10 fun facts about Luxembourg and its royal family

The monarch's official birthday was declared a national holiday in Luxembourg in 1947 when Grand Duchess Charlotte (the current Grand Duke's grandmother) was on the throne. In 1961, instead of having the festivities take place on the monarch's actual birthday (January 23) it was decided that celebrations should take place five months later, on June 23, when the weather was better. Charlotte (pictured here with her husband, Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma) ruled for nearly 50 years. The holiday she instigated is celebrated annually with parades, fireworks and church services.

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Luxembourg’s National Day is akin to Britain’s Trooping the Colour. It celebrates the reigning monarch’s official birthday, even if it is nowhere close to the actual date of their birth. The present-day Grand Duke, Henri Albert Gabriel Félix Marie Guillaume, was actually born on April 16.

Luxembourg citizens are always keen to get the party started, so things kick off on the eve of National Day (June 22nd) with a solemn changing of the guard at the Grand-Ducal Palace, the Grand Duke’s official residence, around 4:00 in the afternoon.

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Following the more somber changing of the guard ceremony the nation lets loose with a fun-filled open air party featuring free concerts all over the city and an array of local treats like sausages, potato fritters and national beer and wine.

The Moselle valley, which passes through the eastern part of Luxembourg, is known for producing excellent wines from nine grape varieties: Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Auxerrois, Rivaner, Elbling and Chardonnay. Here royals Prince Guillome (the next heir to Luxembourg's throne) and his wife Princess Stephanie join in the festivities.

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This nation is one of the smallest countries in the world and the least populated country in the European Union. Touting a population of just over half a million people, Luxembourg is less than half the size of Prince Edward Island. The country also uses the Euro, speaks French, German and Luxembourgish and drives on the right side of the road.

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Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II visited Luxemburg in 1976 when the current Grand Duke’s father – Jean Benoît Guillaume Robert Antoine Louis Marie Adolphe Marc d'Aviano – was still on the throne. Jean reigned from November 1964 until October 2000, when he abdicated in favour of his son. Born on January 5, 1921 he is currently 95, the same age as the Duke of Edinburgh.

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Luxembourg’s current Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel (left), was the first gay EU leader to marry when he tied the knot with partner Gauthier Destenay in 2015. Xavier took political office in December 2013 after previously serving as mayor of the nation’s capital, Luxembourg City.

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Located in southern Luxembourg, the Grand-Ducal Palace is the Grand Duke's official residence. The building has previously served as the country's city hall, the headquarters for the government and the home of the governor before being internally renovated in 1883 and becoming the royal family's official residence in 1890. Much like Buckingham Palace, it is the Grand Duke's base for official functions, housing guests who are in Luxembourg for state visits and hosting royal receptions. The duke also broadcasts his Christmas message from the palace's yellow room every year on Christmas Eve.

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Prince Félix Léopold Marie Guillaume of Luxembourg, the Grand Duke's second son, married Claire Margareta Lademacher on September 17, 2013. The pair met while they were both studying in Switzerland. Their civil ceremony took place in Germany as it is customary for the bride to be married in her home country.

Here the happy couple are pictured with Felix's parents Marie and Henri (right) and the groom's grandfather and former Grand Duke Jean while the bride is supported by her own parents Hartmut and Gabriele Lademacher. In June 2014, the pair welcomed their adorable daughter Princess Amalia of Nassau, the youngest royal grandchild. The Grand Duke's third son Prince Louis Xavier Marie Guillaume of Luxembourg has two sons, Noah and Gabriel, with his wife Tessy.

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One of the country’s most famous attractions is the Bock Casemates — a 23-kilometer underground tunnel network which was originally used to shelter soldiers and their horses as well as house establishments like workshops, bakeries and kitchens. In 1867 the military withdrew from the shelter after neutrality was established. The attraction survives today because destroying the casemates would also have ruined parts of the surrounding city.

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Luxembourg's Grand Duke Henri and his wife the Grand Duchess Maria Teresa were among the 1900 guests who received one of the coveted invitations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding on April 29, 2011. Here the pair prepare to enter Westminster Abbey ahead of the nuptials. The proud parents enjoyed their own royal wedding when their oldest son, Guillaume, who is one year older than William, married Belgian Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy the following year.

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