Grand Duke Henri and his wife, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, will travel to Belgium next week for their second state visit, scheduled for April 16-18. On the sidelines of this visit, the couple gave an interview to the Belgian press, which had come to Colmar-Berg Castle for the occasion.
“I think that there is a family connection between the Belgians and the Luxembourgers,” Grand Duke Henri said in the Sudpresse Group newspapers on Saturday. Grand Duke Henri is the first cousin of King Philippe of Belgium. “We have known each other since we were children. Inevitably we spent many holidays together, be it in Belgium, Luxembourg or elsewhere. We go skiing together in Switzerland. With King Philippe, then Prince Philippe, with his brother and sister. “You feel like family and it’s a lifelong bond that has developed.”
Grand Duke Henri and his cousin King Philippe (l.). Photo: SIP
“The day will come when…”
In this extensive interview, the Grand Duke also talks about the topic of abdication, which his wife had already spoken to Gala magazine about a few weeks ago. When asked about the abdication of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in favor of her son, Maria Teresa assured at the time that the grand ducal couple would “do the same.”
Celebration day at the grand ducal court: Prince François celebrates his first birthday
This time it was the Belgian press that asked the couple about the issue. “Our son Guillaume and our daughter-in-law Stéphanie are doing a great job as heirs. But the day will come when this tradition (editor’s note: abdication in Luxembourg) will actually be implemented, and I intend to retire at some point. “That’s a given,” said the Grand Duke, who ascended the throne 24 years ago.
“There are plans”
When asked how we knew when the time was right for the handover, Grand Duke Henri replied: “First of all, there is a lot of talk about it in the family. So there are plans. We also remember that the young heir to the throne still has very small children (editor’s note: Charles 3 years and François 1 year). In order to be able to fulfill this task, you need a certain degree of independence from the children. You have to be able to give them time before you can fully concentrate on the future office of head of state. It’s a difficult position.”
His father, Grand Duke Jean, had announced on December 24, 1999, at the age of 78, his intention to abdicate the following year. Henri became Grand Duke of Luxembourg on October 7, 2000, the day he was sworn in before the nation’s elected representatives. Grand Duke Henri is now 68 years old.
This text appeared in the original at “Virgule”. Translation and editing: Amélie Schroeder.
#Grand #Duke #Henri #intend #retire #point
2024-04-13 16:35:12