25th Anniversary of Grand Duke Henri's Accession to the Throne

Grand Duke Henri in full-face portrait before the Grand Ducal Palace. Along the lower edge: the issuing state "LËTZEBUERG", the year "2025", and the designer's initials "MAF". The commemorative inscription "25. TROUNJUBILÄUM VUM GROUSSHERZOG HENRI" runs along the upper edge; the Paris Mint and Engraver-General Joaquin Jimenez's marks appear along the right edge.

This coin was also issued as a photorealistic strike in a mintage of just 2,500. Both the portrait of Grand Duke Henri and the Grand Ducal Palace were rendered photorealistically. This variant is only included in the official coin set.

When Grand Duke Henri succeeded his father Jean on 7 October 2000, he became head of state of one of the smallest but economically strongest countries in the European Union. As a constitutional monarchy, Luxembourg has been linked to the House of Nassau-Weilburg since the Congress of Vienna in 1815, and the continuity of this ruling line still shapes the Grand Duchy's political self-understanding today. Henri was born in Betzdorf in 1955, studied in Geneva and at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and served for many years as a member of the Council of State before his accession. His style of governing is regarded as consensus-oriented; domestically he has advocated for social balance, while abroad he has used his role as head of state for diplomatic initiatives, for instance in international development cooperation.

In the 25 years since his accession, Luxembourg has undergone profound social change: strong immigration has grown the population to more than 670,000, the financial and technology sectors have further cemented the country's position as a European business hub, and in 2015 Luxembourg became the first EU country to introduce same-sex marriage. Grand Duke Henri has accompanied these developments as a representative head of state, without exceeding the constitutional limits binding executive power to the elected government. The 2025 anniversary marks a quarter century of continuity at the head of state and offers an occasion to take stock of Henri's role in the context of modern Luxembourg history.