His Highness the Prince was born
on 14th February 1945 as the oldest son
of His Highness: Prince Franz Josef II.
von und zu Liechtenstein and
Her Highness Princess Gina.
The name Hans-Adam represents an appropriate combination of the past and the present. Prince Johann (Hans)-Adam I. - he reigned from 1699-1712 - was the founder of the Principality of Liechtenstein by virtue of the purchase of the Schellenberg Regency (1699) and the purchase of Vaduz County (1712).
Prince Hans-Adam II. grew up together with his four siblings along with this parents in Vaduz Castle. He attended the elementary school in Vaduz and was a member of the Vaduz boy scout troop.
In 1956 Prince Hans-Adam entered the «Schottengymnasium» in Vienna, where his father Prince Franz Josef II. had studied. In 1960 he transferred to the secondary school in Zuoz, from where he graduated with the Swiss (Matura) and German (Abitur) A-level diplomas in 1965. Subsequent to his secondary school studies Prince Hans-Adam worked as a trainee intern at a bank in London. The prince speaks English and French in addition to his mother language German. In the Autumn of 1965 Prince Hans-Adam undertook the course of studies in business administration and economics at St. Gallen University, which he successfully completed in 1969 with the Lizentiat academic degree.
On 30th July 1967 Prince Hans-Adam married Countess Marie Kinsky von Wchinitz and Tettau (born 14th April 1940 in Prague). They have four children:
Prince Inheritor Alois, born on 11th June 1968
Prince Maximilian, born on 16th May 1969
Prince Constantin, born on 15th March 1972
Princess Tatjana, born on 10th April 1973
In 1970 Prince Franz Josef II. entrusted his son with the reorganisation of the royal portfolio asset management. In his 45th year of reign in 1984, pursuant to Article 13 of the Liechtenstein Constitution, Prince Franz Josef II appointed the (at that time) Prince Inheritor Hans-Adam as permanent proxy, and empowered him with the affairs of state.
On 13th November 1989, after the death of his father Prince Franz Josef II., Prince Inheritor Hans-Adam assumed the regency as Prince Hans-Adam II. His Highness Prince Hans-Adam II. is head of state pursuant to the constitution, and exercises his right to state authority in accordance with constitutional provision (Art. 7 of the Constitution).