by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Princess Tatjana with her mother Princess Marie, 2014.  photo: Exclusiv.li

Princess Tatjana Nora Maria of Liechtenstein was born April 10, 1973, in St Gallen, Switzerland. She is the youngest of the four children and the only daughter of Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein and Princess Marie, born Countess Marie Aglaë of Wchinitz and Tettau. As Liechtenstein follows agnatic primogeniture (male-only), Princess Tatjana is not in the line of succession to the throne of Liechtenstein.

Princess Tatjana has three older brothers:

• Hereditary Prince Alois (born 1968), married Duchess Sophie of Bavaria, had four children
• Prince Maximilian (born 1969), married Angela Gisela Brown, had one son
• Prince Constantin (1972- 2023), married Countess Marie Gabriele Franziska Kálnoky de Kőröspatak, had three children

Tatjana was educated at schools in Vaduz, Liechtenstein from 1984 – 1992. She then studied business administration at the European Business School in Madrid, Spain. Tatjana is fluent in German, English, French, and Spanish.

photo: Noblesse & Royautés

On June 5, 1999, Princess Tatjana married Baron Philipp von Lattorff in St. Florin’s Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. He was born in Graz, Austria, on March 25, 1968, the eldest son of Baron Claus-Juergen von Lattorff and the Hungarian Countess Julia Batthyány von Német-Ujvár. Philipp is a manager at Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals.

The couple had seven children:

• • Lukas von Lattorff (born 2000)
  • Elisabeth von Lattorff (born 2002)
  • Marie von Lattorff (born 2004)
  • Camilla von Lattorff (born 2005)
  • Anna von Lattorff (born 2007)
  • Sophie von Lattorff (born 2009)
  • Maximilian von Lattorff (born 2011)

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

photo: Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation

Prince Constantin Ferdinand Maria of Liechtenstein was born March 15, 1972, in St Gallen, Switzerland, the third of the three sons and the third of the four children of Prince Hans-Adam II  of Liechtenstein and Princess Marie, born Countess Marie Aglaë of Wchinitz and Tettau.

Prince Constantin has three siblings:

• Hereditary Prince Alois (born 1968), married Duchess Sophie of Bavaria, had four children
• Prince Maximilian (born 1969), married Angela Gisela Brown, had one son
• Princess Tatjana (born 1973), married Philipp von Lattorff, had seven children

Prince Constantin attended primary school in Vaduz, Liechtenstein and then attended the Liechtensteinisches Gymnasium also in Vaduzfrom 1983 – 1991. He received a law degree from the University of Salzburg in Austria and worked primarily in the financial field, holding positions at investment firms both in the United States and in Europe. He also served on the boards and management teams of several of the family’s companies. From 2012 until his death in 2023, Prince Constantin served as General Director and chairman of the board of directors of the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation, an organization established in 1970 to oversee and manage the assets and companies owned by the Liechtenstein princely family. These include real estate holdings in Liechtenstein and Austria, the Princely Wine Cellars, the family’s extensive art collections, and the LGT Group – the largest family-owned private wealth management firm in Europe.

On May  14,1999 , Prince Constantin married Countess Marie Gabriele Franziska Kálnoky de Kőröspatak in a civil ceremony in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. The couple had a religious ceremony on July 17, 1999, held in Číčov, Slovakia. They had three children:

• Prince Moritz (born 2003)
• Princess Georgina (born 2005)
• Prince Benedikt (born 2008)

Prince Constantin and Princess Marie, 2014. photo: Exclusiv.li

Constantin’s wife Princess Marie was born on July 16, 1975, in Graz, Austria, the daughter of Count Alois Kálnoky von Kőröspatak and Sieglinde Freiin von Oer. She works with the Hofkellerei des Fürsten von Liechtenstein (The Wine Cellars of the Prince of Liechtenstein), helping to promote and market the wines throughout Europe and the world.

Prince Constantin died unexpectedly on December 5, 2023, at the age of 51. A statement released by the Prince House of Liechtenstein on December 6, 2023 said: “The Princely House regrets to announce that H.S.H. Prince Constantin von und zu Liechtenstein passed away unexpectedly on 5 December 2023.” A private family funeral and burial took place at the Cathedral of St. Florin in Vaduz, Liechtenstein on December 10, 2023.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Embed from Getty Images 

Prince Maximilian Nicolaus Maria of Liechtenstein was born May 16, 1969, in St Gallen, Switzerland, the second son of the three sons and the second of the four children of Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein and Princess Marie, born Countess Marie Aglaë of Wchinitz and Tettau.

