Luxembourg has enthroned a new head of state on Friday, after Grand Duke Henri abdicated the throne to his son Guillaume.

Grand Duke Henri, 70, ended his 25-year reign of the small European nation, with a population of about 680,000 people, in a ceremony at the Grand Ducal Palace.

The 43-year-old Guillaume was then crowned after swearing an oath to Luxembourg's constitution in front of guests, including representatives from the Dutch and Belgian royal families.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, will be among those attending a gala dinner in Luxembourg City later Friday.

Grand Duke Guillaume not expected to change status quo

Although Guillaume is almost 30 years younger than his father, the new head of state is not expected to change a great deal in the nation.

The head of state of the world's last remaining grand duchy enacts laws and performs representative functions. 

However, many expect the 43-year-old to offer a slightly warmer touch to the job. 

Luxembourg is one of the European Union's smallest nations and its richest per capita, seen as a financial powerhouse that hosts important EU institutions like the European Court of Justice and the European Investment Bank.

Transition began in 2024

Grand Duke Henri began a transition period in 2024 after saying he wished to "slow down." 

Guillaume, who has two sons, was educated in Luxembourg and Switzerland before attending Sandhurst Military School in the United Kingdom.

He then earned a double degree in arts and political science from the University of Angers in France. 

After he is sworn in on Friday, the new grand duke greeted the public from a balcony overlooking a central square. Over the weekend, he will take a traditional tour of the small nation concluding with Sunday Mass at the Catholic Notre-Dame de Luxembourg cathedral.

Edited by Wesley Dockery