Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alois
Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein Count of Rietberg
Alois in 2018
Regent of Liechtenstein
Regency	15 August 2004 – present
Monarch	Hans-Adam II
Prime Ministers	See list Otmar Hasler Klaus Tschütscher Adrian Hasler Daniel Risch
Born	(1968-06-11) 11 June 1968 (age 56) Zürich, Switzerland
Spouse	Duchess Sophie in Bavaria ​ (m. 1993)​
Issue Detail	Prince Joseph Wenzel Princess Marie-Caroline Prince Georg Prince Nikolaus
Full name Alois Philipp Maria
House	Liechtenstein
Father	Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein
Mother	Countess Marie Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau
Religion	Catholic
Signature

Alois, Hereditary Prince and Regent of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg (Alois Philipp Maria; born 11 June 1968), is the eldest son of Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein, and Countess Marie Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau. The heir apparent to the throne of Liechtenstein, Alois has also been regent of the country (Stellvertreter des Fürsten) since 15 August 2004. He is married to Duchess Sophie in Bavaria, who is a member of the House of Wittelsbach, and second in line for the Jacobite succession.

Life and career

Alois attended the Liechtenstein Grammar School in Ebenholz (Vaduz) and then 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.

Until 1996, Alois worked at a firm of chartered accountants in London. In May of that year, he returned to Vaduz and became active in managing the princely families' finances.

In the 2003 Liechtenstein constitutional referendum, Hans-Adam II retained his sweeping powers (the right to veto laws and elect judges). On Liechtenstein Day in 2004, Hans-Adam II formally turned the power of making day-to-day governmental decisions over to Alois, preparing for the transition to a new generation. Hans-Adam II remains head of state.

..... The initiative was supported by Roman Catholic Archbishop Wolfgang Haas. Alois was initially sympathetic to the proposal, but he became neutral during the run-up to the vote. Instead, a government-sponsored counter proposal was ratified.

..... Such a veto was not necessary, as the voters rejected the proposal.

Following the prince's threat, an initiative called "Damit deine Stimme zählt" ("So that your voice counts") was launched to change the constitution of Liechtenstein to prevent the prince from vetoing legislation approved in referendums. The referendum was held on 1 July 2012, and 76% of voters upheld the prince's power to veto referendum results.

On 11 August 2022, Prince Alois said that same-sex marriage is "not a major problem".

Marriage and issue

On 3 July 1993 at St. Florin's Cathedral in Vaduz, Alois married Duchess Sophie in Bavaria, now also Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein and Countess of Rietberg.

They have four children:

• Prince Joseph Wenzel Maximilian Maria of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg (born 24 May 1995 at Portland Hospital in London). Educated at Malvern College.
• Princess Marie Caroline Elisabeth Immaculata of Liechtenstein, Countess of Rietberg (born 17 October 1996 in Grabs, Canton of St. Gallen). Graduated from Parsons Paris School of Art and Design in 2020.
• Prince Georg Antonius Constantin Maria of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg (born 20 April 1999 in Grabs). He attended Malvern College and graduated in 2017. He then studied at the University of St. Gallen and continued his education at the ESCP Business School. Professionally known as Georg Liechtenstein, he works as a visiting analyst at Atlantic Labs in Berlin.
• Prince Nikolaus Sebastian Alexander Maria of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg (born 6 December 2000 in Grabs).

Honours

National

•  Liechtenstein : Grand Star of the Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein.

Foreign

•  Austria : Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria (08/06/2000).
•  Netherlands : Recipient of the King Willem-Alexander Inauguration Medal (04/30/2013).
•  Sweden : Recipient of the King Carl XVI Gustaf's Jubilee Commemorative Medal for the 70th Birthday (04/30/2016).
•  Sovereign Military Order of Malta : Grand Cross pro Merito Melitensi – civilian special class – (09/16/2011).

Arms

Arms of Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein

Coronet Ducal hat of Liechtenstein Escutcheon Quarterly: I Or, an eagle displayed Sable crowned and armed Or charged with a crescent treflée, issuing from the middle thereof a cross pattée Argent (Silesia); II barry of eight Or and Sable, a crown of rue bendways throughout Vert (Kuenring); III per pale Gules and Argent (Duchy of Troppau); IV Or, a harpy displayed Sable the human parts Argent crowned and armed Or (Cirksena); on a point entée Azure, a bugle-horn stringed Or (Duchy of Jägerndorf); en surtout, an inescutcheon per fess or and Gules (House of Liechtenstein).

See also

In Spanish: Luis de Liechtenstein para niños

• List of current heirs apparent