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Sunday, Aug 16, 2026
Outside the box.
Liechtenstein Changes Royal Succession Rules to Allow Women to Inherit the Throne
Hereditary Prince Alois says the ruling family has approved absolute primogeniture, meaning future first-born children will become heirs regardless of sex.
Liechtenstein's ruling family is changing its centuries-old succession rules to allow women to inherit the throne, ending the principality's male-only system for future generations.
Hereditary Prince Alois announced the reform during Liechtenstein's National Day celebrations on Saturday, saying the family will move from male primogeniture to absolute primogeniture.
Under the new system, the first-born child will become heir regardless of whether the child is female or male and may eventually become the reigning princess or prince of Liechtenstein.
Alois said the reform was approved on Wednesday by the required two-thirds majority of members of the princely family entitled to vote on changes to its house law.
The reform will apply to future descendants of Alois and his wife, Hereditary Princess Sophie, rather than reshuffling the existing succession at the top.
Their eldest child, Prince Joseph Wenzel, born in 1995, therefore remains next in line after his father.
The couple's second child, Princess Marie Caroline, was excluded from succession under the previous male-only rules, while their younger sons, Prince Georg and Prince Nikolaus, were included.
The decision represents a significant change for one of Europe's remaining hereditary monarchies with a male-only succession system.
Alois presented it as part of the princely house's effort to balance continuity with renewal, arguing that the family's long-term approach to major decisions had served it well over centuries.
The announcement is also notable because Alois had previously defended the male succession system.
In 2019, he argued that extending succession through female family lines could substantially expand membership of the princely house and potentially affect its stability.
The newly approved reform therefore marks a substantial shift in the family's position.
Prince Hans-Adam II remains Liechtenstein's reigning prince and formal head of state.
However, he transferred the exercise of most sovereign powers to Alois on August 15, 2004, appointing his eldest son as his representative.
Alois, born in 1968, has consequently performed the monarchy's principal state duties for more than two decades while remaining hereditary prince.
The change carries particular constitutional significance because Liechtenstein's monarch has considerably greater political authority than most contemporary European sovereigns.
The reigning prince participates directly in the country's constitutional system, including the appointment of judges under procedures involving parliament, and the monarchy retains important powers concerning legislation, parliament and the government.
Liechtenstein, a small and wealthy Alpine principality between Switzerland and Austria with a population of roughly 40,000, has historically moved gradually on questions of political equality between men and women.
Women gained the right to vote in national elections only in 1984, making Liechtenstein the last country in Europe to introduce women's suffrage at the national level.
Political representation has since changed substantially.
Brigitte Haas took office in April 2025 as Liechtenstein's first female prime minister, heading the government for the 2025-2029 legislative term.
The succession reform now brings the princely house into that broader transformation.
It does not change who is expected to inherit the throne in the immediate future, but it changes the rule governing generations that follow: among the affected future descendants, birth order rather than sex will determine who becomes Liechtenstein's heir.
Hereditary Prince Alois announced the reform during Liechtenstein's National Day celebrations on Saturday, saying the family will move from male primogeniture to absolute primogeniture.
Under the new system, the first-born child will become heir regardless of whether the child is female or male and may eventually become the reigning princess or prince of Liechtenstein.
Alois said the reform was approved on Wednesday by the required two-thirds majority of members of the princely family entitled to vote on changes to its house law.
The reform will apply to future descendants of Alois and his wife, Hereditary Princess Sophie, rather than reshuffling the existing succession at the top.
Their eldest child, Prince Joseph Wenzel, born in 1995, therefore remains next in line after his father.
The couple's second child, Princess Marie Caroline, was excluded from succession under the previous male-only rules, while their younger sons, Prince Georg and Prince Nikolaus, were included.
The decision represents a significant change for one of Europe's remaining hereditary monarchies with a male-only succession system.
Alois presented it as part of the princely house's effort to balance continuity with renewal, arguing that the family's long-term approach to major decisions had served it well over centuries.
The announcement is also notable because Alois had previously defended the male succession system.
In 2019, he argued that extending succession through female family lines could substantially expand membership of the princely house and potentially affect its stability.
The newly approved reform therefore marks a substantial shift in the family's position.
Prince Hans-Adam II remains Liechtenstein's reigning prince and formal head of state.
However, he transferred the exercise of most sovereign powers to Alois on August 15, 2004, appointing his eldest son as his representative.
Alois, born in 1968, has consequently performed the monarchy's principal state duties for more than two decades while remaining hereditary prince.
The change carries particular constitutional significance because Liechtenstein's monarch has considerably greater political authority than most contemporary European sovereigns.
The reigning prince participates directly in the country's constitutional system, including the appointment of judges under procedures involving parliament, and the monarchy retains important powers concerning legislation, parliament and the government.
Liechtenstein, a small and wealthy Alpine principality between Switzerland and Austria with a population of roughly 40,000, has historically moved gradually on questions of political equality between men and women.
Women gained the right to vote in national elections only in 1984, making Liechtenstein the last country in Europe to introduce women's suffrage at the national level.
Political representation has since changed substantially.
Brigitte Haas took office in April 2025 as Liechtenstein's first female prime minister, heading the government for the 2025-2029 legislative term.
The succession reform now brings the princely house into that broader transformation.
It does not change who is expected to inherit the throne in the immediate future, but it changes the rule governing generations that follow: among the affected future descendants, birth order rather than sex will determine who becomes Liechtenstein's heir.
