As Grand Duke Henri officially transfers power to his son, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume this afternoon in Luxembourg, let’s refresh on what this means, what to expect today, and what this means for the future of the Grand Ducal Family.

The Grand Duke Announces His Plans

Back in June, on his official birthday, Grand Duke Henri announced his intention to make his eldest son and heir Lieutenant-Representative.

In a shock statement, the Grand Duke declined to reveal why he is beginning the process of abdicating the throne, but said that “with all my love and trust, I wish [Guillaume] a happy hand with all my heart. Let us look to the future with optimism, knowing that only together can we achieve great things.

“Vive Lëtzebuerg, vive Europe.”

The date was set for 8 October.

What is a Lieutenant-Representative?

Constitutionally, this is the first step for the monarch to step down in Luxembourg. It’s the transfer of power from the Grand Duke to his or her heir, and denotes that an abdication is forthcoming.

What this means for Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume is that, from 8 October, he’ll be responsible for the day-to-day work on behalf of the Grand Ducal Family and the government. He’ll be in charge of swearing in minsters, attending meetings and official functions, and he’ll also be tasked with representing Luxembourg on the global stage.

It’s a dress rehearsal, in layman’s terms, of what’s to come with Grand Duke Henri’s eventual abdication.

According to the Luxembourg Constitution: “The Grand Duke may be represented by a Prince or Princess of the blood, who will have the title of Lieutenant of the Grand Duke and must reside in the Grand Duchy. The Lieutenant-Representative takes an oath to observe the Constitution before exercising his powers”

From 8 October, Guillaume’s title will be Lieutenant-Representative and Henri’s will still be Grand Duke. But it indicates that the day is coming, however soon, when Guillaume will succeed his father as Grand Duke.

For context, Grand Duke Henri became Lieutenant-Representative for his late father, Grand Duke Jean, in 1998 and served in the position for nearly three years before he succeeded on 7 October 2000.

How Will the Transfer of Power Take Place?

On Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. in Luxembourg, Grand Duke Henri and Prime Minister Luc Freiden will convene at the Grand Ducal Palace to sign the paperwork that grants Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume the powers of Lieutenant-Representative.

Thirty minutes later, at the Chamber of Deputies, Guillaume will officially be sworn in at a special ceremony. He will be required to take an oath upon the Constitution that he will carry out his duties as requested.

From there, the Grand Ducal Family members in attendance will return, by foot, to the Grand Ducal Palace.

What Does This Mean for the Future?

In short, after the ceremony, much of the day-to-day in Luxembourg will happen under the watch and say-so of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume. He just won’t have the full titles and powers until his father abdicates.

Grand Duke Henri has yet to give an official reason for why he’s chosen to begin the process of stepping back now.

Before abdication became de rigeur in Europe in the mid 2010s, Luxembourg was only one of a handful of monarchies where it had been established practice. The Netherlands and Liechtenstein are the other two.

No titles officially change tomorrow aside from Guillaume gaining that of Lieutenant-Representative; but when Grand Duke Henri does eventually abdicate—when, not if—that will make Prince Charles the Hereditary Grand Duke.

You can follow all of the transition ceremony events on the Grand Ducal Family’s website.