List of monarchs of Luxembourg facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The territory of Luxembourg has been led by different rulers throughout history. It was first governed by counts, then by dukes, and now by grand dukes. Luxembourg was part of the medieval Kingdom of Germany and later the Holy Roman Empire before it became an independent country in 1815.

Luxembourg's Early Rulers: Counts and Dukes
Images for kids
See also

Luxembourg's Early Rulers: Counts and Dukes

The Counts of Luxembourg

For many centuries, Luxembourg was known as a "county," and its leaders were called Counts. These counts played a big role in shaping the region.

The First Counts: House of Ardenne–Luxembourg

The story of Luxembourg's rulers begins with Siegfried, who became the first Count around 963. He is often seen as the founder of Luxembourg. His family, the House of Ardenne–Luxembourg, ruled for a long time, helping to establish the area.

Name	Reign	Relationship
Siegfried	963 – 998	Founder of the County
Henry I	998 – 1026	His son
Conrad I	1059 – 1086	His son

Note: Many other counts ruled during this period, continuing the family line.*

Later Counts: House of Luxembourg–Limburg

After several changes in ruling families, the House of Luxembourg–Limburg took over. One important ruler from this family was Henry V, known as "the Blond." He ruled from 1247 to 1281. His descendants continued to rule, including John "the Blind", a famous knight who was also King of Bohemia.

Name	Reign	Relationship
Henry V the Blond	1247 – 1281	Son of Ermesinde II
John the Blind	1313 – 1346	His grandson
Charles IV	1346 – 1353	His son

From County to Duchy: The Dukes of Luxembourg

In 1354, Luxembourg's status changed. It was no longer just a county but became a more important territory called a "duchy." This meant its rulers were now known as Dukes.

The First Dukes: House of Luxembourg-Limburg

Wenceslaus I was the first Duke of Luxembourg. He was the brother of Emperor Charles IV.

Image	Name	Reign	Relationship
	Wenceslaus I	1354 – 1383	First Duke
	Wenceslaus II the Lazy	1383 – 1388	His nephew

Changes in Leadership: Valois-Burgundy and Habsburg

Over the next centuries, Luxembourg saw many changes in its rulers. The Duchy was sold to Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1441, though he only officially became Duke later. His son, Charles II "the Bold", officially took the title in 1467.

Later, in 1482, Luxembourg became part of the powerful House of Habsburg family. This family ruled large parts of Europe. After Emperor Charles V stepped down, the Spanish branch of the Habsburgs ruled Luxembourg.

Image	Name	Reign	Relationship
	Philip I "the Good"	1443 – 1467	Acquired Luxembourg
	Charles II "the Bold"	1467 – 1477	His son

Name	Reign	Relationship
Philip II "the Handsome"	1482 – 1506	Son of Mary I and Maximilian I
Charles III "the Golden"	1506 – 1556	His son
Philip III "the Prudent"	1556 – 1598	His son

Note: Luxembourg was also ruled by the Austrian branch of the Habsburgs and briefly by the House of Bourbon and House of Wittelsbach during conflicts like the War of Spanish Succession.*

Between 1794 and 1813, French revolutionaries occupied Luxembourg. After this period, at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Luxembourg was given a new, higher status: it became a "Grand Duchy." It was then linked to the Netherlands under the House of Orange-Nassau.

The Grand Dukes of Luxembourg

Today, Luxembourg is the only country in the world that is still a sovereign grand duchy. This means its head of state is a Grand Duke or Grand Duchess.

The Luxembourg constitution explains the Grand Duke's role:

The grand duke is the head of state, a symbol of its unity, and a protector of national independence. He uses executive power according to the Constitution and the country's laws.

While the Grand Duke once had a lot of power, today their role is mostly symbolic. They represent the country and act on the advice of the government. This change happened gradually, with important updates to the constitution in 1919.

House of Orange-Nassau

The first Grand Dukes of Luxembourg were also Kings of the Netherlands. They belonged to the House of Orange-Nassau.

Name	Reign	Relationship
Willem I	1815 – 1840	First Grand Duke
Willem II	1840 – 1849	His son
Willem III	1849 – 1890	His son

House of Nassau-Weilburg

When Grand Duke William III passed away in 1890, he had no sons, only a daughter, Wilhelmina. While Wilhelmina became Queen of the Netherlands, Luxembourg had a special rule called the "Nassau Family Pact." This rule meant that if there were no male heirs in the direct line, the crown would pass to a male from another branch of the Nassau family.

So, the crown of Luxembourg went to Adolphe, who was from the Nassau-Weilburg branch.

Later, Adolphe's son, William IV, also had no sons. He made sure that his eldest daughter, Marie-Adélaïde, could become Grand Duchess. She was the first female ruler of Luxembourg.

After Marie-Adélaïde stepped down in 1919, her younger sister, Charlotte, became Grand Duchess. Her descendants have ruled Luxembourg ever since.

Name and Reign	Birth	Marriages	Death	Succession
Adolphe 1890 – 1905	24 July 1817 Wiesbaden (Prussia)	(1) Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia (2) Princess Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau [5 children]	17 November 1905 Colmar-Berg	William III's cousin
William IV 1905 – 1912	22 April 1852 Wiesbaden (Prussia)	Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal [6 children]	25 February 1912 Colmar-Berg	His eldest child
Marie-Adélaïde 1912 – 1919 (abdicated)	14 June 1894 Colmar-Berg	Unmarried [childless]	24 January 1924 Lenggries (Germany)	His eldest daughter
Charlotte 1919 – 1964 (abdicated)	23 January 1896 Colmar-Berg	Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma [6 children]	9 July 1985 Fischbach	Her second daughter
Jean 1964 – 2000 (abdicated)	5 January 1921 Colmar-Berg	Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium [5 children]	23 April 2019 Luxembourg City	Her eldest child
Henri 2000 – 2025 (abdicated)	16 April 1955 Betzdorf	María Teresa Mestre y Batista [5 children]	living	His eldest son
Guillaume V 2025 – present	11 November 1981	Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy [2 children]	living	His eldest son