Maximilian has three siblings:

• Hereditary Prince Alois (born 1968), married Duchess Sophie of Bavaria, had four children
• Prince Constantin (1972 – 2023), married Countess Marie Gabriele Franziska Kálnoky de Kőröspatak, had three children
• Princess Tatjana (born 1973), married Philipp von Lattorff, had seven children

Prince Maximilian attended primary school in Vaduz, Liechtenstein, and graduated from the Liechtenstein Gymnasium (high school) in 1988. Following a year working within the family’s businesses, he attended the European Business School in Frankfurt, Germany, and graduated in 1993. He then worked at Chase Capital Partners, in New York City until 1996. In 1997, he enrolled in Harvard Business School, earning his Masters Degree in Business Administration in 1998. He then worked for Industrie Kapital in Hamburg and London (a venture capital firm), and JPMorgan Partners in Germany.

Prince Max, as he is known, has served as CEO of the LGT Group, the largest family-owned private wealth management firm in Europe, since 2006. The LGT Group is part of the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation.

Prince Maximilian and Princess Angela; photo: The Royal Correspondent

Maximilian married Angela Gisella Brown in a civil ceremony in Vaduz, Liechtenstein on January 21, 2000, followed by a religious ceremony held at the Church of St Vincent Ferrer in New York City on January 29, 2000. The couple had met in 1997 at a party in New York City and became engaged in 1999. They had one son:

• Prince Alfons Constantin Maria of Liechtenstein (born 2001)

Princess Angela was born in Panama on February 3, 1958, and is of Afro-Panamanian descent. She attended the Parsons School of Design in New York City and worked as a fashion designer until the time of her engagement.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

The Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein from 1929 – 1938, Franz de Paula Maria Karl August was born at Schloss Liechtenstein near Vienna, Austria on August 28, 1853. He was the second of the two sons and the youngest of the eleven children of Alois II, Prince of Liechtenstein and Countess Franziska Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau.

Franz had one older brother and nine older sisters. The eleven children in Johann’s family spanned 15 years.

• • Princess Marie (1834 – 1909), married Ferdinand Graf von Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg, had children
  • Princess Carolina (1836 – 1885), married Alexander Fürst von Schönburg-Hartenstein, had children
  • Princess Sophie (1837 – 1899), married Karl, 6th Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, had eight children
  • Princess Aloysia (1838 – 1920), married Heinrich Graf von Fünfkirchen, no children
  • Princess Ida (1839 – 1921), married Adolf Joseph 8th Prince of Schwarzenberg, had children
  • Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1840–1929), unmarried
  • Princess Franziska (1841 – 1858), unmarried
  • Princess Henriette (1843 – 1931), married her first cousin Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein, had ten children, the current Princely Family of Liechtenstein is their descendants via their grandson Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein
  • Princess Anna Maria (1846 – 1924), married Georg Christian, Prince of Lobkowicz, had twelve children
  • Princess Therese (1850 – 1938), married Prince Arnulf of Bavaria, had one son Prince Heinrich of Bavaria who died in World War I

Franz studied law at the University of Vienna and the University of Prague and then served in the military. He embarked on a diplomatic career, working as an attaché in the embassy of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire in Brussels, Belgium. From 1894 – 1898, Franz served as the ambassador of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire to the Russian Empire and maintained a close relationship with Nicholas II, Emperor of All Russia. Franz did much to try to strengthen the relationship between Austria-Hungary and Russia including helping to establish the Department (later the Institute) of Eastern European History at the University of Vienna.

In 1914, Franz met Elisabeth von Gutmann, the widow of the Hungarian Baron Géza Erős of Bethlenfalva, at a gala for the Relief Fund for Soldiers. Known as Elsa, she was the daughter of Wilhelm Isaak Wolf, Ritter of Gutmann (Ritter means Knight) and his second wife Ida Wodianer. Elsa’s father was a Jewish businessman who founded the largest coal company in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. In 1878, he was created a Knight (Ritter) of the Order of the Iron Crown, a hereditary knighthood. He also served as president of the Vienna Israelite Community.

