Copyright by World Economic Forum/Sikarin Fon Thanachaiary
Liechtenstein is the only reigning European monarchy that bars women from the throne.
Their succession laws are governed by the Princely House of Liechtenstein’s house laws. There has been controversy regarding the laws of succession, with a committee at the United Nations criticising the principality for excluding women from inheriting the throne in 2004. However, no changes were brought about, and even the monarch, Prince Hans-Adam II, defended the house laws because they were older than the country itself.
The first twenty in the line of succession to succeed Prince Hans Adam are as follows:
- Hereditary Prince Alois (who has served as Regent since 2004)
- Prince Joseph Wenzel
- Prince Georg
- Prince Nikolaus
- Prince Maximilian
- Prince Alfons
- Prince Constantin
- Prince Moritz
- Prince Benedikt
- Prince Philipp
- Prince Alexander
- Prince Wenzeslaus
- Prince Rudolf
- Prince Karl Ludwig
- Prince Nikolaus
- Prince Josef-Emanuel
- Prince Andreas
- Prince Gregor
- Prince Christoph
- Prince Hubertus
To be eligible to succeed to the throne, the royal must be born to married parents (of which the monarch consented to the union) and be male patrilineal descendants of Prince Johann I Joseph. If no male heirs are left, the monarch can adopt an heir presumptive.
The house laws do not provide for a possibility of a female monarch or females in the line of succession.