Liechtenstein changes succession rule to allow women to ascend the throne
The declaration was made on the national day of the central European country, which has a population of just 44,000.
Liechtenstein has revised its royal succession laws, now permitting women to inherit the throne.
The announcement came on the national day of the small Central European nation, home to approximately 44,000 people.
Prince Hans-Adam II, Liechtenstein's reigning monarch since 1989, will not see his direct line of succession altered by this change, as his firstborn, Hereditary Prince Alois, remains his heir. For the past two decades, Alois has largely managed the official royal responsibilities.
"The order of succession is being changed from male primogeniture to absolute primogeniture," stated the House of Liechtenstein. "This means that in future the first-born child, regardless of sex, will become heir to the throne and later princess or prince of Liechtenstein."
This modification will not immediately impact Liechtenstein's current line of succession. Instead, it will apply to the descendants of Hereditary Prince Alois and his wife, Hereditary Princess Sophie, who have four children.
Hereditary Prince Alois commented on the change, saying, "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, a small, doubly-landlocked country nestled between Switzerland and Austria, grants its ruler extensive political authority, a contrast to many other European monarchs.
In 2011, Britain similarly amended its succession laws to allow a monarch's firstborn daughter to inherit the throne.