Elsa was raised in the Jewish religion but in January 1899, she converted to Roman Catholicism in preparation for her marriage to Baron Géza Erős of Bethlenfalva. The couple wanted to marry in 1919 but Johann II refused to consent to the marriage because of Elsa’s Jewish background and her lower social status. Elsa and Franz secretly married Elsa in 1919, and that same year, Pope Benedict XV received the couple at the Vatican.

Johann II died on February 11, 1929, and as he was unmarried with no children, his only brother succeeded to the throne as Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein. Now that Franz was the Sovereign Prince, he could officially marry Elsa. On July 22, 1929, Elsa officially became Princess of Liechtenstein when she married Franz at the parish church in the Lainz district of Vienna. Elsa and Franz had no children.

Princess Elsa; Credit – https://www.fuerstenhaus.li/en 

Even though they spent time in the princely residences in Austria, Franz and Elsa were the first princely couple to spend a substantial amount of time in Liechtenstein. The couple left to visit Liechtenstein shortly after they married but continued to make regular visits to Liechtenstein until 1935 when Franz’s health would no longer allow visits. Franz and Elsa would visit schools and help sick children and mothers in need. The couple created the Franz and Elsa Foundation for Liechtenstein Children in 1930, which helped poor Liechtenstein children receive an education. The foundation is still in existence today.

Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Franz I’s great-nephew Franz Josef took on various official roles on behalf of his elderly great-uncle. On March 30, 1938, Franz I named Franz Josef regent. Although he cited old age as his reason for the regency, it is widely believed that it was because he had no desire to be ruling if Nazi Germany invaded Liechtenstein.

Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein died at the age of 84 on July 25, 1938, at Valtice, Czechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic. He was buried in the New Crypt of the Princely Mausoleum on the grounds of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, in Vranov, near Brno, in Czechoslovakia, now in the Czech Republic. Because Franz had no children, he was succeeded by his great-nephew, Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein.

Elsa survived her husband by nine years, dying in Vitznau, Switzerland on September 28, 1947, at the age of 72. As the Czechs had seized the property in Vranov where her husband had been buried, it was impossible for Elsa to be buried with Franz. She was originally buried in the Chapel of Our Lady at Dux in Schaan, Liechtenstein but her remains were moved to Vaduz Cathedral in Liechtenstein when the Princely Crypt there was completed.

Princely Mausoleum, Vranov, Czech Republic; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Principality of Liechtenstein Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Principality of Liechtenstein Index
• Liechtenstein FAQs
• Liechtenstein Royal Burial Sites
• Liechtenstein Royal Residences
• Line of Succession to the Throne of Liechtenstein
• Profiles of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein

Works Cited

• De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Elsa von Gutmann. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsa_von_Gutmann [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
• De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Franz I. (Liechtenstein). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_I._(Liechtenstein) [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Elisabeth von Gutmann. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_von_Gutmann [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_I,_Prince_of_Liechtenstein [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Wilhelm Isak, Ritter von Gutmann. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Isak,_Ritter_von_Gutmann [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
• Fuerstenhaus.li. (2018). Biographies of the Princes and Princesses. [online] Available at: https://www.fuerstenhaus.li/en/history/biographies-of-the-princes-and-princesses [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
• Horcicka, V. (2015). Elsa, the Princess von and zu Liechtenstein. [ebook] DVACÁTÉ STOLETÍ. Available at: http://Elsa, the Princess von and zu Liechtenstein [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Elisabeth von Gutmann, Princess Elsa of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Elisabeth von Gutmann, also known as Elsa, was born on January 6, 1875, in Vienna, Austria, the daughter of Wilhelm Isaak Wolf, Ritter of Gutmann (Ritter means Knight) and his second wife Ida Wodianer. Elsa’s father was a Jewish businessman, the founder of the largest coal company in the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. In 1878, he was created a Knight (Ritter) of the Order of the Iron Crown, a hereditary knighthood. He also served as president of the Vienna Israelite Community.

