Credit: Ali Sahib

Luxembourg marked its National Day (i.e. the Grand Duke's official birthday) with two days of celebrations across the country on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 June 2023.

As is tradition, festivities kicked off on National Day Eve (22 June), with the Changing of the Guard in front of the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg-Ville. This was followed by visits by members of the Grand Ducal family to different parts of Luxembourg: Their Royal Highnesses Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa visited Grevenmacher in the east of the country, whilst Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke, and Princess Stéphanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess, visited Esch-sur-Alzette in southern Luxembourg.

The National Day Eve celebrations continued with the traditional torchlit parade through Luxembourg City and concluded with a fireworks display over Adolphe Bridge.

On the morning of National Day itself (23 June), the official ceremony took place at the Philharmonie in Luxembourg-Kirchberg, in the presence of members of the Grand Ducal family, MPs, members of government, the Council of State, the judiciary, the municipal council of the City of Luxembourg (Ville de Luxembourg) and diplomats accredited to Luxembourg, among other guests. The Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra (OPL) and the Luxembourg Chamber Choir as well as the "Pueri Cantores" of the Conservatoire de Luxembourg performed on this occasion; as the ceremony came to a close, they played both the European Anthem and Luxembourg's national anthem, "Ons Heemecht" (Our Homeland).

In addition to speeches by Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Chamber of Deputies (parliament) President Fernand Etgen (topics included the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia's war against Ukraine and inflation and the energy crisis), Grand Duke Henri delivered a speech in which he emphasised the importance of democratic values (referencing both the local and national elections in Luxembourg this year and the war in Ukraine). He described the Golden Lady (Gëlle Fra) statue, which celebrated its 100th anniversary recently, as a symbol of resistance. The Grand Duke recalled that the COVID-19 pandemic was behind us, but not forgotten. He emphasised the importance of climate action and touched upon the energy crisis. He praised Luxembourg's diversity, describing the ability to "live and work together" as a strength, and highlighted the important role played by cross-border workers.

The official ceremony was also an opportunity to present honorary distinctions to civilians having made a difference in society, namely: Kelvin Josue Alvarado Oliva, who saved an individual from a burning vehicle in 2022; Luxembourgish "strongman" Georges Christen for his volunteer work at Caritas, among other organisations; young footballer Leandro Barreiro Martins for his contribution to the sport; cultural journalist Christiane Kremer; Monique Mille (best known for her work in theatre and cabaret) for her volunteer work at a CIPA retirement home; René Elvinger, CEO of Cebi Group, for his volunteer work, particularly for elderly people.

On Friday afternoon, following the traditional 21 cannon blast salute at the Fetschenhaff, a military parade passed along Avenue de la Liberté. Participants in the parade included, among others, the Luxembourg Army, the Grand Ducal Police, the Customs and Excise Agency, the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) and the Luxembourg Red Cross. Several aircraft flew over the parade at low altitude.

Later in the afternoon, the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg-Ville hosted a solemn Te Deum, in the presence of the Grand Ducal family and the national authorities.

The traditional and official National Day festivities were accompanied by various activities around the country, with many municipalities holding their own celebrations. In Luxembourg City, the City Sounds open-air concert series (part of the "Summer in the City" programme) brought the crowds to Glacis in Luxembourg-Limpertsberg on both days: on Thursday, there were performances by Lost Frequencies (Belgium), as well as Wade (Spain) and Flavour Trip (Luxembourg); on Friday, The 1975 (UK) and The Script (Ireland) took the stage, as did Luxembourg acts Francis of Delirium and Ice In My Eyes.

The 1975 at City Sounds (Credit: Jazmin Campbell/Chronicle.lu)