Prince Constantin of Liechtenstein Passes Away Unexpectedly at 51

(UnitedHeadlines.com) – Prince Constantin of Liechtenstein unexpectedly died on Dec. 5 at age 51, and the cause of his death is not yet known.

The youngest son of Prince Hans-Adam II, the reigning prince, Constantin was seventh in line to the throne. His oldest brother, Hereditary Prince Alois, is first in line to the throne. Prince Constantin was born in March 1972 in St. Gallen. Following his graduation from Liechtenstein High School, he studied law in Salzburg.

For 11 years, Constantin served as the chairman of the board of directors and general director of the Prince Liechtenstein Foundation, according to the Liechtensteiner Vaterland newspaper. The group “holds almost all of the royal family’s assets,” which include one of the world’s largest private art collections, a museum, one of the royal family’s wine cellars and many properties.

He worked for Liechtenstein Group AG as the chairman of the supervisory board, and for the Liechtenstein Group Holding AG as a member of the Board of Directors. The Liechtenstein royal family owns both companies. The two groups’ portfolios consist of companies that operate in real estate, forestry, agriculture and food, and renewable energy.

In a statement, the Lichtenstein Group said his death “comes as a terrible shock.”

On Dec. 6, Liechtenstein’s state parliament held a moment of silence in tribute to the late royal.

The apostolic administrator of Liechtenstein’s capital, Bishop Benno Elbs, stated that he was united with the “entire royal family in mourning and praying” for the late prince.

A semi-constitutional monarchy, the royal family in Liechtenstein was formed in 1608. The German-speaking nation Liechtenstein is landlocked. It is located in the Alps, between Switzerland and Austria, and it is the sixth-smallest nation in the world at 62 square miles. Lichtenstein has a population of less than 40,000.

Constantin is survived by Princess Marie, his wife whom he married in 1999, and their children, Princess Georgina, 18, Prince Moritz, 20, and Prince Benedikt, 15.