Elsa had three half-siblings from her father’s first marriage to Leonore Latzko:

• Berthold von Gutman (1856-1932)
• Max von Gutmann (1857-1930)
• Rosa von Gutman (1862-1930)

Elsa had three siblings from her father’s second marriage to Ida Wodianer, daughter of the printer and publisher Philipp Wodianer:

• Marianne von Gutman (1871-?), married Sir Francis Abraham Montefiore, 1st Baronet of Worth Park
• Moritz von Gutman (1872-1934)
• Rudolf von Gutman (1880-1966), married Marianne Ferstel

Elsa was raised in the Jewish religion but in January 1899, she converted to Roman Catholicism in preparation for her marriage to the Hungarian Baron Géza Erős of Bethlenfalva on February 1, 1899. The couple had no children and the baron died on August 7, 1908.

Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1914, Elsa met Prince Franz of Liechtenstein, the only brother of the Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein, Johann II, at a gala for the Relief Fund for Soldiers. The couple wanted to marry in 1919 but Johann II refused to give his consent to the marriage. Elsa and Franz secretly married Elsa in 1919, and that same year, Pope Benedict XV received the couple at the Vatican.

Johann II died on February 11, 1929, and as he was unmarried with no children, his brother succeeded to the throne as Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein. Now that Franz was the Sovereign Prince, he could officially marry Elsa. On July 22, 1929, Elsa became Princess of Liechtenstein when she married Franz at the parish church in the Lainz district of Vienna. Elsa and Franz had no children.

Princess Elsa; Credit – https://www.fuerstenhaus.li/en

Even though they spent time in the princely residences in Austria, Elsa and Franz were the first princely couple to spend a substantial amount of time in Liechtenstein. The couple visited Liechtenstein shortly after they married and regularly visited Liechtenstein until 1935 when Franz’s health would no longer allow visits. Elsa and Franz would visit schools and help sick children and mothers in need. When polio spread throughout Liechtenstein in the 1930s, Elsa quickly obtained the needed medication from the United States. The couple created the Franz and Elsa Foundation for Liechtenstein Children in 1930, which helped impoverished Liechtenstein children receive an education. The foundation is still in existence today.

Franz I’s great-nephew Franz Josef took on various official roles on behalf of his elderly great-uncle. On March 30, 1938, Franz I named Franz Josef regent. Although he cited old age as his reason for the regency, it is widely believed that it was because he had no desire to be ruling if Nazi Germany invaded Liechtenstein. Franz died on July 25, 1938, and was succeeded by his grandnephew, Franz Josef II.

Following Franz’s death, Elsa lived for a short time in Semmering Pass, Austria until Austria was annexed to Nazi Germany.  She then went into exile in Switzerland, where she lived in Vitznau on Lake Lucerne. During World War II, Elsa helped Jewish applicants for residency in Liechtenstein. She also actively participated in fundraising for the Swiss Red Cross. She exchanged letters with Prince Franz Josef II until her death and was invited to his wedding to Countess Georgina Wilczek but declined the invitation. Elsa never visited Liechtenstein again.

Princess Elsa of Liechtenstein died in Vitznau, Switzerland on September 28, 1947, at the age of 72. As the Czechs had seized the property in Vranov where her husband had been buried, it was impossible for Elsa to be buried with Franz. She was originally buried in the Chapel of Our Lady at Dux in Schaan, Liechtenstein. Her remains were moved to Vaduz Cathedral in Liechtenstein when the Princely Crypt there was completed.

Inside the Princely Crypt at Vaduz Cathedral; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Principality of Liechtenstein Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Principality of Liechtenstein Index
• Liechtenstein FAQs
• Liechtenstein Royal Burial Sites
• Liechtenstein Royal Residences
• Line of Succession to the Throne of Liechtenstein
• Profiles of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein

Works Cited

• De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Elsa von Gutmann. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsa_von_Gutmann [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Elisabeth von Gutmann. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_von_Gutmann [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_I,_Prince_of_Liechtenstein [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Wilhelm Isak, Ritter von Gutmann. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Isak,_Ritter_von_Gutmann [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
• Fuerstenhaus.li. (2018). Biographies of the Princes and Princesses. [online] Available at: https://www.fuerstenhaus.li/en/history/biographies-of-the-princes-and-princesses [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].
• Horcicka, V. (2015). Elsa, the Princess von and zu Liechtenstein. [ebook] DVACÁTÉ STOLETÍ. Available at: http://Elsa, the Princess von and zu Liechtenstein [Accessed 25 Sep. 2018].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Johann, Prince II of Liechtenstein is one of the world’s longest-reigning monarchs, reigning for 70 years, 91 days. Johann Maria Franz Placidus was born on October 5, 1840, at Schloss Eisgrub, today called Schloss Lednice, in the Austrian Empire, now in the Czech Republic. He was the elder of the two sons and the sixth of the eleven children of Alois II, Prince of Liechtenstein and Countess Franziska Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau.

