On the eve of Luxembourg National Day and the day itself this 22 and 23 June 2016, the Grand Ducal family will be taking part in a variety of festivities in Esch-sur-Alzette, Troisvierges and Luxembourg City.

The celebrations will behind on 22 June 2016 with the changing of the guard in front of the Grand Ducal Palace, accompanied by the Military Band under the direction of head Major Jean-Claude Braun.

TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess will visit Troisvierges this year, where they will be hosted at the place de la Mairie by several government ministers, including Romain Schneider, Fernand Etgen and Mark Hansen, as well as Secretary of State for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure, Camille Gira, and Deputy Mayor of the town of Troisvierges, Edy Mertens.

A wreath will be laid at the war memorial next to the town hall, before a procession to the parish church Saint-André de Troisvierges, a national monument, where the delegation will learn about the history of the church and will hear an organ concert. The Grand Ducal couple will also visit the Tony Bourg library; the cultural centre; where mayor Edy Mertens will deliver a speech; as well as the culinary village where they will be able to meet people and taste international culinary delicacies.

Meanwhile, TRH the Hereditary Grand Duke and Hereditary Grand Duchess will take part in the festivities planned for Esch-sur-Alzette, the country's second largest city, where they will be welcomed at the place de la Résistance by the city mayor, Vera Spautz and the college of aldermen, as well as government officials such as Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel and president of the Chamber of Deputies, Mars Di Bartolomeo.

The couple will also lay a wreath of flowers at the foot of a war memorial, before heading to the town hall to follow the parade of forty associations of the city. The Escher Volleksfest will take place later in the day, where the couple will light the traditional campfire of the Luxembourg Scouts.

That evening, the Prime Minister will give a traditional speech, whilst TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, accompanied by their children, will attend the festivities held in Luxembourg City. They will be greeted by the City Mayor and Lydie Polfer, first deputy mayor, Sam Tanson at the intersection of rue de l'ancien Ethénée and boulevard F.D. Roosevelt, before a serenade from the Military Band and the traditional torchlit procession led by firefighters, Guides ad Scouts, local assoication and companies from the City of Luxembourg, and percussion, music, song and folklore groups.

Thursday 23 June 2016

On the day of the national holiday, an official ceremony will be held at the Philharmonie Luxembourg, bringing together members of the Grand Ducal family, government members, MPs and representatives of the college of aldermen of Luxembourg City, the State Council, the judiciary and the diplomatic corps accredited to the Luxembourg Head of State.

The Wilhelmus will be executed by the military band to the arrival of the Grand Ducal family at the Philharmonie. HRH the Grand Duke, Mars Di Bartolomeo and Xavier Bezzel will deliver a speech before presenting awards to personalities from the civilian world. The musical accompaniment will be provided by the Orchestre philharmonique du Luxembourg, the Institut européen de chant choral Luxembourg (INECC), the chamber choir Pueri Cantores and the Conservatoire de la Ville de Luxembourg.

The taking up of arms on avenue de la Liberté will take place under the command of Colonel Yves Kalmes, commander of the ceremony and the Diekirch Military Centre. It will be composed of detachments of the army and the Grand Ducal police and civilian detachments, with the troops to be reviewed by Chief of Staff of the Army, General Romain Mancinelli, CEO of the Grand Ducal Police, Philippe Schrantz, and Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Internal Security, Minister of Defence, Étienne Schenider, as well as HRH the Grand Duke. An interpretation of the national anthem will be followed by a ceremonial parade of various bodies and associations.

A solemn Te Deum will be celebrated in the Notre-Dame cathedral in Luxembourg in the presence of members of the Grand Ducal family, government officials, MPs and national authorities.

It will be celebrated by Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich Archbishop of Luxembourg, Alain Nacache, Chief Rabbi of Luxembourg, Muhamed Rizvic, imam of the Muslim community, and Metropolitan Athenagoras, Exarch of the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The Te Deum will be sung by Master of the Notre-Dame Cathedral under the direction of Marc Hostert, with Paul Breish on the great organ. A set of trumpeters from the Military Band will perform the national anthem.

 

Photo by Philip Munn