New Bust, Portraits of Grand Duke Guillaume Unveiled

On Thursday 15 January 2026, a new bust and portraits of Grand Duke Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stéphanie were unveiled at the National Museum of Archaeology, History and Art (MNAHA) in the former fish market neighbourhood of Luxembourg City.

The works of art were created to mark the change of reign on 3 October 2025, when Grand Duke Henri abdicated, leaving the way for his eldest son, Guillaume, to take over in what was termed "Trounwiessel", change of throne.

Traditionally, new portraits, etc., are commissioned by the Grand Duke's Household when there is a new Head of State in the Grand Duchy, with a new bust and three portraits of the Grand Duke, plus one portrait of the Grand Duchess.

The unveiling took place in the presence of the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess, Prime Minister Luc Frieden and Luxembourg City Mayor Lydie Polfer, as well as a small number of invited guests including the artists who created the various works.

The Marshal of the Court, Sasha Baillie, welcomed everyone (mainly in Luxembourgish, also in English) and introduced the speakers, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Claude Wiseler, and Luxembourg's Minister of Culture, Eric Thill.

Following the brief speeches in a small mezzanine area between floors, the formalities moved back up to the ground floor for the unveiling of the works of art.

The bust was created by the sculptor Serge Ecker who produced seven identical busts for installation in various official locations, i.e. ministries and professional chambers.

The creation of the portraits of Grand Duke Guillaume was entrusted to three artists: the painter Roland Schauls, as well as the British portrait artists Andrew Gow and Louise Pragnell, with the latter also creating the portrait of the Grand Duchess.

These works of art will be on display to the public at the National Museum from Friday 16 January to Sunday 1 February 2026. The exhibition, which is free to enter, is organised by the Grand Duke's Household in collaboration with the National Museum, with the support of the Chamber of Deputies and the Ministry of Culture.

After then, Andrew Gow's portrait of Grand Duke Guillaume will be moved to the plenary hall of the Chamber of Deputies, Luxembourg's parliament. The other portraits, including that of the Grand Duchess, will be hung in the Grand Ducal Palace, in the rooms open to the public each summer.

The locations of the busts have been confirmed to Chronicle.lu as the Grand Ducal Palace, the Chamber of Deputies, the Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber of Skilled Trades, the Council of State, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. One of the seven busts of Grand Duke Henri was installed outside the Grand Duchy, at the Luxembourg American Cultural Centre in Wisconsin, USA.