in
Strasbourg in 2005
Accession 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 his father, Henri acceded as
Grand Duke of Luxembourg and took the constitutional oath before the
Chamber of Deputies later that day.
Role and interests As the head of a constitutional monarchy, Grand Duke Henri's duties were primarily representative. However, he retained the constitutional power to appoint the
prime minister and
government, to dissolve the
Chamber of Deputies, to promulgate laws and to accredit
ambassadors. With few exceptions, however, he was bound by convention to act on the advice of the government. Grand Duke Henri was commander-in-chief of the
Luxembourg Army, in which he holds the rank of general. In addition, he was made an honorary major in the
British Army's
Parachute Regiment, effective 19 July 1989. 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 Sofía of Spain. Grand Duke Henri is a member of the
International Olympic Committee (IOC), a member of The Mentor Foundation (established by the
World Health Organization) and a director of the Charles Darwin Trust for the
Galápagos Islands. During his reign, Henri lived with his family at
Berg Castle in
Colmar-Berg. He also has a holiday home in Cabasson, a village in the commune of
Bormes-les-Mimosas in
Southern France. Henri was alleged by
Business Insider to be one of the world's richest monarchs, with a net worth estimated around US$4 billion in 2019, though representatives of the grand duke's administration have disputed this claim as seeming to incorrectly account for historical and cultural property not actually owned by the grand ducal family, and claimed that the real value of their net worth was "a fraction of these $4 billion".
Media and publicity controversies at the
wedding of the Crown Princess of Sweden in 2010 Since the accession of Henri to the Grand Ducal Throne in 2000, the court's approach to media and publicity has varied markedly. In 2002, Grand Duke Henri expressly identified himself with a press conference called by Maria Teresa with a view to discussing with journalists the shortcomings of her personal relations with her mother-in-law Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte. In contrast, when the grand ducal couple's first grandchild was born in 2006, the Court Circular pointedly omitted to mention the event, probably as the father
Prince Louis was not married at the time. However, the pregnancy was announced in 2005, so the country was informed that the prince and his girlfriend were going to be parents. The press also had access to the child's baptism. The grand ducal family's approach to media and publicity issues has given rise to media comment regarding the quality of communications advice which has been sought and followed. As well as the public airing of the difficulties between the grand duchess and her mother-in-law, several other events have resulted in adverse publicity, most notably: in 2004, the opening of parliament by the grand duke in person, the first time in over 100 years the monarch had done so; in 2005, the grand duke announced he intended to vote in favour of the
European Constitution in the impending referendum, only to be reminded by senior politicians that he had no such right. The proposed sale of large tracts of the
Gruenewald in the summer of 2006 was shortly followed by the proposed sale (cancelled shortly afterwards) at
Sotheby's of recently deceased Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte's effects.
Euthanasia and constitutional reform controversies On 2 December 2008, it was announced that Grand Duke Henri had stated he would refuse to give his
assent to a new law on euthanasia that had been passed earlier in the year by the Chamber of Deputies. Under the constitution then, the grand duke "sanctions and promulgates the laws" meaning the need for the grand duke's sanction or approval was required in order for laws to take effect. In the absence of clarity on the long-term implications for the constitutional position of the grand duke posed by such a refusal, it was announced by Prime Minister
Jean-Claude Juncker that a constitutional amendment would be brought forward. The
Luxembourg ruling house had tried to block a decision by Parliament only once before, when
Grand Duchess Marie-Adélaïde refused to sign a bill in 1912 to reduce the role of Roman Catholic
priests within the education system. The ultimate solution was that the grand duke would be declared unable to perform his duty temporarily. This was similar to the "escape route" provided to his uncle King
Baudouin of Belgium when he refused to sign an abortion law in 1991; thus the law could take effect without the signature of the grand duke, but also without the need to enact far-reaching changes in the constitution. Article 34 of the constitution was subsequently amended to remove the term "assent", leaving the relevant provision to read: "The Grand Duke promulgates the laws..." As a result, his signature is still needed but it is clear that his signature is automatic and that he has no freedom of decision. The head of state no longer has to "sanction" laws for them to take effect, as the officeholder merely promulgates them.
Health issues On 3 February 2011, Henri was admitted to the
Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg on falling ill. Shortly after, the Grand Ducal Court issued a statement saying that he was to undergo an
angioplasty. The day after, the communications chief announced that the procedure had been a success. "The state of His Royal Highness' health is not disturbing," the statement read, before stating the grand duke may leave the hospital within the next few days. Although the reason has not formally been disclosed, it is reported that the grand duke felt ill after waking that day, and the court physician noticed circulation problems. It was then that he was rushed to hospital, to the cardiac unit, and was discharged the following day.
Waringo report On 31 January 2020, the Waringo report was released, a governmental report on the internal workings of the monarchy that had been compiled by , former Financial Director of Luxembourg. The report identified significant problems in terms of staff management at the Palace resulting in a high turnover rate and an atmosphere of fear. It noted that internal communications were almost nonexistent. Waringo indicated that the most important staff decisions were made by the Grand Duchess. There was no division of staff for personal use and that for official functions. Waringo was also not able to determine if the grand ducal couple's private activities were financed by the State or not.
Abdication On 23 June 2024, his
official birthday, Henri announced his plans to appoint his son
Guillaume as lieutenant representative (
regent) in October. Traditionally, this signals the grand duke's intention to
abdicate in the future. On 8 October, Guillaume was sworn in as lieutenant representative. On 24 December 2024, Henri announced in his Christmas message his intention to abdicate in favour of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume on 3 October 2025. Following his abdication, Henri stated that he would be leaving Luxembourg "for a while". ==Marriage and family==