The symbols of the dynasty

The coat of arms

Upon Grand Duke Henri's accession to the throne, the new sovereign established his small, medium and great coat of arms, which replaced those used since 1898. The new coat of arms is confined to the essential elements, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Nassau family. Reproducing the details of the national coat of arms of the Grand Duchy, the new coat of arms of Grand Duke Henri reflects the views of a modern Head of State aware of present political realities.

The anthem

The Wilhelmus (Mpeg, 1.06 Mb) is the anthem of the grand-ducal house. It is performed when one of the members of the grand-ducal family arrives at or leaves a ceremony. The anthem is inspired by a trumpet call or a cavalry fanfare

The first Luxembourgish text of the Wilhelmus was published by Willy Goergen in 1915 to commemorate the centenary of the Congress of Vienna.

The Luxembourgish writer Nik Welter found the inspiration to create the anthem for the House of Luxembourg-Nassau-Bourbon on the occasion of the wedding of Grand Duchess Charlotte and Prince Félix in 1919. He subsequently removed the first verse, which was marked too strongly by the events of the period.

The national holiday

The National Day (Nationalfeierdag) is an opportunity to experience Luxembourg's traditions while participating in activities organised for all audiences. 23 June is celebrated as a national holiday every year, but the festivities start the evening before, on 22 June, with a solemn changing of the guard in front of the grand-ducal palace at around 4 pm.

From a historical point of view, the Grand Duchy has been independent, with a dynasty of its own, for only a relatively short period of time. During the 19th century, the Luxembourg people celebrated theirnational day on Kinneksdag (namely the birthday of the King of the Netherlands).

The country’s first real national day in a patriotic sense was the Groussherzoginsgebuertsdag , the birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte . Given that the anniversary fell on 23 January, it was transferred in 1962 to a more summery date — 23 June. Ever since Grand Duke Jean ascended the throne in  1964, 23 June has continued to be celebrated as the country’s National Day.