Hereditary Prince Alois & Princess Sophie

[zanychick3000]

I just saw this at the website for the Liechtenstein newspaper Vaterland, it is an interview with Prince Alois regarding higher education in Liechtenstein.

Click the link for the story and a small pic.


http://www.vaterland.li/page/lv/arti...l.cfm?id=21982

[HRH Kerry]

Thanks for the article. I know that he touched on education in this past year's National Day speech, too.

[zanychick3000]

Just saw this in the Liechtenstein Newspaper, Vaterland, regarding the royal family of Liechtenstein and their annual new years reception.

Story link with small picture:

http://www.vaterland.li/page/lv/arti...l.cfm?id=22120

[Tara20052]

It's nice to see pictures of Prince Alois and his family.

[maidmarion]

I was wondering if anyone knew if Princess Sophie works at the moment? Not that she needs too but just for her own personal satisfaction. I would imagine her having some royal duties that accompany her position and title but would she work with the family at the bank? I did read on other posts on this sight that she studied Interior Design. I know they are an extremely private family which I find refreshing but any info would be nice?

Thanks so much,
MM

[zanychick3000]

Just found this story and there is a picture of Prince Alois and his father, Prince Hans Adam II in Dubai and a story about the visit:

http://www.ameinfo.com/107775.html

[zanychick3000]

Originally Posted by maidmarion

I was wondering if anyone knew if Princess Sophie works at the moment? Not that she needs too but just for her own personal satisfaction. I would imagine her having some royal duties that accompany her position and title but would she work with the family at the bank? I did read on other posts on this sight that she studied Interior Design. I know they are an extremely private family which I find refreshing but any info would be nice?

Thanks so much,
MM

I think Princess Sophie supports the family in Liechtenstein and doesnt actually have a job besides royal duties. Sophie does have a charity she started and is patron of. The website of the charity is www.schwanger.li

[maidmarion]

Thanks zanychick3000. I thought this might be the case for Princess Sophie as well as for Princess Angela.
Cheers,
MM

[HRH Kerry]

Sophie's charity is definitely a good cause. Some women (and teenage girls) feel they don't have proper support when "stuck" in their situations. Good info.

[HRH Kerry]

Some time ago we were discussing the fact that HRH Sophie married HSH Alois and the question of marrying below her was mentioned. I would like to know why does it matter anyway since no monarchy exist in Germany? Now that she married Alois her status has really been elevated. Somebody help me out here please.

[Oppie]

I'm not sure what context it was discussed in, but Sophie was an HRH and her husband is a HSH, so the context might have been in the way that women take there husband style and title unless they have a higher one themselves, it is the same case with HRH Princess Margaretha of Liechtenstein (nee Princess of Luxembourg). THe opposite would be HSH Princess Caroline of Monaco who married up to an HRH Princess of Hanover.

[HRH Kerry]

I understand that Princess Margaretha is styled HRH; she was born that to parents of a ruling house. The monarchy still exist in her country. However, what I'm not understanding is how Sophie is HRH. Germany does not recognize royalty. Right? So the same can be said for Ernst August. So they are just "pretenders".

[zanychick3000]

Originally Posted by kerry

I understand that Princess Margaretha is styled HRH; she was born that to parents of a ruling house. The monarchy still exist in her country. However, what I'm not understanding is how Sophie is HRH. Germany does not recognize royalty. Right? So the same can be said for Ernst August. So they are just "pretenders".

Titles are used socially in Germany, it is a courtsey to be called HRH this prince or that princess. Also in Germany, the title is part of the surname. So Sophie would be Sophie Von Bayern in Germany. Since technically Sophie was born a HRH, she outranks her husband, since he is a HSH. I think Sophie is known as HSH the Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein. But I dont call having a husband from a family that is worth $6 billion, a step down!

[Warren]

Ranking on style alone can be misleading. Although Sophie is an HRH and her husband a mere HSH, he outranked her even before they married because he was (is) an Hereditary Prince, and of a reigning house; just as he would outrank an ordinary HI&RH Archduke of Austria. Similarly, Prince Hans Adam, a Reigning Prince, outranks Prince Ernst August, the Head of the Royal House of Hanover.

