Sasha Baillie, who was appointed Marshal of the Court earlier this year, discussed the new Grand Duke's accession to the throne with RTL Radio on Friday morning.

Just hours before Grand Duke Guillaume was sworn in as Luxembourg's head of state on Friday, Marshal of the Court Sasha Baillie appeared on RTL Radio to share the experience of preparing for the event. She described the intense anticipation and excitement at the court, with plenty of positive energy amid the preparations.

Unlike Guillaume's grandfather, Grand Duke Jean, the outgoing Grand Duke Henri opted not to officially bid the public "farewell" via a final speech on radio and the television before the accession, thus placing the emphasis on Guillaume as he prepared to take the throne. Baillie explained the idea was to ensure the new Grand Duke was the focus of the event, and his father's 25-year reign had been celebrated in full on Luxembourg's most recent National Day in June.

Interviews that the Grand Ducal couple had promised to national media outlets regarding the accession were consequently cancelled. In spite of this, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa both gave separate interviews to foreign magazines such as Paris Match. Baillie did not comment on this, but expressed that the new Grand Duke would like to have "interaction" with the national press.

"There will be clear and transparent communication on costs"

Over the past week the question of the budget required to put on the festivities over the accession weekend has been raised in the press and by political opposition parties. Dudelange municipal council recently announced that an extraordinary loan worth half a million euros had been taken out in order to stage the city's part of Saturday's royal tour.

Luxembourg City council has declined to comment on the cost as the detailed budget is not yet clear, and Baillie too remained secretive on the topic when questioned on Friday. However, she committed to announcing the full budget once the complete overview and breakdown are presented, which she said should happen "as soon as possible". Before then, it would be difficult to announce due to the numerous budget lines for different administrations, she explained.

Transition at the court management committee 

Grand Duke Guillaume plans to install a new management committee for the "Maison du Grand-Duc". Bailliee, a former diplomat and one-time director at Luxinnovation, will remain in post as Marshal of the Court, after her appointment seven months ago.

The new committee will also include Guillaume's current advisers and his "aide de camp", while the current members, Marc Baltes, Yves Arendt and Robert Kohnen, will be given new roles.

The committee is also looking for a new director of finance and human resources. This appointment is particularly important in light of previous court scandals, which led to the Waringo report and subsequent reforms under the previous coalition government. Baillie said she was reviewing applications for the role but that it could take time to find the right individual.

To expand on this topic, Baillie said she did not see any risk that the lessons learned from the Waringo report would be called into question under the new Grand Duke. Her job would be to ensure guidelines are adhered to, while roles and responsibilities are clearly divided.

The Marshal of the Court described Grand Duke Guillaume as a "person of harmony", who listens and expresses interest in a variety of topics, and who possesses all the character traits to ensure calm, while making thoughtful decisions.

Accession displays "all Luxembourg's facets" - "canton visits" planned for 2026

Baillie said she wholeheartedly approved of the accession programme, as it involved all of Luxembourg society in the celebrations. Over the coming weeks, the new Grand Ducal couple will make introductory visits abroad, and next year they will visit each of the country's cantons individually to meet the public. However, the timing for this has not yet been confirmed.

In the near future, the couple will move from Fischbach to Colmar-Berg with their young sons, princes Charles and François. First they will inhabit the castle, while the private annexe construction is completed.

At just five years old, Prince Charles is now the youngest heir-apparent in Europe. As a result, he cannot assume his father's duties as hereditary Grand Duke, where Guillaume took on economic missions and other visits. Guillaume plans to represent Luxembourg's economy on the international stage himself until his son is old enough.