LUXEMBOURG (AP) — Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg will abdicate the throne after 25 years Friday in favor of his eldest son, Guillaume, who will become head of state of the tiny duchy at the heart of Europe.

The 70-year-old current monarch will abdicate in a ceremony at the Grand Ducal Palace, built of yellow stone and decorated with spires and ironwork. Then Guillaume, 43, will be crowned and swear an oath to Luxembourg’s constitution before the 60 elected members of the Chamber of Deputies, the duchy’s parliament.

The new grand duke will greet the public from a balcony overlooking a central square with his family, including his wife, the Belgian-born Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy, and his sons, Prince Charles, 5, and Prince François, 2.

Royals from the Netherlands and Belgium are expect

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