Luxembourg’s Prince Gabriel has attended National Day celebrations for the first time.
He attended events on the eve of National Day and on National Day, which falls on 23 June. Celebrations were back to normal this year after two years of restrictions due to the global health crisis.
The 16-year-old Prince attended alongside his grandparents, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa; father, Prince Louis; and aunts and uncle, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie and Princess Alexandra.
Gabriel’s younger brother, Prince Noah, 14, was unable to attend as he was finishing up classes at school in the UK.
The day began with the royals attending the official ceremony at the Philharmonie Luxembourg with the Prime Minister and the President of the Chamber of Deputies.
Grand Duke Henri gave a speech at the official ceremony to mark National Day and spoke about the difficulties Luxembourg is facing while also speaking of hope for the future. He spoke about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and how all of Europe was affected, “All of a sudden, all our legal, diplomatic and humanitarian principles, principles that we, including Russia, gave ourselves, were cynically violated.”
Later in the day, Prince Gabriel joined his family for the Te Deum at Notre Dame Cathedral. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich spoke of the joy of getting to gather together once again on the holiday. The religious service traditionally ends the National Day celebrations.
On the eve of National Day, the family gathered for the torchlight procession and fireworks. Gabriel’s mother, Tessy Antony de Nassau, shared a video on her Instagram story that Gabriel had sent her from the celebrations, which showed the firework display at the Adolphe Bridge.
Prince Gabriel is the eldest grandchild of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa and the elder son of Prince Louis and Tessy Antony de Nassau.
