Constitution of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein
Article 7
Marriage
- 1) Where a member of the Princely House has the intention to marry,
he must inform the Reigning Prince thereof and deposit with the secretariat
of the Reigning Prince all documents required under Liechtenstein law,
together with a written and unconditional declaration by the other party
to the intended marriage that that party recognizes the binding nature
of all aspects of this Constitution, for that party and all issue arising
from the intended marriage. The secretariat shall examine the documents.
If they are complete and the Reigning Prince considers that all conditions
for approval of the intended marriage are met, he shall declare that he
consents thereto. The Reigning Prince shall then notify all members of
the Princely House who are of full age thereof, at their last-known address.
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- 2) Within one month of notification of the Reigning Prince's consent,
any member of the Princely House who is of full age may object to the intended
marriage in writing. Such objection shall be admissible only insofar as
it is based on the lack of capacity to enter into marriage on the part
of one of the parties to the intended marriage, on the existence of any
impediment to the marriage or on the ground that the marriage would be
detrimental to the reputation, esteem or welfare of the Princely House
or of the Principality of Liechtenstein. The Reigning Prince shall give
a ruling on the objection, after hearing the parties to the intended marriage.
The rights of appeal laid down in Article 11 shall apply in respect of
the Reigning Prince's decision, except that the period in which an appeal
must be lodged shall be reduced to two weeks.
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- 3) Without prejudice to the procedure laid down in paragraph 2, the
Reigning Prince shall inform the Family Council immediately of the lodging
of any objection.
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- 4) If no objection is lodged in respect of the Reigning Prince's declaration
of consent (para.1) or if the objections lodged are unsuccessful (para.
2), the intended marriage shall be recognized for the purposes of this
Constitution. The corresponding public announcement in Liechtenstein shall
be made by the secretariat. Recognition for the purposes of this Constitution
shall cease if the wedding does not take place within one year from the
date on which all essential conditions for the recognition of the marriage
were met.
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- 5) The wedding shall take place in public in the presence of the Reigning
Prince, who may send a representative in his place, and of two witnesses
of full age. As part of their agreement to marry, the parties to the marriage
shall, in particular, make express vows to live together in an indissoluble
union, to beget and raise children and to give each other mutual support.
In addition, the laws of the place where the wedding is celebrated must
be complied with, insofar as they are not contrary to the Liechtenstein
principles of public order.
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- 6) The procedure laid down in the preceding paras. 1 to 5 shall also
apply by analogy in the case where the Reigning Prince intends to enter
into marriage, with the proviso that all rights and duties to be exercised
by the Reigning Prince in respect of the procedure shall be exercised by
the Family Council.