Johann’s birthplace, Schloss Lednice; By Holgereberle – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22505155

Johann had ten siblings: nine sisters and one brother. The eleven children in Johann’s family spanned 15 years. Before Johann was born, the elder of the two sons, five girls were born. His brother Franz, the youngest in the family and who succeeded Johan, was thirteen years younger.

• • Princess Marie (1834 – 1909), married Ferdinand Graf von Trauttmansdorff-Weinsberg, had children
  • Princess Carolina (1836 – 1885), married Alexander Fürst von Schönburg-Hartenstein, had children
  • Princess Sophie (1837 – 1899), married Karl, 6th Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, had eight children
  • Princess Aloysia (1838 – 1920), married Heinrich Graf von Fünfkirchen, no children
  • Princess Ida (1839 – 1921), married Adolf Joseph 8th Prince of Schwarzenberg, had children
  • Princess Franziska (1841 – 1858), unmarried
  • Princess Henriette (1843 – 1931), married her first cousin Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein, had ten children, the current Princely Family of Liechtenstein is their descendants via their grandson Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein
  • Princess Anna Maria (1846 – 1924), married Georg Christian, Prince of Lobkowicz, had twelve children
  • Princess Therese (1850 – 1938), married Prince Arnulf of Bavaria, had one son Prince Heinrich of Bavaria who died in World War I
  • Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein (1853–1938), married Elisabeth von Gutmann, no children

   

Johann in 1860; Credit – Wikipedia

Johann received a good education from tutors and could speak German, English, French, Italian, and Czech. He studied at the University of Bonn and the University of Karlsruhe. In 1858, when his father died, 18-year-old Johann became the Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein. From 1859 – 1860, Johann’s mother served as regent while her son traveled through Europe, expanding the Liechtenstein art collection and learning about botany, archeology, and geography.

Johann led a solitary life. He was unsocial, did not participate in social events, and never married. Some considered him pathologically shy. However, he enacted many initiatives in Liechtenstein including compulsory education until the age of 14, the first constitution in 1862, and another constitution in 1921, still in effect. Johann, an art connoisseur, added works to the princely collections and donated artwork to museums.  Johann ordered extensive renovations at Vaduz Castle, the home of the princely family, even though he never lived in the castle or even in Liechtenstein. He was generous in his support of science, culture, and charities for the needy, and for this support, he was given the nickname Johann the Good.

Johann, circa 1870; Credit – Wikipedia

During Johann’s reign, relations cooled with Liechtenstein’s traditional ally Austria-Hungary. When Liechtenstein remained neutral during World War I, the alliance completely broke. In 1924, Liechtenstein allied with Switzerland, another neutral country, and adopted the Swiss franc as its currency.

Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein died at the age of 88, on February 11, 1929, at Valtice Castle in Czechoslovakia, now the Czech Republic. He was buried in the New Crypt of the Princely Mausoleum on the grounds of the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Vranov, near Brno, in the Czech Republic. As he had no children, Johann was succeeded by his brother Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein.

Princely Mausoleum, Vranov, Czech Republic; Credit – Wikipedia

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Principality of Liechtenstein Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Principality of Liechtenstein Index
• Liechtenstein FAQs
• Liechtenstein Royal Burial Sites
• Liechtenstein Royal Residences
• Line of Succession to the Throne of Liechtenstein
• Profiles of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein

Works Cited

• De.wikipedia.org. (2018). Johann II. (Liechtenstein). [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_II._(Liechtenstein) [Accessed 21 Sep. 2018].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2018). Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_II,_Prince_of_Liechtenstein [Accessed 21 Sep. 2018].
• Web.archive.org. (2018). Prince Johann II.. [online] Available at: https://web.archive.org/web/20160107100157/http://www.fuerstenhaus.li/en/fuerstenhaus/fuersten/fuerst_johann_2.html [Accessed 21 Sep. 2018].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Georgina von Wilczek, Princess of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

