Funeral service for Princess Marie of Liechtenstein to take place on 28 August 2021

The Office of Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein has announced that the funeral service for Princess Marie of Liechtenstein, who died last Saturday, 21 August 2021, 81 years old, will take place in St. Florin Cathedral in Vaduz on Saturday 28 August 2021 at 2 p.m.

Funeral of H.S.H. Princess Marie von und zu Liechtenstein

The funeral service for HSH Princess Marie von und zu Liechtenstein on Saturday, 28 August at 2 p.m. is reserved for invited guests due to lack of space. However, the service will be broadcast on the national channel (TV) and www.landeskanal.li (via live stream). 

Princess Marie's coffin will according to the newspaper Liechtensteiner Vaterland be transported from Grabs in Switzerland, where she died, to the chapel at Vaduz Castle on Wednesday. On Thursday 26 August the coffin will be taken to the St. Florin Cathedral, where the late princess will lie in state. The public will be able to file past the coffin on Thursday evening from 7 until 9 and on Friday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. The public also has the possibility to sign the condolence protocol.

Memorial services will also take place on Sunday 5 September 2021 and Sunday 3 October 2021 which the public can attend.

The princess will eventually be buried in the Princely Crypt (Die Fürstengruft) close to the cathedral.

© 2005 Dag Trygsland Hoelseth.

Updated on Tuesday 31 August 2021 at 09:55 (language error corrected).

Death of Princess Marie of Liechtenstein (1940–2021)

The Office of the Prince of Liechtenstein announced yesterday the death of Princess Marie of Liechtenstein, wife of Prince Hans-Adam II. The princess died at Grabs Hospital (Spital Grabs) in Switzerland on Saturday 21 August 2021 at 4.43 p.m.:

Announcement of the Princely House

Her Serene Highness Princess Marie von und zu Liechtenstein died on 21 August 2021 at 4:43 pm in the hospital in Grabs. After her health steadily deteriorated following a stroke on 18 August 2021, she passed away today in the presence of her family and after receiving the Holy Sacraments of the Last Supper, peacefully and with great trust in God.

In honour of the late princess church bells all over the principality rang at 8.15 Saturday night. The government of Liechtenstein declared today a national mourning of 7 days. Details of the funeral service will be disclosed in due time.

Princess Marie was born in Prague 14 April 1940 as the second daughter and fourth child (of seven) of Count Ferdinand Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau (1907–1969) and Countess Henriette Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau, née Countess von Ledebur-Wicheln (1910–2002). Her full name was Marie Aglaë Bonaventura Maria Theresia.

In 1945 following the end of WW2 Marie and her family had to escape from Czechoslovakia to Gemany. From 1946 to 1949 she attended primary school in Ering am Inn in Bavaria before continuing her education at the Lioba Sisters boarding school (Internat der Lioba Schwestern) in Kloster Wald in Württemberg and where she graduated from Realgymnasium.

Following a stay in England in 1957 to improve her English, she studied 3 years at the Akademie für Gebrauchsgraphik (Academy of Commecial art) at the University of Munich. After a short language stay in Paris she worked as a graphic designer/printmaker at a printing company before getting engaged to the then Hereditary Prince Hans-Adam in 1966. The couple was married in Vaduz on 30 July 1967. During her time as first lady she was for many years head of the Liechtenstein Red Cross. She also had a great interest in art and culture.

Princess Marie leaves behind her husband of 54 years, the Prince of Liechtenstein, four children – Hereditary Prince Alois, Prince Maximilian, Prince Constantin and Princess Tatjana – and 15 grandchildren. Her grandchildren Prince Joseph Wenzel (b. 1995), Marie-Caroline (b. 1996), Georg  (b. 1999) and Nikolaus (b. 2000) are through thjeir mother Hereditary Princess Sophie a descendant of the Norwegian family Vogt.

Updated on 27 August 2021 at 20.35 (number of grandchildren corrected from 14 to 15).

1712 - Das Werden eines Landes (1712 - A country emerges)

If you have ever dreamt of visiting the principality of Liechtenstein one day, maybe 2012 should be the year to do something about it? This year Liechtenstein celebrates the tercentenary of the purchase of the county of Vaduz by Prince Johann (Hans) Adam I Andreas of Liechtenstein (1657-1712), and in this connection the Liechtensteinisches Landesmuseum has created a special exhibition called 1712 - Das Werden eines Landes ("1712 - A country merges") where one through a series of documents, paintings and other valuable objects can learn the history of the purchase and of the key players.

In 1699  Prince Hans Adam I ("the Rich") had purchased the duchy of Schellenberg, which corresponds to the present-day Liechtenstein Unterland. As explained in the press release from Liechtensteinisches Landesmuseum, when both Vaduz and Schellenberg were bought, the Liechtenstein dynasty gained control of non-intermediate territories which were held directly under the imperial throne. The purchase enabled the princes to qualify for a seat and a vote in the Imperial diet of the Holy Roman Empire. In other words a foundation was laid for the later sovereign country of Liechtenstein.

I learned about the exhibition through the Liechtenstein Marketing's June 2012 newsletter, which arrived in my mailbox today. The exhibition opened already on 5 April this year and can be visited until 14 October. More details can be found in the said press release (there is a summary in English) with photos of several of the exhibition objects. Seems like a great exhibition! Unfortunately I will probably not be able to visit Liechtenstein this year. My only visit to the principality so far took place in May 2005. I will return with a blog article from my visit later on.

The portrait of Prince Hans Adam I shown above is displayed in the exhibition. The image is taken from the museum's press photo section.