The Princely Family

The Princes of Liechtenstein originally came from Lower Austria and purchased the County of Vaduz and the Lordship of Schellenberg in 1699 and 1712. In 1719, these two counties were united and elevated to the status of an Imperial Principality.

The House of Liechtenstein

H.S.H. Prince Hans-Adam II, the first Reigning Prince to grow up in Liechtenstein, married H.S.H. Princess Marie-Aglaé in 1967 (†21 August 2021). The marriage produced four children. H.S.H. Prince Hans-Adam II takes over the regency from his late father H.S.H. Prince Franz Josef II in 1989 and is particularly committed to an independent foreign policy and thus to safeguarding Liechtenstein's sovereignty. Liechtenstein joins the UN in 1990 and the EEA in 1995. The heir to the throne, H.S.H. Hereditary Prince Alois, the eldest of the four children, marries H.R.H. Princess Sophie of Bavaria in 1993. The couple have four children, of whom Joseph Wenzel Maximilian Maria, born in 1995, will one day succeed to the throne as the eldest son. Succession to the throne is regulated by the House Law of the Princely Family.

Committed advocates and successful entrepreneurs

The Princely House owns one of the largest and most important private art collections in the world and is a committed patron of the arts. The patronage of H.S.H. Princess Marie (†21 August 2021) and H.R.H. Hereditary Princess Sophie demonstrates the Princely House's commitment to social causes. As a globally successful private entrepreneur, the Princely House finances itself from its own resources and foregoes state funding.

Close mutual ties

The Princely House and the population are close to each other. They celebrate the main national holiday together - with the annual state ceremony in front of Vaduz Castle, the subsequent aperitif on the castle grounds and a large public festival in Vaduz. In everyday life, too, it happens that the Prince becomes a conversation partner at the hairdresser or on one of the hiking trails. Children greet the Prince with an uncomplicated "Hoi Förscht" ("Hi Prince").

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