Marie Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau was born on 14 April 1940 in Prague as the fourth of seven children of Count Ferdinand Carl Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau and his wife Countess Henriette, née Countess of Ledebur-Wicheln.
In 1945, the family moved to Germany. Marie began her education at an elementary school in Ering am Inn from 1946 until 1949. She then attended the Lioba Sisters’ boarding school in Württemberg and graduated from there eight years later. From 1957, Marie spent some time in England to improve her English. She then attended the Academy for Applied Arts at the University of Munich and graduated from there. She briefly lived in Paris to improve her French before going to work as an industrial designer in Dachau.
Her engagement to the Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein – her second cousin once removed – was announced in 1965. They were married on 30 July 1967 at St. Florin’s in Vaduz. Marie wore a pearl-studded white silk gown with a long train from the French design house of Jacques Heim.1 Just 11 months after the wedding, Marie gave birth to her first child, a son named Alois.
A second son named Maximilian was born in 1969. A third son named Constantin was born in 1972. A fourth child and first daughter named Tatjana was born in 1973. Liechtenstein currently bars women from inheriting the throne, and so their daughter is not in the line of succession.
On 13 November 1989, her father-in-law died, making her husband the new reigning Prince of Liechtenstein and Marie its Princess. As the Princess of Liechtenstein, she is the Honorary President of the Liechtenstein Red Cross and patron of a society for people with special needs.
In 2004, her husband formally handed the reigns of government over to their eldest son in the form of a regency. She still appears alongside her husband at official events.
On 19 August 2021, it was announced the Princess had suffered a stroke and had been hospitalised. The Princely House of Liechtenstein released an official statement which said, “The Princely House regrets to announce that HSH the Princess suffered a stroke yesterday. She is receiving care in the hospital. The Princely Family asks for your understanding that no further information will be given at this time.”
Marie, Princess of Liechtenstein, died on 21 August 2021, surrounded by her family.
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