénore, the Polish mistress of the Comte de P***. Their illicit ...

(1817–1905) and

William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...

(1852–1912) were

Evangelical Christians Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "born again", in which an individual experi ...

. William married the Roman Catholic

Marie Anne of Portugal Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal ( pt, Maria Ana; 13 July 1861 – 31 July 1942) was Grand Duchess of Luxembourg as the wife of Grand Duke Guillaume IV. She was the regent of Luxembourg between 1908 and 1912; first during the illness of her spouse ...

, believing that a country in which the great majority of people were Roman Catholic should also have a Roman Catholic monarch. In 1907, William declared the Evangelical

Counts of Merenberg Count of Merenberg (German: ''Graf von Merenberg'') is a hereditary title of nobility that was bestowed in 1868 by the reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, George Victor, upon the morganatic wife and male-line descendants of Prince Nikolaus ...

to be non-dynastic and named his own Roman Catholic daughter, Marie-Adélaïde (1894–1924), heiress to the grand ducal throne; she in 1919

abdicated Abdication is the act of formally relinquishing monarchical authority. Abdications have played various roles in the succession procedures of monarchies. While some cultures have viewed abdication as an extreme abandonment of duty, in other societ ...

in favour of her sister,

(1896–1985), who was also Roman Catholic, and Charlotte's Roman Catholic descendants have reigned in Luxembourg ever since. However, although Roman Catholicism is the claimed faith of the overwhelming majority of the Luxembourgish people (ca. 90-93%), it does not have the status of a State religion, nor is there any legal or constitutional obligation for the Grand Duke (as head of state) to be Roman Catholic.

Members

Henri Henri is an Estonian, Finnish, French, German and Luxembourgish form of the masculine given name Henry. People with this given name ; French noblemen :'' See the ' List of rulers named Henry' for Kings of France named Henri.'' * Henri I de Mon ...

is the current Grand Duke of Luxembourg. He was born on 16 April 1955. He was married on 14 February 1981 to Maria Teresa Mestre y Batista, now Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg; and became Grand Duke when his father, Jean, abdicated on 7 October 2000. Their children are: * Guillaume is the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the Grand Duke's eldest son, born on 11 November 1981. He was married on 20 October 2012 to Countess Stephanie of Lannoy, now Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg, (b. 18 February 1984). **

, the Hereditary Grand Duke's son, was born on 10 May 2020 at the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City. *

Prince Félix of Luxembourg Prince Félix of Luxembourg (Félix Léopold Marie Guillaume; born 3 June 1984) is the second son of Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. He is currently third in the line of succession. Early life a ...

, the Grand Duke's second son, born on 3 June 1984. He was married on 21 September 2013 to

Claire Lademacher Princess Claire of Luxembourg (''née'' Claire Margareta Lademacher; born 21 March 1985) is a member of the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg. She is the wife of Prince Felix, who is third in the line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg. ...

, now Princess Claire of Luxembourg, (b. 21 March 1985). They have a daughter and a son together: ** Princess Amalia of Nassau, Prince Félix's daughter, was born on 15 June 2014 at the

Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital The Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital (french: Maternité Grande-Duchesse Charlotte) is a maternity hospital, part of the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg in Luxembourg. The hospital is named after Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, ...

Luxembourg City Luxembourg ( lb, Lëtzebuerg; french: Luxembourg; german: Luxemburg), also known as Luxembourg City ( lb, Stad Lëtzebuerg, link=no or ; french: Ville de Luxembourg, link=no; german: Stadt Luxemburg, link=no or ), is the capital city of the Gr ...

. **Prince Liam of Nassau, Prince Félix's son, was born on 28 November 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland. *

Prince Louis of Luxembourg Prince Louis of Luxembourg (Louis Xavier Marie Guillaume; born 3 August 1986) is the third son of Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. Louis has two elder siblings, Guillaume and Felix; and two youn ...

, the Grand Duke's third son, born on 3 August 1986. He was married on 29 September 2006 to

Tessy Antony Tessy Antony de Nassau (formerly Princess Tessy of Luxembourg; born 28 October 1985) is a Luxembourgish businesswoman and non-profit executive. She is a former member of the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg as the ex-wife of Prince Louis of Lux ...