The wife of Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein, Georgina Norberta Jane Marie Antonie Raphaela, called Gina, was born on October 24, 1921, in Graz, Austria. She was the daughter of Count Ferdinand von Wilczek and Countess Norbertine (Nora) Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau. Her mother Nora founded a hospital in Austria at the outbreak of World War I. She then became a Red Cross nurse working in a Russian prisoner-of-war camp that held captured soldiers from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and the German Empire. In 1916, Nora traveled to Siberia with a Russian officer visiting sixteen prisoner-of-war camps and fifteen labor camps to check on human rights violations. In the midst of the Russian Revolution, Nora made a dramatic escape and returned home to Austria in the summer of 1918. She married Count Ferdinand von Wilczek in 1921 and gave birth to Gina two years later. Sadly, Nora died in 1923 during the birth of her second child, who also died.

In 1942, Gina became engaged to Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein. On March 7, 1943, the wedding took place at St. Florian Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein. It was the first royal wedding in Liechtenstein’s history that took place in the principality.

The couple had five children:

• Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein (born 1945), married Countess Marie Aglaë von Wchinitz und Tettau, had three sons and one daughter
• Prince Philipp of Liechtenstein (born 1946), married Isabelle de l’Arbre de Malander, had three sons
• Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein (born 1947), married Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, had two sons and two daughters
• Princess Nora of Liechtenstein (born 1950), married Vicente Sartorius y Cabeza de Vaca, 3rd Marqués de Mariño, had one daughter
• Prince Wenzel of Liechtenstein (1962 – 1991), unmarried

Franz and Gina with their four eldest children; Credit – lux-arazzi.blogspot.com

During World War II, Princess Gina, like her mother, had concerns for prisoners of war. On June 22, 1945, she founded the Liechtenstein Red Cross, and was president from 1945 to 1984, when she handed over the position to her daughter-in-law Princess Marie, wife of her eldest son Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein. Princess Marie has since handed over the position of president to her daughter-in-law Hereditary Princess Sophie, wife of her eldest son Hereditary Prince Alois.

Princess Gina died on October 18, 1989, in a hospital in Grabs, Switzerland, six days before her 68th birthday after a long battle with cancer. Her husband Franz Josef died 26 days later. The couple was buried in the Princely Crypt at St. Florian Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein.

Tomb of Princess Gina; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Principality of Liechtenstein Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Principality of Liechtenstein Index
• Liechtenstein FAQs
• Liechtenstein Royal Burial Sites
• Liechtenstein Royal Residences
• Line of Succession to the Throne of Liechtenstein
• Profiles of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2015

Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Franz Josef II, Prince of Liechtenstein (Franz Josef Maria Aloys Alfred Karl Johannes Heinrich Michael Georg Ignatius Benediktus Gerhardus Majella) was born August 16, 1906, at Schloss Frauenthal in Steiermark, Austria. He was the eldest of the eight children of Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein and Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria, the half-sister of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, whose assassination was one of the factors that led to World War I.

Franz Josef had five brothers and two sisters:

• Princess Maria Theresia (1908 – 1973), married Count Arthur Strachwitz von Gross-Zauche und Camminetz, had issue
• Prince Karl Alfred (1910 – 1985), married Archduchess Agnes Christina of Austria, had issue
• Prince Georg Hartmann (1911 – 1998), married Duchess Marie Christine of Württemberg, had issue
• Prince Ulrich Dietmar (1913 – 1978), unmarried
• Princess Marie Henriette (1914 – 2011), married Count Peter von Eltz genannt Faust von Stromberg, had issue
• Prince Aloys Heinrich (1917 – 1967), unmarried
• Prince Heinrich Hartneid (1920 – 1993), married Countess Amalie von Podstatzky-Lichtenstein, had issue

Franz Josef was named after Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria, his mother’s paternal uncle and his godfather. He grew up in the Austrian castles of the Princely House of Liechtenstein where he developed his love of nature which influenced his future studies. Franz Josef’s father, Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein was the son of Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein and Princess Henriette of Liechtenstein, daughter of Alois II, Prince of Liechtenstein. On February 26, 1923, Prince Aloys renounced his rights to the succession in favor of his son Franz Josef. At the time, Prince Aloys was the second in the line of succession behind his childless uncle Franz who succeeded to the throne in 1929 as Franz I, Prince of Liechtenstein.

