Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg unveils first snaps of his son Prince Francois

Share this @internewscast.com

The Crown Prince and Princess of Luxembourg have shared the first adorable photos of their new baby son, Prince François.

François, who is the second child of the Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume, 41, and the Hereditary Grand Duchess Stéphanie of Luxembourg, 39, was born on Monday morning.

In the sweet snaps released today, the newborn prince can be seen resting in the palm of his father’s hand in a white baby suit with a striped bib.

One of the pictures shows a black and white still of the Crown Prince and Princess looking adoringly at their new baby, while Stephanie gives him a gentle kiss on the forehead.

The caption of the photos on the court’s official Instagram account read: ‘The Crown Prince and Princess are delighted to share the first photos of Prince François with you.

The Crown Prince and Princess of Luxembourg have shared the first adorable photos of their new baby son, Prince François

In the adorable photographs, the newborn can be seen resting in Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume’s hands

‘They are deeply grateful for the kind messages they have received on the occasion of their second child’s birth.’

After François’ birth, the court released a statement saying: ‘Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are delighted to announce the birth of their son at the Maternité Grande-Duchesse Charlotte in Luxembourg on Monday, 27th March 2023 at 10:04 am.

‘The newborn Prince will be named François Henri Luis Marie Guillaume. He weights 3.575 kg and measures 53 cm.

‘Princess Stéphanie and her child are both healthy and well.

‘The Crown Prince, the Crown Princess and his brother Prince Charles are looking forward to introducing Prince François to you.’

The Marshall of the Court also added that the birth will be recognised with a gun salute of 21 rounds and that members of the public can sign a digital book of congratulations or a book at the guardhouse of the Grand Ducal Palace.

François is the third in line to the throne after his father, Prince Guillaume and his brother Prince Charles, two.

Prince Guillaume shared his joy at the birth of his second son in an interview earlier this week, saying: ‘It is always a very happy moment when such an event takes place in a family.

‘The birth of Prince François went very well and his mother is doing well.

‘For us, it is now a great joy to be able to hold this little baby in our arms.

François is the third in line to the throne after his father, Prince Guillaume and his brother Prince Charles

Members of the public can sign a digital book of congratulations or a book at the guardhouse of the Grand Ducal Palace

Charles often steals the show while out on royal engagements (pictured at an event organised by Scouting in Luxembourg in 2022)

‘He is already so sweet. It is truly one of the most beautiful moments a family can share.’

The pair welcomed their first child, Prince Charles, at the height of the pandemic in May 2020 and he was first introduced to his grandparents, the Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa, over a video call.

When the couple announced last year that they would be having a second baby, they told RTL that Charles was ‘especially overjoyed’.

‘He has been saying “Mummy, baby!” for a few weeks now, it’s adorable,’ Princess Stephanie added.

Guillaume explained that the birth of François was ‘quite different’ than for his brother.

He explained: ‘My father very kindly took the car and picked Charles up from home and Charles was able to spend the whole day with his grandparents…while we were in the maternity ward concentrating on the birth of François.’

Speaking of when Charles first heard that François had been born, Guillaume added: ‘He was so excited to meet him, he turned and went straight up to him.

‘It brought such joy to both us and my parents.’

The history of Luxembourg’s royal family

Luxembourg is a constitutional monarchy in which the Grand Duke holds executive power and bills only become law with his signature.

Its monarchy is one of the youngest in Europe and began in 1815 following the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

Full independence under the Grand Dukes came just under 20 years later, when the Treaty of London enshrined Luxembourg’s existence in international law and ended years of rule by the Burgundians, French, Prussians and the Dutch.

Although part of Luxembourg was later incorporated into what would, in 1839, become Belgium, the country remained intact through the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and the First and Second World Wars.

In 1890 the grand duchy passed to Adolf, Duke of Nassau who ruled until 1905 – he was famed for his efforts to strengthen the territory’s autonomy.

But, during the war, Luxembourg was occupied by German troops. The royal family fled and a government-in-exile was established in London.

In 1964 Grand Duchess Charlotte abdicated in favour of her son, who becomes Grand Duke Jean.

In 2000, Crown Prince Henri became Grand Duke of Luxembourg on the abdication of his father, Jean. Crown Prince Henri remains in his position today.

Much of the executive power lies with the prime minister – a grand duke appointee – and his cabinet. The duchy’s figurehead remains a powerful and influential figure.

Source: DailyMail UK