Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg, the small European nation’s head of state, says he plans to abdicate the country’s throne—but won’t say when.
The Grand Duke said it was “obvious” that he “intends to retire at some point” in a Tuesday interview with French publication La Libre, saying that he made the decision in consultation with his family, including his eldest son and heir apparent, the Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume.
“All this is planned in family consultation” he told La Libre. “I find that it is very important to give young people a perspective.”
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The Grand Duke said he plans to happily hand the throne over to Guillaume when the time eventually comes.
“There are plans, it will happen,” he said.
When he was asked if he had picked a date for the abdication he said, “yes, but I won’t tell you that!”
Grand Duke Henri has been ruling the tiny, land-locked country since 2000, when his own father abdicated his seat. On Tuesday he celebrated his 69th birthday during a state visit to Belgium, a country headed by his first cousin King Phillipe.
“I am a happy man. But I could not choose my destiny,” the leader said.
Henri is just the latest European royal to consider abdication—the most high profile being Denmark’s Queen Margrethe, who decided late last year to give up her own country’s throne and hand the reins over to her son, Crown Prince Frederik.
