'Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg (Henri Albert Gabriel Félix Marie Guillaume)', the head of state of
Luxembourg was born at
Betzdorf Castle in Luxembourg
16 April 1955, the eldest son of Grand Duke
Jean of Luxembourg and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte (née Princess
Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium). His maternal grandparents were King
Leopold III and Queen
Astrid of Belgium and Princess of Sweden.
Childhood and education
Grand Duke Henri has four siblings:
Marie Astrid, Archduchess of Austria (b. 1954),
Prince Jean of Luxembourg (b. 1957),
Margaretha, Princess of Liechtenstein (b. 1957) and
Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg (b. 1963).
Henri 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
Whilst studying in Geneva, Henri met
María Teresa Mestre y Batista, who was also a political sciences student. Despite the reported disapproval of Henri's mother, who was said to have wanted her son to marry a fellow royal, they married in Luxembourg on 14 February 1981.
The couple have five children:
# Prince
Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg (b. 11 November 1981)
#
Prince Félix of Luxembourg (b. 3 June 1984)
#
Prince Louis of Luxembourg (b. 3 August 1986)
#
Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg (b. 16 February 1991)
#
Prince Sébastien of Luxembourg (b. 16 April 1992)
and one grandson :
#Gabriel (b. 12 March 2006), the legitimized son of Prince Louis
Constitutional position
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 Grand Duke Jean, Henri acceded as
Grand Duke of Luxembourg and took the constitutional oath before the
Chamber of Deputies later that day.
Henri's full 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 title is: "Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Duke of Nassau".
Role and interests
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 Foundation 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.
Ancestors
See also
★
Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg
External links
★
Geocities site on Henri of Luxembourg
★
The Mentor Foundation charity website
★
The Official Site of the Ducal Family
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