Prince Franz Josef Wenzel (1962-1991)

[bct88]

What happened to Prince Franz Josef "Wenzel?" He was born in 1962, and died in 1991. He was born 12 years after Princess Nora, and died two years after both of his parents. I have seen only one picture of him, ever. This is all the information I can find about him. It's as if he didn't exist there is so little information. If anyone could tell me anything about him, I'd appreciate it.

[sommone]

Originally Posted by bct88

What happened to Prince Franz Josef "Wenzel?" He was born in 1962, and died in 1991. He was born 12 years after Princess Nora, and died two years after both of his parents. I have seen only one picture of him, ever. This is all the information I can find about him. It's as if he didn't exist there is so little information. If anyone could tell me anything about him, I'd appreciate it.

I think this is the Prince who supposedly committed suicide. You are right, there isn't much information about him.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by sommone

I think this is the Prince who supposedly committed suicide. You are right, there isn't much information about him.

Also hinted at was accidental. The Prince's sudden and unexpected death is not a subject that's discussed. At the time nothing was explained, and then and now it was/is very much 'Private Family Business'. Those who know aren't telling, and we can only speculate, which won't provide any answers.

[sommone]

Originally Posted by Warren

Also hinted at was accidental. The Prince's sudden and unexpected death is not a subject that's discussed. At the time nothing was explained, and then and now it was/is very much 'Private Family Business'. Those who know aren't telling, and we can only speculate, which won't provide any answers.

You are also right about everything, Warren. I meant to include that it was also rumored to be accidentally...hence my use of the word supposedly.:o I had read that there were some bizarre circumstances surrounding his death. Don't know how true they were of course.

[HRH Kerry]

Originally Posted by sommone

You are also right about everything, Warren. I meant to include that it was also rumored to be accidentally...my use of the word supposedly.:o I had read that there were some bizarre circumstances surrounding his death. Don't know how true they were of course.

I thought I read somewhere that the prince had suffered from depression. Maybe there was some truth to that.

[bct88]

Thank you for all of your answers. I was wondering if there was a lot of press in and around Liechtenstein after his death? I have never seen a photo of a funeral in Liechtenstein, so I was wondering, are they private affairs in Liechtenstein? I assume that when Franz Josef II died, foreign royals attended the funeral service, and yet there seem to be no photographs of that event. It seems that the Liechtenstein royals are very private. The only time you really hear about them is if there is a birth, death, marriage, or National Day in Liechtenstein.

[Alisa]

There were a fair amount people from the press around the time of the funeral for Prince Wenzel. The late Prince got a decent funeral and I wouldn't categorize it as a private at all. I recall seeing photos of several royals at the funeral including a few Hapsburgs and the Prince of Asturias.

[Warren]

I have gone through my files and found this from Point de Vue, 14 March 1991 (paraphrased):

An Inexplicable Death

Prince Franz Josef Wenceslas of Liechtenstein (known as Wenzel) was found dead in his bedroom in Vaduz on 28 February 1991. An announcement from the Liechtenstein family Press Office stated that Prince Hans Adam "did not understand."

The circumstances of his death are most mysterious, and there are many rumours. Found in his bedroom were two chronometers (or timepieces) and an anesthesia mask. He may have been conducting a "medical experiment", or may have been experiencing a deliberate "temporary cessation of breathing", or he may have had a heart attack. His sudden death caused profound shock among his family and friends.

In 1982 Prince Wenzel entered the Military Academy at Sandhurst, and a year later was a lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards in London. He then studied medicine at Freiburg, and at the time of his death was an intern at a hospital in Rorschach in Switzerland, while still living in Vaduz. He was 28 years old and single.

Prince Wenzel's funeral was held in Vaduz on 6 March in the presence of the Princes of Liechtenstein, the Prince of the Asturias, Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, Archduchess Walburga of Austria (using the title Duchess of Bar), Archduchess Regina of Austria [wife of the Archduke Otto, Head of the Imperial House], and representatives of the families of Bavaria, Baden, Württemberg, Hesse, Yugoslavia, and others. Photographs in the article show Prince and Princess Max of Bavaria [now Duke and Duchess in Bavaria], Erich, Erbgraf (Hereditary Count) von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg, and Prince Nicolas of Liechtenstein with his wife neé Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and their daughter Princess Annunciata.

Prince Wenzel was interred in the family crypt where he lies with his parents Prince Franz Josef II and Princess Gina.

my ps.. I assume there would have been an autopsy carried out in Vaduz, so the cause of death would be known. It may be significant that it has not been made public.

