Adolphe was the first Grand Duke of Luxembourg of the 20th Century. He ruled for 15 years.

He was born on July 24, 1817, in Biebrich Palace, in Wiesbaden, in the Duchy of Nassau. His father was Wilhelm, the Duke of Nassau, and his mother was Princess Louise of Saxe-Hildburghausen. As their oldest son, he was expected to inherit the rule of the duchy and so underwent appropriate stately training.

Adolphe's father died in 1839, and the young man became Duke of Nassau. Like his father, he enjoyed a popularity with his people. Reform-minded, he enabled freedom of the press and endorsed a constitution for his people. However, he lost his throne when Prussia annexed Nassau after defeating Austria in a six-week war in 1866. (He had fought on the Austrian side, leading his troops into battle.)

Adolphe's niece, Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, became Queen Consort of the Netherlands in 1879 when she married that country's King William III. When the king died, in 1890, his daughter became Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Luxembourg had, since 1815, been in personal union with the Netherlands. However, Salic Law prevented a women from ascending to the apex of Luxembourg ruling society if a male relative was still living. So at that point, the two entities split, and Adolphe became Grand Duke of Luxembourg. (He had already serve as regent there when William III was ill.)

By this time, Adolphe was 73. He was unfamiliar with the lay of the land in Luxembourg and so left it up to the government to carry on the affairs of state. Adolphe died on Nov. 17, 1905 in Lenggries.

He had married Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia, a niece of Czar Nicholas I, in 1844. She died a year later. In 1851, Adolphe married Princess Adelheid-Marie of Anhalt-Dessau. They had five children: William (1852), Friedrich (1854), Marie (1857), Franz (1859), and Hilda (1864).

William, the oldest son, became Grand Duke of Luxembourg when his father died.