Line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg

Since 2011, the crown of Luxembourg descends according to absolute primogeniture among Grand Duke Henri's descendants and according to agnatic primogeniture among other dynasts.

Line of succession

• HRH Grand Duke Jean (b. 1921)
  • HRH The Grand Duke (Henri; b. 1955)
    • (1) HRH The Hereditary Grand Duke (Prince Guillaume; b. 1981)
    • (2) HRH Prince Félix (b. 1984)
    • (3) HRH Princess Alexandra (b. 1991)
    • (4) HRH Prince Sébastien (b. 1992)
  • (5) HRH Prince Guillaume (b. 1963)
    • (6) HRH Prince Paul Louis of Nassau (b. 1998)
    • (7) HRH Prince Léopold of Nassau (b. 2000)
    • (8) HRH Prince Jean André of Nassau (b. 2004)

Notes

• Prince Louis, the current Grand Duke's third son, renounced his right of succession for himself and his heirs.
• Prince Jean, the current Grand Duke's younger brother, renounced his right of succession for himself and his heirs on 26 September 1986.

Succession law

History

The constitution of Luxemburg states that the crown is hereditary in the house of Nassau according to the pact of 1783 (the Nassau Family Pact), the Treaty of Vienna made in 1815, and the Treaty of London of 1867.

In April 1907 William IV, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, decreed (approved in July 1907 by legislature of Luxembourg and thereafter enacted) amendments to the House law of Nassau: the Grand Duke's eldest daughter would succeed (that provision is identical with the effect of the 1783 pact), and after her, her issue in male line born of marriages that abide by the house laws; in default thereof, the Grand Duke's next daughters in similar fashion. Thus, issue of the Grand Duke's daughters received succession rights only in strict agnatic line - a male-line male descendant of a younger daughter would have had preference over female descendants of elder daughters. (Conceptually, this is not the so-called Semi-Salic principle, since in that system, upon extinction of one daughter's male-line issue, the closest heir of the last one of that line succeeds, which means first a descendant in female line of that daughter and not yet descent from younger daughters.) This law of succession in Luxembourg followed a special order among male lines issued from Grand Duke William IV's daughters.

Absolute primogeniture

Salic law was abandoned in favour of absolute primogeniture on 20 June 2011, allowing any legitimate female descendants within the House of Nassau to be included in the succession by order of birth, starting with the descendants of Grand Duke Henri.

External links

• "Droits de succession". Cour Grand-Ducale de Luxembourg.  (French)