Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein
Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein | |
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 H.S.H. The Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein | |
| Born | June 11, 1968 |
| Other names | Alois Philipp Maria |
| Title | Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg |
| Spouse | Duchess Sophie in Bavaria |
| Children | Prince Joseph Wenzel, Princess Marie Caroline, Prince Georg Antonius and Prince Nikolaus Sebastian |
| Parent(s) | Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein and Countess Marie Aglaë Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau |
| Princely family of Liechtenstein |
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| Styles of Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein | |
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| File:Liechtenstein coa.png | |
| Reference style | His Serene Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Serene Highness |
| Alternative style | Sir |
Alois Philipp Maria, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg (German: Erbprinz Alois Philipp Maria von und zu Liechtenstein) (born 11 June 1968 in Zürich) is the eldest son of Prince Hans Adam II of Liechtenstein and his wife Marie Aglaë, Countess Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau. He has been Regent of Liechtenstein (Stellvertreter des Fürsten) since 15 August 2004.
Education & military
He attended the Liechtenstein Grammar School in Vaduz-Ebenholz and the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst in the United Kingdom. He served in the Coldstream Guards in Hong Kong and London for six months before entering the University of Salzburg, from which he earned a Master's degree in Jurisprudence in 1993.
Duties
Until 1996, Alois worked at a London auditing company. In May of that year, he returned to Vaduz and became active in managing his father's finances and took an increasingly active role in political discussions and consultations, and in assuming representative duties for Liechtenstein.
On Liechtenstein Day, (15 August) in 1990, he and his father publicly and jointly swore to uphold the Constitution.
Hans-Adam II won sweeping new powers (the right to veto laws and elect judges) in a Constitutional referendum in 2003.
On Liechtenstein Day, 2004, Prince Hans-Adam II formally turned the power of making day-to-day governmental decisions over to his son, Erbprinz Alois, as a way of preparing for the transition to a new generation. (Hans-Adam remains Head of State).
On 27 November, 2005, Liechtenstein voters rejected an initiative that would prohibit abortion and birth control in the principality. Instead, a government-sponsored counterproposal was ratified. The anti-abortion initiative was supported by Roman Catholic Archbishop Wolfgang Haas. Hereditary Prince Alois was initially sympathetic to anti-abortion proposal, but became neutral during the run-up to the vote.
Marriage & children
On 3 July 1993, at St. Florin's in Vaduz, Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein married HRH Duchess Sophie in Bavaria, Princess of Bavaria, now also Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein and Countess of Rietberg. They have four children:
- HSH Prince Joseph Wenzel Maximilian Maria of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg (born 24 May 1995 in London)
- HSH Princess Marie-Caroline Elisabeth Immaculata of Liechtenstein, Countess of Rietberg (born 17 October 1996 in Grabs, Canton of St. Gallen)
- HSH Prince Georg Antonius Constantin Maria of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg (born 20 April 1999 in Grabs)
- HSH Prince Nikolaus Sebastian Alexander Maria of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg (born 6 December 2000, in Grabs)
See also
- List of Princes of Liechtenstein
- Line of succession to the Liechtensteinian Throne
- Princely Family of Liechtenstein
Alois of Liechtenstein was also the name of the grandfather of Hans Adam II, thus the great-grandfather of the current Alois.