Laws on the succession to the Luxembourgish throne are set out in the constitution of Luxembourg.
According to the constitution, the throne is passed down through the House of Nassau via the Nassau Family Pact in 1783, Treaty of Vienna in 1815 and Treaty of London in 1867.
Article 3 of the Luxembourgish Constitution states: “The Crown of the Grand Duchy is hereditary in the Nassau family in accordance with the Pact of 30 June 1783, Article 71 of the Treaty of Vienna of 9 June 1815, and Article 1 of the Treaty of London of 11 May 1867.”
The current laws of succession in Luxembourg abide by absolute primogeniture; this was adopted in a decree by Grand Duke Henri in June 2011. This meant that from 2011, men and women have an equal right to the throne – whoever is born first will succeed to the throne no matter their gender. The new laws of succession applied to the descendants of Grand Duke Henri, meaning that Princess Alexandra (b. 1991) was added to the line of succession when she was 20.
This was the first change to succession laws since the Family Pact of 1783.
To inherit the throne, one must be born of an approved marriage, and only the children of the Hereditary Grand Ducal Couple are given the title of His/Her Royal Highness Prince/Princess of Luxembourg, as they are in the direct line of succession. All other grandchildren of the Grand Duke are HRH Prince/Princess of Nassau as they are not in the direct line of succession.
The current line of succession to the Luxembourgish throne:
- Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume (son of the Grand Duke)
- Prince Chares of Luxembourg (grandson of the Grand Duke)
- Prince Félix (son of the Grand Duke)
- Princess Amalia of Nassau (granddaughter of the Grand Duke)
- Prince Liam of Nassau (grandson of the Grand Duke)
- Princess Alexandra (daughter of the Grand Duke)
- Prince Sebastian (son of the Grand Duke)
- Prince Guillaume (brother of the Grand Duke)
- Prince Paul Louis of Nassau (nephew of the Grand Duke)
- Prince Léopold of Nassau (nephew of the Grand Duke)
- Prince Jean André of Nassau (nephew of the Grand Duke)
- Prince Robert (first cousin of the Grand Duke)
- Prince Alexandre of Nassau (first cousin once removed of the Grand Duke)
- Prince Frederik of Nassau (first cousin once removed of the Grand Duke)
- The third son of Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, Prince Louis, renounced his and his descendants’ rights to the throne when he married Tessy Antony in 2006.
- Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie are expecting their second child in April 2023; that child will take the third spot in the line of succession upon his or her birth.
