Grand Duke of Luxembourg Abdicates, but His 5-Year-Old Grandson Hijacks the Ceremony

Prince Louis isn’t the only young royal stealing the spotlight!

On Oct. 3, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg officially stepped down, making way for his eldest son, Grand Duke Guillaume, in a voluntary abdication. The move came less than a year after Henri, 70, announced he would step aside during the 25th year of his reign, with the transition formalized in a ceremony at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City.

Grand Duke Guillaume, 43, and his wife, the new Grand Duchess Stéphanie, are parents to sons Prince Charles, 5, and Prince François, 2. Prince Charles charmed guests at the swearing-in ceremony in the Chamber of Deputies, proving the next generation of royals knows how to shine.

Fan blog Gert’s Royals spotted a playful moment during the ceremony: Prince Charles, 5, was busy fiddling with his shoes, and his grandmother, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, had to help re-tie the laces!

Cameras also captured another moment when the little prince perked up during the ceremony when his name was mentioned, which made his parents and grandparents laugh.

Though only 5, Prince Charles is now the heir to the throne following his grandfather’s abdication and his father’s accession.

While the young royal was on his best behavior throughout the big day, the adorable antics didn’t stop there.

The royal family then appeared on the palace balcony, where Charles cuddled close to his dad and his younger brother François checked out the crowd.

Charles also had a tender moment with his mom when they stepped onto the courtyard, putting his hands over his ears to block out the sound.

Starting today, Grand Duke Guillaume, 43, now heads the royal house, and Friday’s ceremonies kick off a full weekend of royal pageantry around the accession. 

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Members from nearby royal houses of Europe came to support the big day, with King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Princess Catharina-Amalia coming from the Netherlands, and King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and Princess Elisabeth representing Belgium.