In 1925, Franz Josef graduated from the Schottengymnasium in Vienna, Austria. He then enrolled at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria where he studied forestry. In 1930, Franz Josef graduated with distinction from the university as a forest engineer. He used his forestry skills on the family-owned farms, then in Czechoslovakia, now part of the Czech Republic.

Franz Josef took on various official roles on behalf of the elderly Prince Franz I. On March 30, 1938, Franz I named Franz Josef regent. Although he cited old age as his reason for the regency, it is widely believed that it was because he had no desire to be ruling if Nazi Germany invaded his small principality. Franz I died on July 25, 1938, and was succeeded by his grandnephew, Franz Josef II.

During World War II, Liechtenstein remained officially neutral. Family treasures from Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia were taken to Liechtenstein for safekeeping. At the end of World War II, Czechoslovakia and Poland seized all of Liechtenstein’s property in Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, including large areas of farms and forests and several family castles and palaces. The family burial place was the Princely Mausoleum in Vranov, Moravia, but in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) after the war. The burial property was seized after World War II by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia. Since then, both Czechoslovakia and the current Czech Republic have refused to return the property to the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. Despite this, Franz Josef’s son Prince Hans-Adam II had the crypts extensively renovated from 2012 to 2015.

Franz Josef was the first sovereign prince to live full-time in the principality and made his home at Vaduz Castle.

Vaduz Castle; Photo Credit – Wikipedia, photo by Michael Gredenberg

On March 7, 1943, Franz Joseph married Countess Georgina von Wilczek (Gina) at St. Florian Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein.

The couple had five children:

• Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein (born 1945), married Countess Marie Aglaë von Wchinitz und Tettau, had three sons and one daughter
• Prince Philipp of Liechtenstein (born 1946), married Isabelle de l’Arbre de Malander, had three sons
• Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein (born 1947), married Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, had two sons and two daughters
• Princess Nora of Liechtenstein (born 1950), married Vicente Sartorius y Cabeza de Vaca, 3rd Marqués de Mariño, had one daughter
• Prince Wenzel of Liechtenstein (1962 – 1991), unmarried

Franz and Gina with their four eldest children; Credit – lux-arazzi.blogspot.com

After World War II, the economic, social, and cultural progress of Liechtenstein was Franz Josef’s chief concern. The family often resorted to selling family art treasures, including the portrait “Ginevra de’ Benci” by Leonardo da Vinci, which was purchased by the National Gallery of Art of the United States in 1967 for $5 million ($35 million in 2015 dollars), then a record price for a painting. By the late 1970s, Liechtenstein used its low corporate tax rates to draw many companies to the country and became one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Today, Liechtenstein has the second-highest per capita income in the world.

In 1984, Franz Josef II handed over most of his powers to his son Hans-Adam. After 46 years of marriage, Princess Gina died on October 18, 1989, at the age of 68 after a long battle with cancer. She had once said. “My husband and I have become one. Everyone believes we are not able to exist without the other.” Only 26 days after the death of his wife, Prince Franz Josef II died on November 13, 1989, in a hospital in Grabs, Switzerland at the age of 83. The couple was buried in the Princely Crypt at St. Florian Cathedral in Vaduz, Liechtenstein.

Tomb of Franz Josef; Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

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Principality of Liechtenstein Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Principality of Liechtenstein Index
• Liechtenstein FAQs
• Liechtenstein Royal Burial Sites
• Liechtenstein Royal Residences
• Line of Succession to the Throne of Liechtenstein
• Profiles of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein; Credit – Daniel Ospelt/Vaterlandmagazin

His Serene Highness Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein was born on May 24, 1995, at Portland Hospital in London, England. Known as Prince Wenzel, he is the eldest of the four children of Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein and his wife, born Princess Sophie of Bavaria.  Prince Wenzel is the grandson of the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein, Hans-Adam II and is second in the line of succession to the throne of Liechtenstein after his father.

Wenzel has three siblings:

• Princess Marie-Caroline (born 1996)
• Prince Georg (born 1999)
• Prince Nikolaus (born 2000)

Embed from Getty Images 
Joseph Wenzel with his parents and younger sister Marie-Caroline

Prince Wenzel’s full name is:

• Joseph Wenzel (after Joseph Wenzel I, Prince of Liechtenstein)
• Maximilian (after his maternal grandfather Prince Max of Bavaria, Duke in Bavaria and his paternal uncle and godfather, Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein)
• Maria (in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary as is the tradition of some Roman Catholic royal families)

Prince Wenzel attended secondary school at Malvern College in Malvern, Worcestershire, England where he was known as Wenzel Liechtenstein. After graduating from Malvern in May 2014, Wenzel took a gap year, during which he gained work experience in the United States and South America.  Following in his father’s footsteps, Prince Wenzel attended the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in the United Kingdom, graduating in August 2017.

