Some royal arrivals happen by motorcade. Luxembourg’s grand ducal couple prefers the river. On Friday 2 October, Grand Duke Guillaume and Grand Duchess Stephanie glided into the village of Ehnen aboard the M.S. Princesse Marie-Astrid, waving to crowds from the upper deck as their third Joyeuse Entree unfolded along the Moselle.
The Joyeuse Entree, or “joyous entry,” is one of Europe’s loveliest surviving traditions: when a new sovereign takes the throne, he and his consort tour the country to meet the people in person. Its roots reach back to the Middle Ages. Guillaume announced the tour in his first Christmas address, promising five regional visits across 2026 and 2027. After Esch-sur-Alzette in April and Troisvierges in July, the east of the country got its turn, on the very eve of the first anniversary of his accession.
An Arrival Steeped in History
The choice of boat was no accident. The M.S. Princesse Marie-Astrid is named for Princess Marie-Astrid, the sister of Grand Duke Henri and aunt of the new Grand Duke, and it sails waters heavy with European history. On 14 June 1985, five countries signed the Schengen Agreement aboard the original M.S. Marie-Astrid as it floated on this same river, agreeing to gradually abolish checks at their common borders. West Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg changed Europe from a Moselle deck.
Friday’s journey began at the quay in Wormeldange, where the couple was welcomed by Chamber of Deputies president Claude Wiseler, Economy Minister Lex Delles, and Wormeldange mayor Claude Pundel. Representatives of the region’s communes and invited citizens joined the crossing. The mayor gave a welcome address, the couple signed the golden book, and then the boat turned toward Ehnen, a village section of the Wormeldange commune in the canton of Grevenmacher, where the Moselle forms the natural border with Germany.
A Village Turned Festival
At the “Puddel” landing stage in Ehnen, with entertainment unfolding on the river itself, Guillaume and Stephanie greeted the population from the ship’s upper deck before stepping ashore to a welcome by the children of the Billek primary school. What followed was pure Moselle: the “Miseler Genoss” market, where local winegrowers, tourism operators, young people, Scouts, and volunteers showed off the crafts, traditions, and forward-looking projects of a region proud of its identity.
The visit was placed under the sign of closeness, community engagement, cultural richness, and innovation. And it delivered at least one unforgettable encounter: the Grand Duke met Luxembourg’s oldest resident, a 107-year-old doyenne, a living century of the country’s history shaking hands with its new head of state.
As the court’s account put it afterward: a big thank you to Ehnen. Or in the Luxembourgish of the original post: “E grousse MERCI Einen.”
A Reign on the Move
The Moselle visit caps a remarkable fortnight for the grand ducal couple. Days earlier they hosted Finland’s presidential couple at a white-tie state banquet in the Grand Ducal Palace. The Grand Duchess championed families in need at the Pro Familia foundation, and together the couple backed the fight against poverty at ATD Quart Monde.
Two more Joyeuses Entrees remain on the schedule: Beckerich and Mersch in 2027. If Ehnen is anything to go by, with its boat arrival, its winegrowers, and its schoolchildren, the rest of the country has something to look forward to.
Photo: Maison du Grand-Duc via @courgrandducale
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