Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein

Prince Joseph Wenzel
Full name
Joseph Wenzel Maximilian Maria
Father Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein
Mother Duchess Sophie in Bavaria
Born 24 May 1995 (1995-05-24) (age 16)
London, England
Religion Roman Catholic


Princely Family of Liechtenstein

HSH The Prince
HSH The Princess

Extended princely family
Styles of
Prince Joseph of Liechtenstein
Reference style His Serene Highness
Spoken style Your Serene Highness
Alternative style Sir.

Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein, Count of Rietberg (Joseph Wenzel Maximilian Maria von und zu Liechtenstein), styled His Serene Highness (born 24 May 1995 in London), is the eldest child of Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, the Regent and Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, and his wife Princess Sophie of Bavaria, Duchess in Bavaria.[1] He is second in the line of succession to the Liechtensteiner throne and third in line in the Jacobite line of succession to the thrones of England, Scotland, Ireland and France. He is the first Jacobite heir born in the British Isles since 1688.[1]

The prince has three younger siblings: Princess Marie-Caroline (b. 1996), Prince Georg-Antonius (b. 1999) and Prince Nikolaus Sebastian (b. 2000).

Joseph Wenzel is named in honour of his ancestor Josef Wenzel, Reigning Prince of Liechtenstein from 1712 to 1718 and from 1748 to 1772. He bears the name Maximilian in honour of his maternal grandfather Prince Max, Duke in Bavaria, and his paternal uncle and godfather, Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein. In accordance with the custom of several Roman Catholic dynasties in Europe, including that of both his parents, he was given the name Maria in honour of the Virgin Mary.[1]

Contents

Dynastic ties

The Princely House of Liechtenstein

Since birth, Joseph Wenzel has borne the title "Prince of Liechtenstein" and "Count of Rietberg." He is second in line for the throne of Liechtenstein, preceded only by his father who has been Regent of Liechtenstein (Stellvertreter des Fürsten) since 15 August 2004.[2]

However, Joseph Wenzel's grandfather Prince Hans-Adam formally remains The Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein (Head of State of Liechtenstein) and head of the Princely House of Liechtenstein. When Prince Alois inherits that top position, Joseph Wenzel will become the Hereditary Prince (Erbprinz), i.e., the immediate heir to the throne of Liechtenstein.[2]

Jacobite succession

Joseph Wenzel is regarded by Jacobites as third in line for the kingship of England, Scotland and Ireland. Joseph Wenzel's granduncle Franz, Duke of Bavaria, is the current Jacobite pretender although he makes no claim to the thrones of the British Isles, nor have any of his ancestors in the Jacobite line since the 18th century.[1][3][4]

Prince Franz is elderly and has no children. Accordingly, upon Franz's death the status of Stuart pretender falls to his brother Prince Max, then to Max's eldest daughter Sophie, Joseph Wenzel's mother. Thirdly, the status of Jacobite pretender would fall to Joseph Wenzel himself.[1][5]

Joseph Wenzel's birth generated some excitement in Jacobite circles. Firstly, having been born at Portland Hospital in London, he is the first Jacobite heir born in Great Britain since James Francis Edward Stuart in 1688. Secondly, barring unforeseen circumstances, Joseph Wenzel will eventually become a Head of State, a position not held by a Stuart pretender since his four-greats-granduncle Francis V, Duke of Modena.

Ancestry

Patrilineal descent

Prince Joseph Wenzel's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son.

Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations - which means that if Prince Joseph Wenzel were to choose an historically accurate house name it would be House of Liechtenstein, as all his male-line ancestors have been of that house.

House of Liechtenstein

  1. Georg Hartmann of Liechtenstein, 1544 - 1585 (he was father of Karl, the 1st Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein, Joseph Wenzel's line is Karl I's brother line)
  2. Gundacker of Liechtenstein, 1580–1658
  3. Hartmann of Liechtenstein, 1613–1685
  4. Prince Philip Erasmus of Liechtenstein, 1664–1704
  5. Emanuel, Prince of Liechtenstein, 1700–1771
  6. Franz Joseph I, Prince of Liechtenstein, 1726–1781
  7. Johann I Joseph, Prince of Liechtenstein, 1760–1836
  8. Prince Franz de Paula of Liechtenstein, 1802–1887
  9. Prince Alfred of Liechtenstein, 1842–1907
  10. Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein, 1869–1955
  11. Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein, 1906–1989
  12. Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein, 1945 -
  13. Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, 1968 -
  14. Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein, 1995 -

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ a b c d Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein The Jacobite Heritage
  2. ^ a b Country profile: Liechtenstein - Leaders BBC News, 6 December 2006. Retrieved 29 December 2006.
  3. ^ Those unfamiliar with the vocabulary of dynastic succession should note that "pretender" (from the French word prétendre which means "to claim") has no implication of falsity and connotes nothing about whether the claim is irrefutably legitimate, blatantly phony or somewhere between. The term is even used in cases when some interested party (in this case the Jacobites) makes a claim which the pretenders themselves (in this case the Wittelsbachs) do not.
  4. ^ Franz's relevant ancestor, Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia, was the second cousin and contemporary of Henry Benedict Stuart, the last descendant of Charles I to publicly claim the thrones of England, etc.
  5. ^ This assumes that none of them predecease an older relative, in which case each would merely "moves up a spot".
Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein
Born: 24 May 1995
Liechtensteiner royalty
Preceded by
Prince Alois		 Line of Succession
to Liechtenstein throne		 Succeeded by
Prince Georg
Preceded by
Sophie, Hereditary
Princess of Liechtenstein		 Order of Succession to
Jacobite claim to British throne