Liechtenstein House Law Change (Aug 2026)

Overview

In August 2026, The Liechtenstein Princely Family announced two changes to their House Law.

1. Granting women the right to participate in House Matters.
2. Change the Succession Rules to include women and give them equal place. (Applies only to future descendants of Prince Alois)

I have not yet seen the exact text of the House Law released to the public. But you can find the press release here.

Rule Change Timeline:

• Late 2025 – Amendments to House Law were initiated.
• August 12th, 2026 – Amendments were voted on by member of the Princely Family
  • The vote required a two-thirds approval.
• August 15th, 2026 – Announced during National Day Celebrations

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Women given Participation Rights

All female descendants of the princely house are granted the same participation rights in matters governed by the house as male descendants.

This applied to all female descendants of the Princely House (I.e. Hereditary Prince Alois descendants, and wider Royal Family).

This means they can vote on future rules changes to the House Law.

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Change in Succession Rules

Old Succession – Agnatic (Male-Only )Primogeniture

Only men could inherit the throne and only down the male line. Female and their descendants are excluded. (There was a tiny little rule that women could technically inherit, but only if there were no more males in line. This would include not just brothers, but uncles, male cousins, etc.)

New Succession – Absolute (First-Born) Primogeniture (for future defendants of Prince Alois)

Men and women can both inherit the throne and are given equal place in the line of succession.

Members of the Princely House already born are not affected.

The press release said this applied exclusively to “future descendants of Hereditary Prince Alois and his wife, Hereditary Princess Sophie.” So, I interrupt that as limiting the rule changes to just descendants of Alois and Sophie, and not the whole royal house. (I have emailed the palace asking for clarification).

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Current Line of Succession

The succession rule change did not make any immediate changes to the current line of succession. The rule changes does not apply to people already living. Therefore no one was added to the line or moved positions.

Females born before the rule change (& their descendant) are still excluded.

• Former Monarch: Prince Franz Josef II (1906–1989)
  • Monarch: Prince Hans-Adam II
    • (1st, Regent) Hereditary Prince Alois
      • (2nd) Prince Joseph Wenzel
      • Princess Marie Caroline (Not in line)
      • (3) Prince Georg
      • (4) Prince Nikolaus
    • (5) Prince Maximilian
      • (6) Prince Alfons
    • Prince Constantin (1972–2023)
      • (7) Prince Moritz
      • Princess Georgina (Not in line)
      • (8) Prince Benedikt
    • Princess Tatjana (Not in Line)
  • (9) Prince Philipp (b. 1946)
    • (10) Prince Alexander
      • Princess Theodora (Not in line)
    • (11) Prince Wenzeslaus
    • (12) Prince Rudolf
      • (13) Prince Karl Ludwig
    • (14) Prince Nikolaus
      • Princess Alienor (Not in Line)
      • Princess Laetitia (Not in Line)
      • (15) Prince Josef-Emanuel
        • (16) Prince Leopold
        • (17) Prince Nikolai
• Continuing down through all the eligible male descendants of Prince Johann I Josef.