Key facts
- Liechtenstein has reformed its succession system to allow women to become head of state.
- The principality's succession law, unchanged for over 400 years, previously limited the throne to male descendants.
- The new law adopts absolute primogeniture, meaning the firstborn child, irrespective of sex, will be the heir.
- Liechtenstein's sovereign retains significant constitutional powers.
- The four children of the current prince and princess are not affected by the revised law, but their children will be.
Liechtenstein has updated its royal succession laws, ending a tradition of male-only inheritance that spanned over four centuries. The principality, with a population of just over 40,000, is one of the few European monarchies where the sovereign holds significant constitutional authority. The reform, announced on Saturday, shifts the system to absolute primogeniture, ensuring that the eldest child, regardless of gender, will be the heir to the throne. This change will affect future generations, with the current prince and princess's children not impacted, but their offspring will be subject to the new law. Other European monarchies, including Britain, Belgium, and Denmark, have previously adopted similar succession reforms to allow for firstborn succession.