[sommone]

Originally Posted by Warren

The circumstances of his death are most mysterious, and there are many rumours. Found in his bedroom were two chronometers (or timepieces) and an anesthesia mask. He may have been conducting a "medical experiment", or may have been experiencing a deliberate "temporary cessation of breathing", or he may have had a heart attack. His sudden death caused profound shock among his family and friends.
my ps.. I assume there would have been an autopsy carried out in Vaduz, so the cause of death would be known. It may be significant that it has not been made public.

I would buy that he possibly had a heart attack as that is always possible. It's the medical experiment explanation that seems so bizarre.

[HRH Kerry]

There is such an aura of mystery surrounding this whole affair and I believe that we may never know the "truth".

[maidmarion]

Originally Posted by sommone

I would buy that he possibly had a heart attack as that is always possible. It's the medical experiment explanation that seems so bizarre.

Might this have been a similar situation as in the movie "Flatliners" with Julia Roberts amongst other stars? Medical students experimenting with the afterlife where you would die in a controlled setting for about two minutes and awaken with life altering experiencess and dreams. Was he not or at some time studing medicine? Just a thought!.

MM

[Warren]

Originally Posted by maidmarion

Might this have been a similar situation as in the movie "Flatliners" with Julia Roberts amongst other stars? Medical students experimenting with the afterlife where you would die in a controlled setting for about two minutes and awaken with life altering experiencess and dreams. Was he not or at some time studing medicine? Just a thought!.
MM

He was an intern at a Swiss hospital at the time of his death.
"Flatliners", Michael Hutchence, accident, heart attack, "misadventure"... it's unlikely we will ever know, or need to know.

[Danjel]

Here is a picture of his funeral
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...3/funeral1.jpg

[maidmarion]

Thank You Danjel. A very moving photo indeed. Too young to die at the very least!
MM

[HRH Kerry]

Danjel,
Thanks for the pic. Never thought we would ever see anything on Wenzel's funeral. I highly doubt that we would ever learn anymore on his death either.

[bct88]

Thank you for this photo. If anyone has any photographs of his actual funeral, particularly the guests present, I would very much appreciate it.

[Jodrell]

Originally Posted by sommone

I think this is the Prince who supposedly committed suicide. You are right, there isn't much information about him.

In the book, High Concept: Don Simpson and the Hollywood Cultures of Excess, the following appears: "Victoria Fulton Vicuna, a dark Chilean-born beauty, had been introduced to Simpson at Manhattan's trendy Canal Bar in 1988, at a dinner party attended by Simpson, Bruckheimer, a group of bright young socialites and the novelist Jay McInerney--whose best-seller, Bright Lights, Big City, Simpson and Bruckheimer wanted to turn into a movie. (The subsequent screen version was produced by Sydney Pollack and directed by James Bridges.) A twentysomething brunette with an appetite for high times and royalty--she was then involved with the Prince of Liechtenstein--Vicuna began dating Simpson, seeing him when she was in Los Angeles or when he was in New York. Vicuna became pregnant in 1992 and believed Simpson was the father. By then, however, she was involved with another man and was afraid to tell Simpson he had a daughter. When that relationship ended, she contacted Simpson, by telephone and by mail, and gave him the news. Simpson never responded, though he did blurt out to a friend who also knew Vicuna, "You think you've got troubles? Victoria had a baby, and I'm the dad!" Though Vicuna pressed her claim for several more years, Simpson never took or returned her calls, never admitted or denied that he was the father. After his death, and falling on hard times financially herself, Vicuna went to Simpson's brother, Lary, who with his parents grieved that night at Morton's. It would be two years before the family would respond to Vicuna's claims and offer her a financial settlement in the child's name."

According to Ms. Vicuna, the Prince did not commit suicide but died accidently while experimenting with a designer drug during sex by himself. There is no proof of this claim, but it supports the posting by Warren below.

[Odette]

Originally Posted by Jodrell

According to Ms. Vicuna, the Prince did not commit suicide but died accidently while experimenting with a designer drug during sex by himself. There is no proof of this claim, but it supports the posting by Warren below.

This is exactly what I read at the time.......What a waste!

[mardam]

Originally Posted by bct88

Thank you for this photo. If anyone has any photographs of his actual funeral, particularly the guests present, I would very much appreciate it.

I only have 2 pictures of the funeral. I think there was only nearby family present.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...m/funeral3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...m/funeral2.jpg

[PräfectusHelvetica]

Answer is probably simple: Wenzel loved men and that was a sin in his Catholic Family. It seems that he commited suicide following a report of a Ex-Lover! No wonder he was depressive and no wonder you can't read more about his life!