Theme : 1st issues : 02 Luxemburg

Guillaume III had very few direct dealings with Luxembourg for most of his reign. On February 5, 1850, he appointed his brother, Prince Henri, as his lieutenant in the Grand Duchy, and Henri took on most of the responsibilities of a governor. Prince Henri became a very popular personality as he governed Luxembourg under this authority until his death on January 13, 1879.

Indeed, Guillaume III (or Willem III) is the same ruler as the one in The Netherlands at that time.
He was the 963rd Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece in Spain in 1842, the 777th Knight of the Order of the Garter in 1882 and the 72nd Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword.
 
He died in Het Loo in 1890.
Of William III's legitimate children, only three reached adulthood, two sons from his marriage to Queen Sophie and one daughter from his marriage to Queen Emma. Because Wilhelmina (his daughter) had not yet reached adulthood, Emma became regent for her daughter. She would remain regent until Wilhelmina's eighteenth birthday in 1898. Because the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg could only be inherited through the male line at the time, under Salic law, it went to Adolphe, the former Duke of Nassau.

The first Luxemburgian stamp was emitted in 1852, same as in the Netherland.
The picture of Willem III, Guillaume III, is facing to the left on the Luxemburg stamp, and to the right on the Dutch stamp.

n° 1 of Luxemburg - cancelled (1852)