Princess May of Teck was looked down upon by both the Germans (because the Tecks were a morganatic branch), and by her British royal cousins (because she was only a Serene Highness). She did, however, have the last laugh in 1910 when as Queen Mary she became a Queen Empress, and with a few exceptions outranked them all.

Organising ranking and precedence within a gathering of members of reigning and non-reigning Imperial, Royal, Princely and Mediatised Houses must be a nightmare for the host of a function. Prior to the First World War most Courts, big and small, had their resident experts who would work through the intricacies to ensure everyone was in their rightful place, and to keep to a minimum the inevitable number of noses out of joint.

Within the Gotha [the Noble caste] these days the distinction between reigning and non-reigning at private events may not be an issue; the ranking is more likely to be based on the order as it was prior to 1918.

Getting back to Sophie, which is where we started (thanks Kerry ), the policy of the German government or German law is irrelevant. Those who acknowledge her as a Royal Highness and Princess of/Duchess in Bavaria will do so irrespective of whether the State recognises such distinctions or not.

[magnik]

Any news about this family?

Is there nothing happen in Liechtenstein?

[zanychick3000]

Originally Posted by magnik

Any news about this family?

Is there nothing happen in Liechtenstein?

Magnik, try the 2 Liechtenstein newspapers for information related to the family. From time to time you can find pictures and stories, however the stories are in German.

http://www.volksblatt.li

http://www.vaterland.li

[HRH Kerry]

Originally Posted by Warren

Ranking on style alone can be misleading. Although Sophie is an HRH and her husband a mere HSH, he outranked her even before they married because he was (is) an Hereditary Prince, and of a reigning house; just as he would outrank an ordinary HI&RH Archduke of Austria. Similarly, Prince Hans Adam, a Reigning Prince, outranks Prince Ernst August, the Head of the Royal House of Hanover.

Princess May of Teck was looked down upon by both the Germans (because the Tecks were a morganatic branch), and by her British royal cousins (because she was only a Serene Highness). She did, however, have the last laugh in 1910 when as Queen Mary she became a Queen Empress, and with a few exceptions outranked them all.

Organising ranking and precedence within a gathering of members of reigning and non-reigning Imperial, Royal, Princely and Mediatised Houses must be a nightmare for the host of a function. Prior to the First World War most Courts, big and small, had their resident experts who would work through the intricacies to ensure everyone was in their rightful place, and to keep to a minimum the inevitable number of noses out of joint.

Within the Gotha [the Noble caste] these days the distinction between reigning and non-reigning at private events may not be an issue; the ranking is more likely to be based on the order as it was prior to 1918.

Getting back to Sophie, which is where we started (thanks Kerry ), the policy of the German government or German law is irrelevant. Those who acknowledge her as a Royal Highness and Princess of/Duchess in Bavaria will do so irrespective of whether the State recognises such distinctions or not.

Thanks. So its pretending to the world outside of royalty and to those who just don't really have an interest. Well...its really pretending all together.

Hmm. So how would it work with Hans Adams and King Constatine? Who would preceed who?

[Warren]

Originally Posted by kerry

Thanks. So its pretending to the world outside of royalty and to those who just don't really have an interest. Well...its really pretending all together.

Hmm. So how would it work with Hans Adams and King Constatine? Who would preceed who?

Depends on what you mean by "pretending". She is a Wittelsbach and a member of the Royal House of Bavaria. That makes her a Princess and a Royal Highness for those who are interested. For those not interested, it doesn't really matter.

Hans Adam is a Reigning Monarch and Head of State and therefore outranks formerly-reigning monarchs, eg King Constantine and Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg.

[HRH Kerry]

Once royal, always royal. I guess it is kind of hard to ignore your bloodlines if you descended from kings or queens. It is a way of life that we can only imagine (and discuss courtesy of TRF )!

Thanks Warren.