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
CountryPrincipality of Liechtenstein
Place of originLiechtenstein Castle
Founded1608 (as a princely house)
FounderKarl I (first prince)
Current headHans-Adam II
TitlesPrince of Liechtenstein
Duke of Troppau
Duke of Jägerndorf
Count of Rietberg
Style(s)Serene Highness
Websitewww.fuerstenhaus.li

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.

21st-century princely family (closest members)
Styles of
Princes(ses) of Liechtenstein
Reference styleHis/Her Serene Highness
Spoken styleYour 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 Franz de Paula (1802–1887)
      • Prince Alfred (1842–1907)
        • Prince Franz de Paula (1868–1929)
        • Prince Alois (1869–1955)
        • 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

See also

References
  1. Princely House of Liechtenstein. House Laws Archived 2012-06-15 at the Wayback Machine
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.