, later Princess Tessy of Luxembourg until divorce, (b. 28 October 1985). Upon marrying, Prince Louis renounced his right of succession prior to his marriage. Prince Louis and Antony divorced on 4 April 2019. ** Prince Gabriel of Nassau, Prince Louis's eldest son, was born out of wedlock in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

on 12 March 2006. ** Prince Noah of Nassau, Prince Louis's youngest son, was born on 21 September 2007 at the

. *

Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg, Princess of Nassau and Princess of Bourbon-Parma (Alexandra Joséphine Teresa Charlotte Marie Wilhelmine; born 16 February 1991) is the fourth child and only daughter of Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Ma ...

, the Grand Duke's daughter, born on 16 February 1991. * Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg, the Grand Duke's youngest son, born on 16 April 1992.

Extended family

* Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg, now Archduchess Marie Astrid of Austria, the Grand Duke's eldest sister, was born on 17 February 1954. She was married on 6 February 1982 to

Archduke Carl Christian of Austria Archduchess Marie-Astrid of Austria (born Princess Marie-Astrid of Luxembourg on 17 February 1954) is the elder daughter and eldest child of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, and the wife of Archduke ...

, who was born in 1954. They have five children. *

Prince Jean of Luxembourg Prince Jean of Luxembourg (given names: ''Jean Félix Marie Guillaume''; born 15 May 1957 at Betzdorf Castle), the second son of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium. He is the twin brother of Princess ...

, the Grand Duke's brother, was born on 15 May 1957. He was married on 27 May 1987 to Hélène Vestur, later Countess Hélène of Nassau until divorce, who was born in 1958. On 26 September 1986, Prince Jean renounced his right of succession to the Luxembourg throne. His children were styled as Count(ess) of

Nassau Nassau may refer to: Places Bahamas *Nassau, Bahamas, capital city of the Bahamas, on the island of New Providence Canada *Nassau District, renamed Home District, regional division in Upper Canada from 1788 to 1792 *Nassau Street (Winnipeg), ...

until given the title ''HRH Prince(ss) of Nassau'' on 24 November 2004. Prince Jean and Vestur divorced in 2004 and, on 18 March 2009, he married Diane de Guerre, now Countess Diane of Nassau, in a

civil ceremony A civil, or registrar, ceremony is a non-religious legal marriage ceremony performed by a government official or functionary. In the United Kingdom, this person is typically called a registrar. In the United States, civil ceremonies may be performed ...

Roermond Roermond (; li, Remunj or ) is a city, municipality, and diocese in the Limburg province of the Netherlands. Roermond is a historically important town on the lower Roer on the east bank of the river Meuse. It received town rights in 1231. Ro ...

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. ** Princess Marie Gabrielle of Nassau, Prince Jean's daughter, was born out of wedlock on 8 September 1986. Married Antonius Willms in 2017. She had 2 sons. ** Prince Constantin of Nassau, Prince Jean's eldest son, was born on 22 July 1988. He married Kathryn Mechie, now Princess Kathryn of Nassau, in 2020, had 1 son. *** Prince Felix of Nassau, Prince Constantin's son, born out of wedlock on 22 Abril 2018. ** Prince Wenceslas of Nassau, Prince Jean's second son, was born on 17 November 1990. ** Prince Carl Johann of Nassau, Prince Jean's third son and youngest child, was born on 15 August 1992. * Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, now Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein, the Grand Duke's youngest sister. She was born on 15 May 1957. She was married on 20 March 1982 to

Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein (Nikolaus Ferdinand Maria Josef Raphael; born 24 October 1947) is a Liechtensteiner lawyer, diplomat and member of the Liechtenstein princely family. He is a younger brother of the reigning Prince of Liechtenste ...

, who was born in 1947. They have had three surviving children. *

Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg (''Guillaume Marie Louis Christian''; born 1 May 1963) is the third son and youngest child of Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg. Life Prince Guillaume was born in Betzdorf Cas ...

