Prince Georg of Liechtenstein and Princess Maria-Nives von der Leyen have announced their engagement.
The happy news was shared in a press release by the 27-year-old’s parents, Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie.
Hereditary Prince Alois and Hereditary Princess Sophie Announce the Engagement of Prince Georg Schloss Vaduz ZVG
“HRH Hereditary Prince Alois and HRH Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein are delighted to announce the engagement of their son Prince Georg to Princess Maria-Nives von der Leyen.”
The wedding is scheduled for next summer in Germany, the statement said.
The announcement included a picture of the loved-up couple hugging on a wooden bench.
Maria-Nive, 25, is the daughter of Prince Phillip von der Leyen and Princess Elisabeth von der Leyen, who are related to the Leyen noble family of Germany.
She works in a marketing agency in Vienna, while Prince George has been working in business development in the tech sector in New York City.
George is the third child of Prince Alois and Sophie of Liechtenstein.
The engagement comes just one week after the tiny European principality changed their succession laws to allow women to ascend to the throne.
George is the third child of Prince Alois and Sophie of Liechtenstein. Getty/REUTERS/Toby Melville
Until recently, only men have been eligible to rule the small European principality, which has a population of just 44,000.
The update, however, will only apply to those born in the future, meaning all current princesses are excluded.
Liechtenstein is a tiny land-locked country between Switzerland and Austria, whose ruler enjoys sweeping political powers, unlike many of his counterparts in Europe.
Its current head of state is 81-year-old Sovereign Prince Hans-Adam II, who has been in power since 1989.
His firstborn son, and heir, is Hereditary Prince Alois who has carried out most official royal duties since 2004 as his father’s deputy.
Alois, 58, announced the changes to the succession laws on Liechtenstein’s national day, August 15.
“The order of succession is being changed from male primogeniture to absolute primogeniture,” the House of Liechtenstein said in a statement.
Princess Marie Caroline remains excluded from the Succession law changes. Getty
“This means that in future the first-born child, regardless of sex, will become heir to the throne and later princess or prince of Liechtenstein.”
The current line of succession remains the same and the law change will only apply to descendants of the four children of Hereditary Prince Alois and his wife, Hereditary Princess Sophie.
Their daughter Princess Marie Caroline remains excluded from the changes even if something were to happen to her older brother, Prince Joseph Wenzel.
Princess Marie Caroline married last year but her three brothers, including Prince Joseph, are yet to marry.
Georg is now the first son to get engaged.