Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein

Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein (Nikolaus Ferdinand Maria Josef Raphael; born 24 October 1947) is a member of Liechtenstein princely family. He is a younger brother of the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein, Hans-Adam II. He is also the non-resident Ambassador of Liechtenstein to the Holy See.[1]

Prince Nikolaus
Prince Nikolaus in 2010
Born	24 October 1947 Zürich, Switzerland
Spouse	Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg ​ ​ (m. 1982)​
Issue	Prince Leopold Princess Maria-Anunciata Princess Marie-Astrid Prince Josef-Emanuel
Full name Nikolaus Ferdinand Maria Josef Raphael
House	Liechtenstein
Father	Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein
Mother	Georgina von Wilczek
Religion	Roman Catholic

Early life

Nikolaus was born in Zürich as the third son of Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein and of his wife, Countess Georgina of Wilczek.

In 1950 at the age of three Nikolaus was made a Knight of Justice in minority of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.[2] When the class of knights in minority was abolished in 1961, Nikolaus received his present rank in the order as a Knight of Honour and Devotion.

Nikolaus completed his primary education in Vaduz before attending the Schottengymnasium in Vienna and the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz.[3] From 1968 to 1972 he studied law at the University of Vienna from which he graduated with the degree Doctor iuris.[3]

Career

From 1973 to 1974 Nikolaus was Wissenschaftlicher Assistent at the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva.[3] From 1975 to 1976 he worked for courts in Vaduz.[3] From 1977 to 1978 he was an advisor to the Office of International Relations of the Liechtenstein government.[3]

From 1979 to 1989 Nikolaus was Permanent Representative of Liechtenstein to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.[3] From 1986 to 2017 he was non-resident Ambassador of Liechtenstein to the Holy See.[4][3] From 1989 to 1996 he was Ambassador of Liechtenstein to Switzerland.[3] From 1996 to September 2010 he was Ambassador of Liechtenstein to Belgium.[5]

Marriage and issue

Nikolaus married on 20 March 1982, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg, Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, youngest daughter of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg. For the time being, this is the last dynastically equal marriage between two sovereign houses currently reigning in Europe.

They had four children:

• Prince Leopold Emmanuel Jean Marie of Liechtenstein (Brussels, 20 May 1984 – Brussels, 20 May 1984).
• Princess Maria-Anunciata Astrid Joséphine Veronica of Liechtenstein (born Brussels-Uccle, 12 May 1985).
• Princess Marie-Astrid Nora Margarita Veronica of Liechtenstein (born Brussels-Uccle, 26 June 1987).
• Prince Josef-Emanuel Leopold Marie of Liechtenstein (born Brussels-Uccle, 7 May 1989).

Scouting

Niklaus was Chief Scout (German: Korpsführer) of Fürstlich Liechtensteinische Pfadfinderkorps St. Georg from 1971 to 1989.[6] Today he is an honorary member of the Scout association.[7] Nikolaus spoke at the European Forum of Guild-Scouts in Grossarl in 1990 about the topic of hunting and nature protection.[8]

Red Cross

Nikolaus is Delegate for International Affairs of Liechtenstein Red Cross.[9]

Honours

National honours

•  Liechtenstein: Grand Star of the Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein, 1st Class[10][11][12]
•  Liechtenstein: Recipient of the 70th Birthday Medal of Prince Franz Joseph II[13]

Foreign honours

•  Austria: Grand Cross of the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, Silver[14]
•   Holy See: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Pope Pius IX[10]
•  Luxembourg: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Adolphe of Nassau[15]
•  Luxembourg: Recipient of the Grand Duke Jean Silver Jubilee Medal[16]
•  Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Knight of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, 3rd First Class[10][17]

Ancestry

Ancestors of Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein

16. Prince Franz de Paula of Liechtenstein 8. Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein 17. Countess Julia Eudoxia Potocka-Piława 4. Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein 18. Aloys II, Prince of Liechtenstein 9. Princess Henriette Maria of Liechtenstein 19. Countess Franziska Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau 2. Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein 20. Archduke Franz Karl of Austria 10. Archduke Karl Ludwig of Austria 21. Princess Sophie of Bavaria 5. Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria 22. King Miguel of Portugal 11. Infanta Maria Theresa of Portugal 23. Princess Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg 1. Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein 24. Count Johann Nepomuk von Wilczek 12. Count Johann Nepomuk von Wilczek 25. Countess Emma Maria Emo Capodilista 6. Count Ferdinand Maria von Wilczek 26. Ferdinand Bonaventura, 7th Prince Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau 13. Countess Elisabeth Wilhelmine Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau 27. Princess Maria Josepha of Liechtenstein 3. Countess Georgina Norberta von Wilczek 28. Count Johann Baptist Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau 14. Count Octavian Zdenko Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau 29. Iphigénia Terézia Dadányi de Gyülvész 7. Countess Norbertine Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau 30. Count György László Festétics de Tólna 15. Countess Georgine Ernestine Festétics de Tólna 31. Countess Eugénia Barbara Erdödy de Monyorókerék et Monoszló

See also

• Maria-Pia Kothbauer, Princess of Liechtenstein – Liechtenstein's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Austria and the Czech Republic
• Prince Stefan of Liechtenstein – Liechtenstein's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Holy See

References

1. Liechtenstein State Directory Archived 8 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine (in German)
2. H.J.A. Sire, The Knights of Malta, A Modern Resurrection (London: Third Millennium, 2016), 223.
3. "Curriculum vitae" (PDF) (in German). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2007.
4. Prince Stefan Succeeds Prince Nikolaus As Ambassador to the Holy See. Luxarazzi (17 December 2017). Retrieved on 2018-02-21.
5. Portal of the Principality of Liechtenstein – Embassy of Brussels
6. "Geschichte der liechtensteinischen Pfadfinderbewegung" (in German). Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Liechtensteins. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2008.
7. "Über unseren Verband" (in German). Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Liechtensteins. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 29 January 2008.
8. "themen" (in German). Europa-Forum Großarl. Archived from the original on 9 September 2007. Retrieved 30 January 2008.
9. Liechtenstein Red Cross. Ifrc (25 March 2015). Retrieved on 2018-02-21.
10. Seeger Press, Photo of Prince Nikolaus and Family at the Beatification of Emperor Charles I of Austria
11. Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein and Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein | Royalty- Royal Family of Liechtenstein. Pinterest. Retrieved on 21 February 2018.
12. Wedding photo. blogspot.com
13. Military Collection. coleccionesmilitares.com.
14. Anfragebeantwortung. parlament.gv.at (23 April 2012). p. 930
15. Photo. alamy.com
16. Medals of the World
17. www.chivalricorders.org – Sovereign Military Order of Malta