Grand Duke Henri with newly-sworn in members of palace management, Yuriko Backes, Gilio Fonck and Marc Baltes Cour grand-ducale

Grand Duke Henri with newly-sworn in members of palace management, Yuriko Backes, Gilio Fonck and Marc Baltes Cour grand-ducale

Just hours after cabinet, chaired by prime minister Xavier Bettel (DP), adopted the grand ducal decree to establish a new administrative unit to manage the royal household, its first members were sworn in.

Yuriko Backes was sworn into office as the Maréchale de la Cour, the most senior official in the palace administration. She has served since April in the post after her predecessor entered retirement.

Two further key positions in the new management were also filled on 9 October. Marc Baltes was named advisor to the Grand Duke, joining the royal household from an advisory position at the economy ministry.

Gilio Fonck, meanwhile, became the personnel, administrative and financial director. Fonck worked with Backes at the European Commission representation in Luxembourg prior to joining the palace.

The Maison du Grand-Duc aims at better separating the royals’ public and private lives. It was a central recommendation in a report on the functioning of the palace published in February.

Named after Jeannot Waringo--who led the project to examine the inner workings of the royal household commissioned by the premier--the Waringo report found a climate of anxiety and fear among staff and serious shortcoming in the institution’s financial reporting.

Backes will be in charge of the Maison du Grand-Duc and chair its board of directors, which Baltes and Fonck will also be sitting on. Two vacancies--directors of security and infrastructure--are yet to be announced.

The Maison du Grand-Duc will exclusively deal with the official functions of the royal family, managing the public budget, relations with the government, official communications by the household and the palace staff, which is set to increase to around 140 employees from currently 110.

The CSV main opposition in parliament on Friday had opposed the setting up of the household’s new organisation by decree, saying lawmakers should have been consulted and able to vote on the plans.