House of
Liechtenstein
The House of Liechtenstein, from which the
principality takes its name, is the family which reigns
by constitutional, hereditary right over the nation of
Liechtenstein. Only dynastic members of the family
are eligible to inherit the throne. The dynasty's
membership, rights and responsibilities are defined by
a law of the family, which is enforced by the reigning
prince and may be altered by vote among the family's
dynasts, but which may not be altered by the
Government or Parliament of Liechtenstein.[1]
House of Liechtenstein
Coat of arms of Liechtenstein
Country Principality of
Liechtenstein
Place of origin Liechtenstein Castle
Founded 1608 (as a princely house)
Founder Karl I (first prince)
Current head Hans-Adam II
Titles Prince of Liechtenstein
Duke of Troppau
Duke of Jägerndorf
Count of Rietberg
Style(s) Serene Highness
Website [Link]
History
The family originates from Liechtenstein Castle in
Lower Austria (near Vienna), which the family
possessed from at least 1140 to the 13th century, and
from 1807 onwards. Heinrich I von Liechtenstein (d.
1265) was lord of Nikolsburg, Liechtenstein and
Petronell.
Through the centuries, the dynasty acquired vast
swathes of land, predominantly in Moravia, Lower
Austria, Silesia and Styria, though in all cases, these
territories were held in fief under other more senior
feudal lords, particularly under various lines of the
Habsburg family, to whom several Liechtenstein
princes served as close advisors. Thus, and without any
territory held directly under the Imperial throne, the
Liechtenstein dynasty was unable to meet a primary
requirement to qualify for a seat in the Imperial Diet
(Reichstag).
A seat in the Imperial government would add power,
and would be afforded by lands which would be
immediate, or held without any feudal personage other
than the Holy Roman Emperor himself having rights
on the land. The head of the family was able to
arrange the purchase from the Hohenems family of the
minuscule Lordship of Schellenberg in 1699, and the
County of Vaduz in 1712. Schellenberg and Vaduz
indeed had no feudal lord other than their comital
sovereign and the suzerain Emperor.
On 23 January 1719, after the purchase had been
made, Charles VI as Holy Roman Emperor decreed
Vaduz and Schellenberg to be united and raised to the
dignity of a Principality by the name of
"Liechtenstein", in honour of "[his] true servant, Anton
Florian of Liechtenstein". On this date, Liechtenstein
became a member state of the Holy Roman Empire.
The Princes of Liechtenstein did not set foot in their
new principality for several decades, a testament to the
pure political expediency of the purchases.
According to the Constitution of the Princely House of
Liechtenstein of 26 October 1993, all members other
than the reigning prince shall bear the titles of Prince
or Princess of Liechtenstein and Count or Countess of
Rietberg.
Karl I, Prince of Liechtenstein (1569 - 1627), created
Prince in 1608, Viceroy of Bohemia 1622
Hans-Adam I, Prince of Liechtenstein (1662 - 1712),
acquired the territory of the Principality
Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein (1760 - 1836),
the last prince to rule under the Holy Roman Empire
and the first ruler of a sovereign state from 1806
Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1840 - 1929), allied
the principality with Switzerland after the downfall
of the Habsburg Monarchy in 1918
Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1906 - 1989),
remained neutral throughout World War II
21st-century princely family
(closest members)
Styles of
Princes(ses) of Liechtenstein
Reference style His/Her Serene Highness
Spoken style Your Serene Highness
Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein (born 1945), current head of
the house and sovereign ruler of the principality
The Prince and Princess (the monarch and his wife)
The Hereditary Prince and Hereditary
Princess (the Prince's son and daughter-in-
law)
Prince Joseph Wenzel (the Prince's
grandson)
Princess Marie-Caroline (the Prince's
granddaughter)
Prince Georg Antonius (the Prince's
grandson)
Prince Nikolaus Sebastian (the Prince's
grandson)
Prince Maximilian and Princess Angela (the
Prince's son and daughter-in-law)
Prince Alfons (the Prince's grandson)
Prince Constantin and Princess Marie (the
Prince's son and daughter-in-law)
Prince Moritz (the Prince's grandson)
Princess Georgina (the Prince's
granddaughter)
Prince Benedikt (the Prince's grandson)
Princess Tatjana (the Prince's daughter)
Prince Philipp Erasmus and Princess Isabelle (the
Prince's brother and sister-in-law)
Prince Alexander and Princess Astrid (the
Prince's nephew and niece-in-law)
Princess Theodora (the Prince's great-
niece)
Prince Wenzeslaus (the Prince's nephew)
Prince Rudolf and Princess Tılsım (the
Prince's nephew and niece-in-law)
Princess Laetitia (the Prince's great-
niece)
Prince Karl Ludwig (the Prince's
great-nephew)
Prince Nikolaus and Princess Margaretha (the
Prince's brother and sister-in-law)
Princess Maria-Anunciata (the Prince's
niece)
Princess Marie-Astrid (the Prince's niece)
Prince Josef-Emanuel (the Prince's nephew)
The Dowager Marchioness of Mariño (the Prince's
sister)
Tree list
Below are all male and male-line dynastic
descendants of Johann I Joseph, Prince of
Liechtenstein. The numbers represent the positions in
the line of succession.
