If the most official part of the enthronement day ended with appearance in the balcony, the ceremonies were not over. After the luncheon offered at the Grand-Ducal Palace, at the same time that another one was offered by the Prime Minister to the special delegations representing their countries at the enthronement, the Grand-Duke and the Grand-Duchess were accompanied by the Prime Minister to the Palace of the “Cercle Municipal”, where all the delegations were presented to the Grand-Ducal Palace. The Grand-Duchess had now changed her wonderful long dress for a morning outfit, in orange, the colour of the House, while the Grand-Duke had changed his uniform for a morning coat.

At 4.30 pm, a Thanksgiving Service was held at the Cathedral Notre Dame de Luxembourg, in presence of the whole Government, Chamber of Deputies, the authorities of the Grand-Duchy, the Diplomatic Corps, as well as representatives of the country’s youth and other organizations. The first cortege left the Grand-Ducal Palace some minutes ahead of the ceremony and was composed by the siblings of the Grand-Couple couple. Princess Marie Astrid opened the cortege with her husband Archduke Carl Christian, followed by Princess Margaretha and Prince Jean with their spouses, and after came the siblings of the Grand-Duchess and their spouses. Grand-Duke Jean and Grand-Duchess Charlotte didn’t attend the ceremony, as didn’t the Belgian and Dutch sovereigns. After the entrance of the first cortege in the Cathedral, the Grand-Ducal Family left the Palace and proceeded through the streets, greeting all the thousands of people massed there.

At the entrance of the Cathedral they were greeted by the Archbishop and entered in procession, to the sound of the impressive organ. The service was conducted first in French and later in Latin, and included a reading reminding King Solomon’s devotion to God on the occasion of his enthronement. The perfect service, with wonderful music and in the wonderfully decorated Cathedral, full of Vatican and Luxembourg flags and with wonderful bunches of flowers, ended with the playing of the “Sonerie National” by the trumpets and then by the organ, then the hymn “Veni creator spiritus” and then the National Anthem. The Grand-Ducal Family went again in cortege through the streets to the palace, meeting those who greeted them and collecting cards and flowers.

After having changed clothes again, the Grand-Ducal Family went to the Town Hall, now in a more unstressed mood, meeting people and chatting to them, without barriers between them. In the Town Hall they were welcomed by the Mayor and signed the gold book, before returning to the people with whom they remained for long minutes, before returning, always on foot, to the Palace. There, again on the balcony, but just with their children, the Grand-Duke and Grand-Duchess assisted a small military concert, while greeting all those thousands of people who remained there despite the cold. The day ended then, when the Grand-Ducal Family returned to inside the Palace. It was the beginning of a reign which promises to be prosperous, the beginning of a new generation in the thrones of Europe.

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