With Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg’s announcement that he will begin transferring power to his son and heir, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, in October, all eyes will be on Luxembourg City. Where do the Luxembourgish royals live in Luxembourg City?
The Luxembourg monarchy is a younger monarchy, as it was established in 1815. It was established as the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on 15 March 1815 and was in a personal union with the United Kingdom of the Netherlands until 1890 when the new Dutch Queen Wilhemina was unable to inherit the Luxembourgish throne due to Salic Law.
The Luxembourgish Royal Family lives in the Grand Ducal Palace which was originally the city hall, a complex first built in the 1570s.
Although the building sustained considerable damage throughout the centuries, restoration work and additions were done. Notably in the 1740s, an additional building was added.
In 1817, the palace was used as a residence for the Lieutenant Governor who acted on behalf of the Dutch monarch. Additional buildings were added in 1825 and 1856, and in the 1850s, it also served as the seat of the government.
As of 1890, with the new Grand Duke Adolphe, the palace became the home of the Grand Duke. The house underwent extensive restoration work in the 1890s and early 1900s.
During the Second World War, the Grand Ducal Palace was seized by invading Nazi forces, and it was not until April 1945 when the Grand Duchess appeared on the balcony that crowds cheered.
The current Grand Ducal Family still spends a great deal of time at the palace. The Grand Ducal Palace is also open to visitors in the summer each year.