Dec. 25 (UPI) — The grand duke of Luxembourg renounced the throne in a surprise abdication on Christmas Eve, according to multiple reports.
“It has been a quarter of a century of challenges, opportunities and hopes for a better future: of technological and economic progress, of social change, but also of many conflicts,” Grand Duke Henri, 69, said Tuesday during his Christmas Eve speech.
He’s been on the throne for 24 years, since 2000.
Henri will step-down in favor his son, Prince Guillaume, 43, on Oct. 3, 2025.
“All were moments that made us reflect and brought us closer together as a nation,” said the outgoing grand duke.
Guillaume married Princess Stephanie de Lannoy, a Belgian countess set to be the new grand duchess, in October 2012. The royal couple have two sons one of whom likely will take the throne one day.
Henri follows in the footsteps of his late father, Grand Duke Jean, who likewise abdicated his seat on the throne after 36 years during a Christmas Eve speech in 1999.
“When I look back today, after almost 25 years, I do so with deep gratitude and humility,” Henri said. “It has been a period during which Luxembourg has made much progress, and I am pleased to have been able to be part of that journey with you” and his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa.
This appears to have been in the works for some time after it was announced in June that Guillaume will take over his father’s governing duties.
Under Luxembourg’s constitutional monarchy the grand duke or duchess has a largely ceremonial role. However, the head of state must sign bills before they can become law and has the power to dissolve parliament.
In October, Guillaume was appointed Lieutenant-Representative for Henri at a ceremony at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City.
On Tuesday, Henri said through the course of his reign Luxembourg has “remained united” to make the country of more than 650,000 citizens “more inviting and sustainable.”
“We have always taken targeted measures to ensure that none of us are left behind or excluded,” he added. “The strength, and indeed the future, of our society lies in its ability to show solidarity.”
Ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., recently was in the small European country to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge during World War II when the 84-year-old Pelosi was hospitalized after suffering a hip injury.
“I firmly believe in the next generation, which will take on the responsibility for a world that will hopefully be more peaceful and sustainable,” Henri said Tuesday. “For most of my generation, the time has now come to retire. It is a natural process,” he added.