, the Grand Duke's youngest brother, was born on 1 May 1963. He was married on 8 September 1994 to Sibilla Sandra Weiller (the daughter of Donna Olimpia

Torlonia 200px, Coat of arms of the House of Torlonia. The House of Torlonia is the name of an Italian princely family from Rome, which acquired a huge fortune in the 18th and 19th centuries through administering the finances of the Vatican. The first infl ...

dei principi di Civitella-Cesi and Paul-Annik Weiller, and great-granddaughter of

Alfonso XIII of Spain Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alf ...

), now Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg. ** Prince Paul-Louis of Nassau, Prince Guillaume's eldest son, was born on 4 March 1998. ** Prince Léopold of Nassau, Prince Guillaume's second son, was born on 2 May 2000. He is the twin brother of Princess Charlotte. ** Princess Charlotte of Nassau, Prince Guillaume's only daughter, was born on 2 May 2000. She is the twin sister of Prince Léopold. ** Prince Jean André of Nassau, Prince Guillaume's youngest son, was born on 13 July 2004. * Princess Marie Gabriele of Luxembourg, now Dowager Countess af Holstein-Ledreborg, the Grand Duke's aunt, was born on 2 August 1925. She was married on 6 November 1951 to Knud, Count af Holstein-Ledreborg (1919–2001). They have issue. * Princess Joan of Luxembourg (née

Dillon Dillon may refer to: People *Dillon (surname) * Dillon (given name) * Dillon (singer) (born 1988), Brazilian singer * Viscount Dillon, a title in the Peerage of Ireland Places Canada *Dillon, Saskatchewan United States *Dillon Beach, Californ ...

), the Grand Duke's aunt, was born on 31 January 1935. She was widow of Prince Charles of Luxembourg they married on 1 March 1967. They have issue: ** Princess Charlotte of Luxembourg, the Grand Duke's first cousin, was born on 15 September 1967. She was married in 1993 to Marc Victor Cunningham, who was born on 24 September 1965. They have issue. **

Prince Robert of Luxembourg Prince Robert of Luxembourg, Prince of Bourbon-Parma, Prince of Nassau, (Robert Louis François Marie; born 14 August 1968) is a member of the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg. He is a paternal first cousin of Henri, the reigning grand duke of L ...

, the Grand Duke's first cousin, was born on 14 August 1968 and married religiously on 19 September 1993 to Julie Elizabeth Houston Ongaro, now Princess Julie of Nassau, who was born on 9 June 1966. They have issue. *** Princess Charlotte of Nassau. Prince Robert's daughter, born 20 March 1995. *** Prince Alexandre of Nassau, Prince Robert's eldest son, born 18 April 1997. *** Prince Frederik of Nassau, Prince Robert's youngest son, born 18 March 2002.

Succession to the throne

The preference for men over women in succession to Luxembourg's throne was abandoned in favour of

absolute primogeniture Primogeniture ( ) is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relativ ...

on 20 June 2011 by decree of

Grand Duke Henri Henri (french: Henri Albert Gabriel Félix Marie Guillaume, ; born 16 April 1955) is the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. He has reigned since 7 October 2000. Henri, the eldest son of Grand Duke Jean and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, is a f ...

. Henceforth, any legitimate female descendant of the House of Luxembourg-Nassau born of authorized marriage shall inherit the throne by order of seniority of line of descent and of birth as stipulated in Article 3 of the Constitution and the Nassau Family Pact without regard to gender, applicable first to succession by the descendants of Grand Duke Henri. The Grand Duke's Marshal issued an addendum to the decree explaining the context of the change: pursuant to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...

' 1979 call for nations to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, in 2008 the Grand Duchy dropped the exception to gender non-discrimination it had declared in the matter of the grand ducal succession.

Summary family tree

For the ancestry of the House of Nassau, see Family Tree of the House of Nassau.

Arms

See also
SVG coats of arms of Luxembourg
A complete armorial is given at the Armorial de la Maison de Nassau, section Lignée Valramienne at the French Wikipedia, and another one at Wapen van Nassau, Tak van Walram at the Dutch Wikipedia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Ducal Family Of Luxembourg Modern history of Luxembourg Luxembourgish monarchy National symbols of Luxembourg House of Luxembourg-Nassau