Through his mother Sophie, born a Princess of Bavaria and thus a member of the House of Wittelsbach, Prince Wenzel is third in line and the heir of his mother to the Jacobite succession to the British throne.  The Jacobites sought to restore the British crown to King James II of England following his deposition in the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and subsequently, to his heirs. The current Jacobite heir is Sophie’s childless uncle Franz, Duke of Bavaria, who has never pursued the claim. Franz’s heir is Sophie’s father, Maximilian, Duke in Bavaria who only has five daughters. As the eldest of her father’s daughters, Sophie will be his heir to the Jacobite claim and therefore her eldest son is her heir.

After the line of King James II died out, the Jacobite line then went to the line of the youngest daughter of King Charles I of England, which was denied succession rights due to its Roman Catholicism.

Prince Joseph Wenzel’s link to the House of Stuart is through this line:

• • Princess Henrietta of England (1644–1670), youngest daughter of King Charles I of England; then her daughter
  • Anne Marie d’Orléans (1669–1728), Queen Consort of Sardinia; then her son
  • Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia (1701–1773), Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia; then his son
  • Victor Amadeus III (1726–1796), King of Sardinia; then his son
  • Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia (1759–1824); then his daughter
  • Maria Beatrice, Princess of Sardinia and later by marriage Duchess of Modena (1792–1840); then her son
  • Archduke Ferdinand Karl Viktor of Austria-Este (1821–1849), Archduke of Austria-Este and Prince of Modena; then her daughter
  • Maria Theresia, Princess of Modena and later Queen Consort of Bavaria (1849–1919); then her son
  • Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria (1869–1955); then his son
  • Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria (1905–1996); then his son
  • Franz, Duke of Bavaria; then his brother
  • Maximilian, Duke in Bavaria; then his daughter
  • Sophie, Princess of Bavaria and later Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein; then her son
  • Joseph Wenzel, Prince of Liechtenstein

• Unofficial Royalty: The Jacobite Succession – Pretenders to the British Throne

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Nikolaus Ferdinand Maria Josef Raphael of Liechtenstein was born October 24, 1947, in Zurich, Switzerland, the third son of the four sons and the third of the five children of Prince Franz Josef II of Liechtenstein and Countess Georgina von Wilczek.

Prince Nikolaus has four siblings:

• Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein (born 1945), married Countess Marie Aglaë von Wchinitz und Tettau, had three sons and one daughter
• Prince Philipp of Liechtenstein (born 1946), married Isabelle de l’Arbre de Malander, had three sons
• Princess Nora of Liechtenstein (born 1950), married Vicente Sartorius y Cabeza de Vaca, 3rd Marqués de Mariño, had one daughter
• Prince Wenzel of Liechtenstein (1962 – 1991), unmarried

Nikolaus was raised at Vaduz Castle and began his primary education nearby. He then attended the Schottengymnasium (Scots College) in Vienna. Following high school in Zuoz, Switzerland, he studied law at the University of Vienna, graduating in 1972.

The Prince worked for the International Red Cross in Geneva, and later as a consultant in Liechtenstein’s Office of International Relations. From 1979-1989, he served as Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe. In 1986, he was appointed the first non-resident Ambassador to the Holy See, a position he held until July 2017. In addition, he served as Ambassador to Switzerland from 1989-1996, and Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union from 1996-2010.

photo: Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor

On March 20, 1982, Prince Nikolaus married Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg, at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. She is the daughter of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, as well as the younger sister of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg. So far, their marriage is the last between two reigning royal houses in Europe. They had four children:

• Prince Leopold (born and died 1984)
• Princess Maria-Anunciata (born 1985), married Emanuele Musini
• Princess Marie-Astrid (born 1987), married Raphael Worthington
• Prince Josef-Emanuel (born 1989), married María Claudia Echavarría Suárez

Princess Margaretha and Prince Nikolaus with their children, 2010. photo: www.royaltyonline.blogspot.com

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.