This page is a list of heirs to the throne of Luxembourg. The list includes all individuals who were considered to inherit the throne of Luxembourg, either as heir apparent or as heir presumptive, since the constitution of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on 15 March 1815. Those who actually succeeded as Grand Duke or Grand Duchess of Luxembourg are shown in bold.
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna and given to the new King of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands in exchange for his ancestral Principality of Orange-Nassau, which went to Prussia; as a result, the first Grand Dukes of Luxembourg were Dutch kings also, and their heirs were eligible for both thrones. This union began to crack in 1884, when the last son of the King-Grand Duke died, leaving no male heir in the Orange-Nassau line. While the King's daughter Wilhelmina could (and would) inherit the Dutch throne, Luxembourg, a "German" territory, followed the Nassau Family Pact of 1783, wherein Salic law (barring females from inheriting) applied. Instead, the throne passed to the only remaining branch of the Nassau family, the House of Nassau-Weilburg.
This branch would face a similar situation only twenty years later: the Grand Duke had six daughters but no sons, and had deemed his cousins the Counts of Merenberg, issue of a morganatic marriage, illegible to inherit the throne. Instead (to the protest of the Count of Merenberg),New York Times. "Count Merenberg Protests: Would Not Have a Woman Reign in Luxembourg". 16 June 1907. he instituted a solution, whereby his daughters (and their male heirs) became eligible to succeed.
In 2011 the law of succession was changed to allow women to inherit the throne with equal right to men.
+Heirs to the Luxembourgish throne In personal union with the Kingdom of the Netherlands (1815–1890) Monarch Heir Relationshipto monarch Became heir(Date; Reason) Ceased to be heir(Date; Reason) Next in line of successionWillem IPrince Willem, Prince of OrangeSon16 March 1815Father became grand duke7 October 1840Father abdicated, became grand duke Prince Frederik, 1815–1817, brother Prince Willem, 1817–1840, son Willem II Prince Willem, Prince of Orange Son 7 October 1840Father became grand duke 17 March 1849Father died, became grand duke Prince Willem, sonWillem IIIPrince Willem, Prince of OrangeSon17 March 1849Father became grand duke11 June 1879Died Prince Maurits, 1849–1850, brother Prince Hendrik, 1850–1851, uncle Prince Alexander, 1851–1879, brotherPrince Alexander, Prince of OrangeSon11 June 1879Brother died21 June 1884Died Prince Frederik, 1879–1881, granduncle Adolph, Duke of Nassau, 1881–1884, 18th cousin Adolph, Duke of Nassau 17th cousin 21 June 188418th cousin died 23 November 189017th cousin once-removed died,became grand duke Hereditary Prince Wilhelm of Nassau, son After the personal union (1890–present) Monarch Heir Relationshipto monarch Became heir(Date; Reason) Ceased to be heir(Date; Reason) Next in line of successionAdolpheHereditary Grand Duke GuillaumeSon23 November 1890Father became grand duke17 November 1905Father died, became grand duke None, 1905Guillaume IVNone, 1905–1907 Daughter 10 July 1907Guillaume IV's daughters and 25 February 1912Father died, became grand duchess Princess Charlotte, sister Princess Charlotte Sister 25 February 1912Sister became grand duchess 14 January 1919 Princess Hilda, sisterCharlotte Princess Hilda Sister 14 January 1919Sister became grand duchess 5 January 1921Son born to grand duchess Princess Antoinette, sisterHereditary Grand Duke JeanSon5 January 1921Born12 November 1964Mother abdicated, became grand duke Princess Hilda, 1921–1927, aunt Prince Charles, 1927–1955, brother Prince Henri, 1955–1964, sonJeanHereditary Grand Duke HenriSon12 November 1964Father became grand duke7 October 2000Father abdicated, became grand duke Prince Jean, 1964–1981, brother Prince Guillaume, 1981–2000, sonHenriHereditary Grand Duke GuillaumeSon7 October 2000Father became grand duke3 October 2025Father abdicated, became grand duke Prince Félix, 2000–2020, brother Prince Charles, 2020–2025, sonGuillaume VPrince CharlesSon3 October 2025Father became grand dukeIncumbent Prince François, brother
See also Line of succession to the Luxembourger throne
References