Prince Joseph Wenzel of Liechtenstein, Count Rietberg, styled His Serene Highness, is the eldest child of Prince Alois of Liechtenstein, the Regent and Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, and his wife Princess Sophie of Bavaria, Duchess in Bavaria, he is also the eldest grandchild of the current ruling prince of Liechtenstein.
Background
He is both second in the line of succession to the Liechtensteiner throne - through his father - and third in line in the Jacobite line of succession to the thrones of England, Scotland, Ireland and France - through his mother. He is the first Jacobite heir born in the British Isles since 1688 and shall be, upon his accession to the throne of Liechtenstein and upon the death of his mother, the first Jacobite heir since the dynasty"s loss of the British Crown to become the Head of State of another country.
Career
The prince has three younger siblings: Princess Marie-Caroline (b 1996), Prince Georg (b 1999) and Prince Nikolaus (b 2000). Joseph Wenzel is named in honour of his ancestor Josef Wenzel, Reigning Prince of Liechtenstein from 1712 to 1718 and from 1748 to 1772. At Malvern, the prince is known as "Wenzel Liechtenstein".
After he graduated from Malvern in May 2014, Joseph Wenzel reportedly took a gap year, where he traveled to and gained work experiences in the United States and South America.
The Princely House of Liechtenstein
Since birth, Joseph Wenzel has borne the title "Prince of Liechtenstein" and "Count Rietberg." He is second in line for the throne of Liechtenstein, preceded only by his father who has been Regent of Liechtenstein (Stellvertreter des Fürsten) since 15 August 2004. However, Joseph Wenzel"s grandfather Prince Hans-Adam formally remains The Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein (Head of State of Liechtenstein) and head of the Princely House of Liechtenstein.
When Prince Alois inherits that position, Joseph Wenzel will become the Hereditary Prince (Erbprinz), id est (that is), the immediate heir to the throne of Liechtenstein. Jacobite succession
Joseph Wenzel is third in line and heir apparent of his mother to the Jacobite succession to the British crown.
Joseph Wenzel"s great-uncle Franz, Duke of Bavaria, is the current Jacobite heir-general, although he has made no claim to the British throne, nor have any of his ancestors in the Jacobite line of succession since the 18th century.
Prince Franz is elderly and has no children. The status of Jacobite heir-general will thus come to Joseph Wenzel himself in due course. Having been born at Portland Hospital in London, Joseph Wenzel is the first potential Jacobite heir to have been born in Great Britain since James Francis Edward Stuart in 1688.