Luxembourg marks its National Day on 23 June with a torchlight procession, fireworks and a military parade. In 2026 the celebration carries added weight: it is the first since Grand Duke Guillaume V took the throne from his father last October.
Luxembourg is the only sovereign grand duchy on Earth, a constitutional monarchy where the Grand Duke is head of state but governs almost nothing. The 2023 constitution clarified that he promulgates laws rather than approves them. In October 2025, Grand Duke Henri abdicated and his son became Grand Duke Guillaume V. Real power lies with the 60-member Chamber of Deputies and a government led by Prime Minister Luc Frieden.
On 3 October 2025, Henri signed the Act of Abdication at the Grand Ducal Palace in front of the Belgian and Dutch monarchs, and his son Guillaume was sworn in as Grand Duke at the Chamber of Deputies the same day.
Tuesday 23 June 2026 will be the first National Day celebration since the October 2025 abdication of Grand Duke Henri. Festivities open the night before with the torchlight Fakelzuch and OneRepublic on the Glacis.