Succession to the Liechtensteiner throne

Succession to the Liechtensteiner throne is governed by the house laws of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein, which stipulate agnatic primogeniture. In 2004, the head of state, Hans-Adam II, publicly responded to criticism from a committee of the UN which had voiced concerns about the exclusion of women from the line of succession, stating that the rule was older than the state itself.

Succession rules

In 1606, the first prince of Liechtenstein, Karl I, and his younger brothers, Maximilian and Gundakar, signed a Family Covenant, agreeing that the headship of the family should pass according to agnatic primogeniture to the heir of the most senior line.{{cite web|url=http://www.liechtensteinusa.org/index.php?page=princely-house|title=A Brief History of the Princely House of Liechtenstein|publisher=Embassy of Liechtenstein in Washington, D.C.|access-date=16 February 2013}} The family continued to be governed by various statutes until 1993, when it was decided that some of the provisions were outdated and that they should be amended. The statute was repealed on 26 October,{{cite web|url=http://www.fuerstenhaus.li/en/fuerstenhaus/geschichte/hausgesetz.html |title=House Laws |publisher=Princely House of Liechtenstein |access-date=16 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615232322/http://www.fuerstenhaus.li/en/fuerstenhaus/geschichte/hausgesetz.html |archive-date=15 June 2012 }} and the new house law was published on 6 December.{{cite web|url=http://www.fuerstenhaus.li/en/fuerstenhaus/geschichte/thronfolge.html|title=The Succession to the Throne|publisher=Princely House of Liechtenstein|access-date=16 February 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627191511/http://www.fuerstenhaus.li/en/fuerstenhaus/geschichte/thronfolge.html|archive-date=27 June 2013}} According to the house law, the right to succeed to the throne of Liechtenstein is reserved for male patrilineal descendants of Prince Johann I Joseph born to married parents, excluding issue born of marriage to which the sovereign did not consent. Should there be no more eligible male patrilineal descendants left, the sovereign has the right to adopt an heir presumptive. It is explicitly stated that if a member of the princely family adopts a prince who is in the line of succession, the adoptee's place in the line will not be altered. There is no scenario under which a woman could succeed to the throne of Liechtenstein.{{cite book|last=Eccardt|first=Thomas M.|title=Secrets of the Seven Smallest States of Europe: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City|publisher=Hippocrene Books|year=2005|isbn=0781810329}} The house law also provides for a possibility of renunciation of succession rights.

