Grand Duchess Stephanie Hosts First State Banquet for Finland Visit
Grand Duchess Stephanie has hosted her first state banquet as Luxembourg's reigning grand duchess.
Stephanie, 42, welcomed the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, and his wife Suzanne Innes-Stubb to a gala dinner alongside her husband, Grand Duke Guillaume, 44, according to Hello!. The dinner took place at the historic Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City.
The palace lists the gala dinner as held on 29 September 2026. It was the couple's first state visit as Grand Duke and Grand Duchess. The official programme also records a welcome ceremony in front of the palace on the same day and a final day of engagements on 30 September.
Guillaume and Stephanie took the throne last November. Guillaume's father, Grand Duke Henri, abdicated after 25 years. A state visit, in plain terms, is the highest form of official visit between heads of state. It comes with full ceremony.
This one had been a long time coming. It had been 18 years since a Finnish head of state had paid an official visit to Luxembourg. The Office of the President of Finland said President Stubb's state visit focused on European security. It noted that Guillaume and Stephanie received the Finnish presidential couple at the Grand Ducal Palace.
For the evening, Stephanie chose a piece with history attached. She wore the tiara of Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte, set with pear-shaped diamonds and sapphires from the legacy of Grand Duchess Hilda of Baden. The Luxembourg monarchy site lists the gala under the title "Visite d'État du Président de la République de Finlande | Dîner de gala".
What makes this stand out is the pairing of new reign and old jewels. A first banquet is a test of protocol. The seating plan, the speeches, the order of precedence — all of it is machinery. Stephanie passed it in a tiara that links three generations of grand duchesses.
