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Hereditary Grand Duke

Grand Duke of Luxembourg
Great coat of arms of Luxembourg.svg
Incumbent
Henri of Luxembourg (2009).jpg
Henri
since 7 October 2000 (2000-10-07)
Details
Style His Royal Highness
Heir apparent Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg
First monarch
Formation 15 March 1815
Residence Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg
Website Monarchie.lu (in French)

The Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the monarchical head of state of Luxembourg. Luxembourg has been a grand duchy since 15 March 1815, when it was elevated from a duchy, and was in personal union with the United Kingdom of the Netherlands until 1890 under the House of Orange-Nassau and is the world's only sovereign grand duchy. Since 1815, there have been nine monarchs of Luxembourg, including the incumbent, Henri.

The constitution of Luxembourg defines the grand duke's position:

After a constitutional change (to article 34) in December 2008 resulting from Henri's refusal to sign a law legalizing euthanasia, laws now take effect without the grand duke's assent. As a result, the grand duke no longer has any formal role in the legislative process, but his task of promulgating the law as chief executive remains.

Succession to the throne was governed by Salic law, as dictated by the Nassau Family Pact, first adopted on 30 June 1783. The right to reign over Luxembourg was until June 2011 passed by agnatic-cognatic primogeniture within the House of Nassau, as stipulated under the 1815 Final Act of the Congress of Vienna and as confirmed by the 1867 Treaty of London. The Nassau Family Pact itself can be amended by the usual legislative process, having been so on 10 July 1907 to exclude the Count of Merenberg branch of the House, which was descended from a morganatic marriage.


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