History of Luxemburg

Luxembourg, founded in 963, was ruled by Burgundy, Spain, Austria, and France from 1448 until 1815, when the Wener Congress made it a grand duchy. It was part of the Germanic Confederation until 1866. The western part of the country was ceded to Belgium in 1839 (the Belgian province of Luxembourg). Disputes over the ownership of Luxembourg, between the Netherlands and Germany, were solved in 1867 when it was decided at the London Conference that the country would remain a politically neutral area associated with the Netherlands. This union ended in 1890 when Wilhelmina, as a woman, was unable to inherit the Luxembourg crown, which passed to Count Adolf van Nassau. A customs and trade union with Belgium and the Netherlands was adopted in 1948 (Benelux), ending Luxembourg's neutrality. Luxembourg became a charter member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1949.

The present sovereign, Grand Duke Jean, succeeded his mother, Grand Duchess Charlotte, on November 12, 1964. Grand Duke Jean's eldest son, Prince Henry, heir to the throne of Luxembourg, was appointed "Lieutenant Representant" (Deputy Grand Duke) on March 4, 1998. During an unspecified transition period, Henri will gradually take over the Grand Duke's constitutional duties.