Luxembourg Marks First National Day of Grand Duke Guillaume's Reign Under a Red Heat Warning

Luxembourg celebrated its National Day on Tuesday, 23 June, with the first official Fête Nationale of Grand Duke Guillaume's reign — a day of pomp, prayer and patriotism that played out against an exceptional heatwave and a national red weather warning.

The Grand Duchy's defining civic occasion carried unusual weight this year. It was the first National Day since the throne passed from Grand Duke Henri to his eldest son, who acceded on 3 October 2025 after Henri's abdication. Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stéphanie presided as the reigning couple for the first time over a programme that ran from the eve of 22 June into the formal ceremonies of the 23rd.

A new reign's first National Day

The centrepiece was a solemn ceremony at the Philharmonie Luxembourg on the morning of 23 June, attended by more than 1,000 guests, among them members of the Chamber of Deputies, the Council of State, the judiciary and the diplomatic corps. On arrival, the grand-ducal couple was received by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Claude Wiseler, Prime Minister Luc Frieden and the mayor of Luxembourg City, Lydie Polfer.

Addresses by Guillaume, Frieden and Wiseler framed the morning, alongside the conferral of honorary distinctions for civic, economic, sporting and cultural service. Among those decorated was the Luxembourg actress Vicky Krieps, made an officer of the Order of the Oak Crown. A new work commissioned from the violinist-composer Jean-Jacques Mailliet premiered during the ceremony.

In his first National Day address, Guillaume returned to the themes of continuity, youth and democratic responsibility, framing the nation as something sustained less by ceremony than by the values passed between generations.

"A nation lives through its institutions, its history, its symbols and its traditions. But above all, it lives through its people and through what is passed from generation to generation: its values, its sense of responsibility towards our country and our fellow citizens, and its confidence in a shared future." — Grand Duke Guillaume, speaking at the Philharmonie

Turning to the wars at Europe's edge, the Grand Duke cautioned that, with conflict once again gripping the continent, "we can no longer take peace in our part of Europe for granted" — a pointed nod to Ukraine in an address otherwise devoted to tradition and shared citizenship.

Salute, parade and a multi-faith Te Deum

The ceremonial day followed a long-established choreography:

• A 21-gun salute at Fetschenhaff, in honour of the Grand Duke;
• The presentation of arms and the military parade along Avenue de la Liberté from midday, commanded by Colonel Alain Schoeben, the commander of the armed forces;
• A low-altitude fly-past featuring an Airbus H145M helicopter, an Airbus A330 MRTT and a Belgian Air Force A400M.

The parade brought together detachments of the Luxembourg Army, the Grand Ducal Police, Customs and Excise, the prison administration, the CGDIS rescue corps and the Luxembourg Red Cross, joined by a French Army detachment and civilian music societies. In the late afternoon, the grand-ducal couple attended the traditional Te Deum at Notre-Dame Cathedral. In a reflection of Luxembourg's pluralism, the service brought together Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich, Chief Rabbi Alain Nacache, Hafiz ef. Hilmija Redžić of the Muslim community and Volker Beba of the Protestant Church.

Festivities in a record heat

The celebrations unfolded under one of the most severe heatwaves in years. MeteoLux, the national weather service, placed the country under a red heat warning, with daytime temperatures reaching the upper 30s Celsius — up to 38°C in the south — and little overnight relief as warm tropical air settled over the region. Forecasters warned the episode could rival the deadly heatwave of 2003.

The eve of National Day on 22 June drew large crowds regardless. After the changing of the guard at the Grand Ducal Palace, a torchlight procession — the Fakelzuch — of some 2,800 participants wound through the upper town, before a 17-minute fireworks display was launched from the Pont Adolphe over the Pétrusse valley at 11 p.m.

Authorities adapted to the conditions. The CGDIS deployed reinforced teams, reassigning trainee firefighters from parade duties to medical standby, while the city guaranteed free drinking water at the Glacis through fountains and stands, and the government reinforced operational coordination from the National Crisis Centre in Senningen. "The context is exceptional, with very high temperatures both day and night," said Cédric Gantzer, a spokesman for the CGDIS. Officials nonetheless expected the capital to fill. "We will still have a lot of people here in the city," predicted commander Annick Baustert as the festivities began.

By nightfall, the calculation had held: a new monarch's first National Day observed in full, its crowds undiminished and its rituals intact — even as the Grand Duchy sweltered under a sky bleached white by the heat.