Prince Johann I Josef (1760–1836)
Prince Alois II (1796–1858)
Prince Johann II (1840–1929)
Prince Franz I (1853–1938)
Prince Franz de Paula (1802–1887)
Prince Alfred (1842–1907)
Prince Franz de Paula (1868–1929)
Prince Alois (1869–1955)
Prince Franz Josef II (1906–1989)
Prince Hans-Adam II (born 1945)
(1) Hereditary Prince Alois (b. 1968)
(2) Prince Joseph Wenzel (b. 1995)
(3) Prince Georg (b. 1999)
(4) Prince Nikolaus (b. 2000)
(5) Prince Maximilian (b. 1969)
(6) Prince Alfons (b. 2001)
(7) Prince Constantin (b. 1972)
(8) Prince Moritz (b. 2003)
(9) Prince Benedikt (b. 2008)
(10) Prince Philipp (b. 1946)
(11) Prince Alexander (b. 1972)
(12) Prince Wenzeslaus (b. 1974)
(13) Prince Rudolf (b. 1975)
(14) Prince Karl Ludwig (b. 2016)
(15) Prince Nikolaus (b. 1947)
Prince Leopold (1984)
(16) Prince Josef-Emanuel (b. 1989)
Prince Franz Josef "Wenzel" (1962–1991)
Prince Karl Alfred (1910–1985)
Prince Dominik (1950–2009)
(17) Prince Andreas (b. 1952)
(18) Prince Gregor (b. 1954)
Prince Georg Hartmann (1911–1998)
(19) Prince Christoph (b. 1958)
Prince Ulrich Dietmar (1913–1978)
Prince Alois Heinrich (1917–1967)
Prince Heinrich Hartneid (1920–1993)
(20) Prince Hubertus (b. 1971)
Prince Johannes (1873–1959)
Prince Alfred (1907–1991)
(21) Prince Franz (b. 1935)
(22) Prince Alfred (b. 1972)
(23) Prince Franz (b. 2009)
(24) Prince Lukas (b. 1974)
Prince Friedrich (1937–2010)
(25) Prince Emanuel (b. 1978)
(26) Prince Leopold (b. 2010)
(27) Prince Heinrich (b. 2012)
(28) Prince Ulrich (b. 1983)
(29) Prince Anton (b. 1940)
(30) Prince Georg (b. 1977)
Prince Emanuel (1908–1987)
Prince Johannes (1910–1975)
(31) Prince Eugen (b. 1939)
(32) Prince Johannes (b. 1969)
Prince Albrecht (b. 1940) (took the title of
Baron von Lanškroun)
Prince Constantin (1911–2001)
Prince Alfred Roman (1875–1930)
Prince Hans-Moritz (1914–2004)
(33) Prince Gundakar (b. 1949)
(34) Prince Johann (b. 1993)
(35) Prince Gabriel (b. 1998)
(36) Prince Alfred (b. 1951)
(37) Prince Karl (b. 1955)
(38) Prince Hugo (b. 1964)
Prince Heinrich (1916–1991)
Prince Vincenz (1950–2008)
(39) Prince Michael (b. 1951)
(40) Prince Christof (b. 1956)
(41) Prince Karl (b. 1957)
Prince Heinrich (1877–1915)
Prince Karl Aloys (1878–1955)
Prince Wilhelm (1922–2006) (took the title of
Graf von Hohenau)
(42) Prince Wolfgang (b. 1934)
(43) Prince Leopold (b. 1978)
(44) Prince Lorenz (b. 2012)
Prince Georg (Pater Ildefons, O.S.B.) (1880–
1931)
Prince Aloys (1846–1920)
Prince Heinrich (1853–1914)
Prince Karl Johann (1803–1871)
Prince Rudolf (1833–1888)
Prince Philipp (1837–1901)
Prince Karl (1862–1893)
Prince Joseph (1863)
Prince Friedrich (1807–1885)
Prince Eduard Franz (1809–1864)
Prince Aloys (1840–1885)
Prince Friedrich (1871–1959)
Prince Aloys (1898–1943)
Prince Luitpold (1940–2016)
Prince Friedrich (1970)
(45) Prince Carl (b. 1978)
Prince Alfred (1900–1972)
Prince Alexander (1929–2012)
(46) Prince Christian (b. 1961)
(47) Prince Augustinus (b. 1992)
(48) Prince Johannes (b. 1995)
(49) Prince Stefan (b. 1961)
(50) Prince Lukas (b. 1990)
(51) Prince Konrad (b. 1992)
(52) Prince Emanuel (b. 1964)
(53) Prince Josef (b. 1998)
Prince Franz de Paula (1935–1987)
Prince Alexander (1901–1926)
Prince Eduard (1872–1951)
Prince Johannes (1899–1979)
Prince Ferdinand (1901–1981)
Prince August (1810–1824)
Prince Rudolf (1816–1848)
Palaces and residences
Vaduz Castle, the Sovereign's residence in the
Principality of Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein Castle in Lower Austria, ancestral seat,
now family museum
Liechtenstein Garden Palace in Vienna (painted by
Bellotto 1759/60), now home to the princely 16th to 18th
century art collection
Liechtenstein City Palace in Vienna, private
residence and home to the princely 19th century art
collection
Wilfersdorf Castle, Lower Austria, the prince's
Austrian country estate
Valtice Castle in the Czech Republic (principal seat
of the Liechtenstein family until after World War II,
when the government confiscated it)
Lednice Castle in the Czech Republic (confiscated in
1945)
Velké Losiny Castle in the Czech Republic
(confiscated in 1945)
Riegersburg Castle, Austria, seat of a branch line
Frauental Castle, Austria, seat of a branch line
Waldstein Castle, Deutschfeistritz, Austria, seat of a
branch line
Rosegg House, Austria, seat of a branch line
Hollenegg Castle, Austria, seat of a branch line
See also
Liechtenstein Museum (for the important princely
art collection)
Line of succession to the Liechtensteiner throne
List of monarchs of Liechtenstein
List of princesses consort of Liechtenstein
References
1. Princely House of Liechtenstein. House Laws
Archived 2012-06-15 at the Wayback Machine
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to House
of Liechtenstein.
Official website
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