2 Euro BU

Henri was born in 1955 as the eldest son of the then Hereditary Grand Duke Jean and the Belgian Princess Joséphine-Charlotte. After his father abdicated, Henri became Grand Duke of Luxembourg on 7 October 2000. He is thus the head of state of a constitutional monarchy. Political decision-making lies with Parliament and the Government; the Grand Duke primarily performs constitutional and representative duties. The dynasty belongs to the House of Nassau-Weilburg.

The Grand Duchy has existed in its present constitutional form since the 19th century. Following the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Luxembourg was initially linked to the Dutch royal house in personal union. When Queen Wilhelmina ascended the throne in the Netherlands in 1890, the Luxembourg crown passed to the Nassau-Weilburg line owing to the succession rules in force there. Since then, the monarchy has been a visible element of Luxembourg’s state independence.

The monarch’s monogram is a traditional emblem of state authority. It usually consists of the initial of the name and a crown and is used to identify the reigning monarch. Such monograms appear, among other places, on public buildings, documents or at ceremonial occasions. On the coin, it complements the portrait with a dynastic and state symbol.

The issue fell in the first year in which the states of the euro area were permitted to mint their own 2-euro commemorative coins for circulation. For its first such issue, Luxembourg did not choose a historical anniversary, but rather a depiction of the head of state. The design thus followed the regular Luxembourg euro coins, which also feature Henri.

The scheduled issue date, 23 June, is Luxembourg’s national holiday. On this day, the Grand Duke’s official birthday is traditionally celebrated, regardless of his actual date of birth. The choice of date therefore establishes a direct link between the coin issue, the monarchy and the national holiday.