A change of throne is imminent in Luxembourg.
On Sunday, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg announced that he will begin transferring power to his son Guillaume in October – a surprising move that paves the way for the monarch's abdication.
It is with all love and confidence that I wish him good luck, says the 69-year-old Grand Duke about his son in a speech on the country's national day.
The full transfer of power will, however, likely take several years.
Henri, a keen sportsman with a fortune estimated to be several billion dollars, took over the crown in 2000 after his father Jean abdicated following 36 years on the throne.
This is the beginning of a new chapter for our monarchy, says Prime Minister Luc Frieden about Sunday's announcement.
Luxembourg, with approximately 660,000 inhabitants, is a constitutional monarchy, but with limited power for the Grand Duke. Parliament stripped the monarchy of its legislative role in 2008 after Henri, who is Catholic, refused to sign a law on euthanasia.
The 42-year-old son Guillaume, whose official titles include Prince of Luxembourg and Prince of Nassau and Parma, is married to the Belgian aristocrat Stephanie de Lannoy.
The heir to the throne, who has two sons, has studied in Switzerland and at the British military academy Sandhurst.
The family has ruled in Luxembourg since 1890. Grand Duke Henri is also distantly related to the Swedish royal family. His grandmother was Queen Astrid of Belgium, formerly Princess Astrid of Sweden, and cousin to King Gustaf VI Adolf.
