Liechtenstein Reforms Royal Succession Law to Enable Women

Sun Sep 06 2026 18:56:08 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Liechtenstein has updated its succession rules, replacing male primogeniture with absolute primogeniture, allowing its princesses to inherit the throne.

The tiny Central‑European principality announced a reform of its royal succession law on its national day, the first in Europe to carve out a gender‑neutral inheritance path. The new rule replaces the old male‑first primogeniture, meaning the eldest child—regardless of gender—will be heir to the throne. The decree will not alter the current line of succession but will apply to the descendants of the four children of Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie. The change reflects a broader trend of modernization in European monarchies, following Britain’s 2011 shift to absolute primogeniture.

Liechtenstein has announced that it has changed its royal succession rules to allow women to ascend the throne.

The declaration was made on the national day of the principality, a tiny Central European country with a population of only about 44,000.

Prince Hans‑Adam II has been the head of their royal family since 1989, but the new rule will not affect his firstborn, Hereditary Prince Alois.

Alois has carried out most official royal duties for the last two decades, and the change will apply only to the descendants of the four children of Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie.

The House of Liechtenstein said the order of succession is being changed from male primogeniture to absolute primogeniture, meaning that the first‑born child—regardless of sex—will become heir to the throne and later princess or prince of Liechtenstein.

In a statement, Alois said, "With this change in the law, we want to ensure that both the Principality of Liechtenstein and the Princely House are led by the person who has been best prepared for this responsibility."

Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked country tucked away between Switzerland and Austria, and its ruler enjoys sweeping political powers, unlike many of his counterparts in Europe.

In 2011, Britain changed its succession laws to allow first‑born daughters of a monarch to inherit the throne, setting a precedent that Liechtenstein now follows.