Line of succession

15px Prince Johann I Josef (1760–1836)
Prince Franz de Paula (1802–1887)
{{Tree list/final branch}}Prince Alfred (1842–1907)
Prince Alois (1869–1955)
15px Prince Franz Josef II (1906–1989)
15px Prince Hans-Adam II (born 1945)
(1) Hereditary Prince Alois (b. 1968)
(2) Prince Joseph Wenzel (b. 1995)
(3) Prince Georg (b. 1999)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(4) Prince Nikolaus (b. 2000)
(5) Prince Maximilian (b. 1969)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(6) Prince Alfons (b. 2001)
{{Tree list/final branch}}Prince Constantin (1972–2023)
(7) Prince Moritz (b. 2003)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(8) Prince Benedikt (b. 2008)
(9) Prince Philipp (b. 1946)
(10) Prince Alexander (b. 1972)
(11) Prince Wenzeslaus (b. 1974)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(12) Prince Rudolf (b. 1975)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(13) Prince Karl Ludwig (b. 2016)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(14) Prince Nikolaus (b. 1947)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(15) Prince Josef-Emanuel (b. 1989)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(16) Prince Leopold (b. 2023)
Prince Karl Alfred (1910–1985)
(17) Prince Andreas (b. 1952)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(18) Prince Gregor (b. 1954)
Prince Georg Hartmann (1911–1998)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(19) Prince Christoph (b. 1958)
{{Tree list/final branch}} Prince Heinrich Hartneid (1920–1993)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(20) Prince Hubertus (b. 1971)
(21) Prince Leopold (b. 2014)
Prince Johannes (1873–1959)
Prince Alfred (1907–1991)
(22) Prince Franz (b. 1935)
(23) Prince Alfred (b. 1972)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(24) Prince Franz (b. 2009)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(25) Prince Lukas (b. 1974)
Prince Friedrich (1937–2010)
(26) Prince Emanuel (b. 1978)
(27) Prince Leopold (b. 2010)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(28) Prince Heinrich (b. 2012)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(29) Prince Ulrich (b. 1983)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(30) Prince Anton (b. 1940)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(31) Prince Georg (b. 1977)
{{Tree list/final branch}} Prince Johannes (1910–1975)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(32) Prince Eugen (b. 1939)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(33) Prince Johannes (b. 1969)
Prince Alfred Roman (1875–1930)
Prince Hans-Moritz (1914–2004)
(34) Prince Gundakar (b. 1949)
(35) Prince Johann (b. 1993)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(36) Prince Gabriel (b. 1998)
(37) Prince Alfred (b. 1951)
(38) Prince Karl (b. 1955)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(39) Prince Hugo (b. 1964)
{{Tree list/final branch}} Prince Heinrich (1916–1991)
(40) Prince Michael (b. 1951)
(41) Prince Christof (b. 1956)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(42) Prince Karl (b. 1957)
{{Tree list/final branch}} Prince Karl Aloys (1878–1955)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(43) Prince Wolfgang (b. 1934)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(44) Prince Leopold (b. 1978)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(45) Prince Lorenz (b. 2012)
{{Tree list/final branch}} Prince Eduard Franz (1809–1864)
{{Tree list/final branch}} Prince Aloys (1840–1885)
{{Tree list/final branch}} Prince Friedrich (1871–1959)
Prince Aloys (1898–1943)
{{Tree list/final branch}} Prince Luitpold (1940–2016)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(46) Prince Carl (b. 1978)
{{Tree list/final branch}} Prince Alfred (1900–1972)
{{Tree list/final branch}} Prince Alexander (1929–2012)
(47) Prince Christian (b. 1961)
(48) Prince Augustinus (b. 1992)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(49) Prince Johannes (b. 1995)
(50) Prince Stefan (b. 1961)
(51) Prince Lukas (b. 1990)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(52) Prince Konrad (b. 1992)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(53) Prince Emanuel (b. 1964)
{{Tree list/final branch}}(54) Prince Josef (b. 1998)

Discrimination concerns

In 2004, a United Nations committee questioned the compatibility of agnatic primogeniture, which prevents women from becoming head of state of Liechtenstein, with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights{{cite book|title=Report of the Human Rights Committee: Vol. 1: Seventy-ninth session (20 October - 7 November 2003); eightieth session (15 March - 2 April 2004); eighty-first session (5-30 July 2004)|publisher=United Nations Publications|year=2004|isbn=9218101722}} and later raised concern about it.{{cite book|title=Report of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women: Thirty-seventh Session (15 January-2 February 2007), Thirty-eight Session (14 May-1 June 2007), Thirty-ninth Session (23 July-10 August 2007)|publisher=United Nations Publications|year=2007|isbn=978-9218200273}} In response to the United Nations' demands for gender equality in 2007, Prince Hans-Adam II explained that the succession law is older than the Principality of Liechtenstein itself and that it is a family tradition that does not affect the country's citizens; the Constitution of Liechtenstein stipulates that succession to the throne is a private family matter.{{cite web|last=Pancevski|first=Bojan|url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/no-princesses-its-men-only-on-this-throne-7dxzjmbgjzt|title=No princesses: it's men only on this throne|work=The Times|date=19 November 2007|access-date=16 February 2013}}

References

Liechtenstein

*Line of succession

Line of succession

Category:Women's rights in Liechtenstein

Succession to the Liechtensteiner throne

Succession rules

Line of succession

Discrimination concerns

See also

References