His Serene Highness Hans-Adam II (Johannes "Hans" Adam Ferdinand Aloys Josef Maria Marko d'Aviano Pius), styled HSH The Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein (born February 14, 1945), is the son of Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1906-1989) and his wife Gina von Wilczek (1921-1989).
The Prince of Liechtenstein has sweepingly broad powers; a referendum to adopt Hans-Adam's revision of the constitution to expand his powers passed in 2003. Prince Hans-Adam had threatened that he and his family would move to Austria (and, it was rumoured, sell the Royal Palace to Bill Gates) if the referendum had failed.
On August 15, 2004 Prince Hans-Adam II formally turned the power of making day-to-day governmental decisions over to his son Prince Alois, as a way of transitioning to a new generation. Formally, Hans-Adam remains Head of State.
Prince Hans-Adam owns LGT banking group and has a personal fortune of more than £2 billion.
On July 30, 1967 at Vaduz, Liechtenstein he married his cousin Marie Aglaë, Countess Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau (born 1940).
Their children are:
- Hereditary Prince Alois (born 1968)
- Maximilian Nikolaus Maria (born 1969)
- Constantin Ferdinand Maria (born 1972)
- Tatiana Nora Maria (born 1973)
Last updated: 05-27-2005 09:00:04
