Luxembourg · 200th anniversary of the birth of Prince Henri

The honoree was a member of the House of Orange-Nassau. He was a son of the Dutch King Willem II and the Russian Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna, as well as a younger brother of King Willem III. He initially pursued a career in the Dutch navy. His sea voyages took him, among other places, to the former Dutch colonial territories; he later attained the rank of admiral. He was therefore also referred to as “the Seafarer.”

For Luxembourg, his role as Governor is particularly significant. From 1850 until his death, he represented his brother Willem III there, who was simultaneously King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg. This connection was based on the personal union established in 1815: the two countries had the same head of state but remained legally separate states. Prince Henri was therefore not himself Grand Duke, but carried out representational and administrative duties locally on behalf of the monarch. Schloss Walferdingen, north of the capital, served as his residence.

His term of office fell during a period in which Luxembourg’s position as a state was becoming more firmly established. During the Luxembourg Crisis of 1867, France and Prussia disputed the future of the Grand Duchy and its strategically important fortress. The Treaty of London confirmed Luxembourg’s neutrality; subsequently, large parts of the fortifications were dismantled. At the same time, the railway, industry and state institutions developed. A private railway company and its network bore the name “Prinz-Heinrich-Bahn.”

The choice of the anniversary as the occasion for the coin is explained by this connection with Luxembourg, which lasted almost three decades, and by the dynastic continuity of the House of Nassau. The juxtaposition with the reigning Grand Duke also places the former Governor within the history of the Luxembourg monarchy. His milestone birthday provided the specific occasion for the issue in 2020.