Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein
 | Hans-Adam II
Prince of Liechtenstein |
| |
Hans-Adam II (
Johannes Adam Ferdinand Alois Josef Maria Marko d'Aviano Pius von und zu Liechtenstein, styled
HSH The Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein, (born
February 14,
1945,
Zurich), is the son of
Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1906-1989) and his wife Countess Georgina von Wilczek (1921-1989). He also bears the titles
Duke of Troppau and Jägerndorf, Count of Rietberg.
The Prince of
Liechtenstein has sweepingly broad powers; a
referendum to adopt Hans-Adam's revision of the
constitution to expand his powers passed in 2003. The changes also included a republican option, whereby the Prince was henceforth formally barred from vetoing any bill to establish a republic. In addition, the right to secede for the parishes which make up the Principality was recognized. Prince Hans-Adam had threatened that he and his family would move to
Austria (and, it was rumoured, sell the Royal Palace to
Bill Gates and rename the country
Microsoft[
1]) if the referendum had failed. Despite opposition from
Mario Frick, a former Prime Minister, the Prince's referendum motion was carried by the electorate.
On
15 August,
2004 Prince Hans-Adam II formally turned the power of making day-to-day governmental decisions over to his son
Prince Alois, as a way of transitioning to a new generation. Formally, Hans-Adam remains
Head of State.
Prince Hans-Adam owns
LGT banking group and has a personal fortune of more than £2 billion. He owns an extensive art collection, a part of which is on display for the public in museums in Vaduz and in
Vienna,
Austria.
Hans-Adam's mother tongue is
German but he is also fluent in
English,
French and
Italian.
On
30 July,
1967 at
Vaduz, Liechtenstein he married his cousin
Marie Aglaë, Countess Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau (born 1940).
Their children are:
*Hereditary
Prince Alois (b.
11 June,
1968)
*
Maximilian Nikolaus Maria (b.
16 May,
1969)
*
Constantin Ferdinand Maria (b.
15 March,
1972)
*
Princess Tatjana of Liechtenstein (b.
10 April,
1973)
The Prince is an honorary member of K.D.St.V. Nordgau Prag Stüttgart, a Catholic students'
fraternity that is a member of the
Cartellverband der katholischen deutschen Studentenverbindungen.
*
Princely Family of Liechtenstein*
List of Princes of Liechtenstein*
Line of succession to the Throne of Liechtenstein*
The Official Site of the Princely Family
