The Principality of Liechtenstein is a small landlocked country between Switzerland and Austria. The current Prince of Liechtenstein is Prince Hans-Adam II, who has reigned since 13 November 1989. Liechtenstein is the only remaining European monarchy to practice strict agnatic primogeniture, meaning only males can inherit the throne.
Prince Hans-Adam II is the country’s head of state, though he gave his eldest son, Hereditary Prince Alois, day-to-day decision-making powers on 15 August 2004. Hans-Adam’s father, Prince Franz Joseph II, made a similar move to start the princely transition to a new generation of rulers in 1984.
The rule of agnatic primogeniture was agreed upon in 1606 by Liechtenstein’s first reigning prince, Prince Karl I. Karl agreed with his brothers, Max and Gundakar, that this rule would govern future generations of the Princes of Liechtenstein.
The current rules of the Princely House of Liechtenstein state that the eldest male of the reigning Prince inherits the throne, then his son after that. All sons and heirs must be legitimate (born to married parents). The reigning Prince must approve the heir’s marriage, or the heir cannot inherit the throne. Without suitable male heirs, the Prince can adopt an heir.
Hereditary Prince Alois has four children: Prince Joseph, Princess Marie, Prince Georg, and Prince Nikolaus. Alois married Duchess Sophie (now Hereditary Princess Sophie), an ancestor of the last King of Bavaria, in 1993.
The Hereditary Prince has three siblings, Prince Maximilian, Prince Constantin, and Princess Tatjana.
As of October 2022, the line of succession to the throne of Liechtenstein consists of Hereditary Prince Alois, Prince Joseph, Prince Georg, Prince Nikolaus, Prince Maximilian, Prince Alfons, Prince Constantin, Prince Moritz, and Prince Benedikt.
Prince Hans-Adams II holds significant political powers as head of state, unlike most of the current monarchies in Europe. He has the right to initiate proposals before the government and to sanction legislation. In Liechtenstein, a law can only pass if it is approved by the people and the Prince.
He is authorised to enact emergency decrees suspending Parliament, though these orders must also be signed by the prime minister.
In addition, Prince Hans Adam II appoints government officials across the judicial and legislative branches, including the judges that make up the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and the Court of Justice, as well as the presidents and vice presidents of the Constitutional Court. He also has pardoning and amnesty power and significant foreign policy powers. The Prince was the one who initiated, in 1995, the principality’s entry into the United Nations.
In the early 2000s, the UN criticised the principality’s rules excluding females from the line of succession, with Prince Hans Adam arguing that it is a private family matter set out by the Constitution of Liechtenstein.
