Constitution

Article 10.—The right to The Throne shall be hereditary, and The Crown shall vest in the legitimate descendants and relatives of Grand Duke Alexander.

Article 19.—The Sovereign may, on occasion, have him or herself represented by a member of the Royal Family to exercise the responsibilities of The Throne, who shall bear the title of Lieutenant of the Grand Duchy and be subject to the following terms of office:

(a) He or she shall take an oath to observe this Constitution prior to the beginning of their lieutenancy;

(b) He or she shall reside in the Grand Duchy during the full term of their lieutenancy; and

(c) He or she shall report daily to The Sovereign and the Council of State.

Article 11.—Upon the death or abdication of The Sovereign, the right to The Throne shall pass by hereditary succession to his or her first-born, direct, legitimate descendant irrespective of sex or gender, and beyond the first-born, to The Sovereign’s legitimate descendants or relatives in order of seniority.

Article 12.—Successors to the titles and honours of The Throne shall, in addition to being direct legitimate descendants or relatives of The Sovereign, be:

(a) Citizens of the Grand Duchy and permanent residents of its territory; and

(b) Members of the House of Abbott by birth or appointment, or members of the House of Danov or the House of Nolte by birth.

Article 13.—In the event that, after an extensive search extending not less than to the third degree of consanguinity, there is no obvious successor to the right of The Throne, the Council of State shall confer with senior members of the royal house to determine an appropriate collateral heir. During this deliberative period and if, subsequently, the selected heir has not yet reached 18 years of age, the Council of State shall become the Regency Council of The Crown until a successor is determined or until The Sovereign reaches 18 years of age.

Article 14.—The application of the provisions outlined in the foregoing Articles may be set, altered, and amended as needed, by the Law of the Grand Ducal House as promulgated by The Sovereign, insofar as they do not conflict with other Articles of this Constitution. The Council of State, acting in its capacity as the Regency Council of The Crown as provided in Article 13, is prohibited from setting, altering, and amending the Law of the Grand Ducal House.

Article 15.—The Sovereign represents the Grand Duchy in its relations with foreign powers and entities and shall ratify treaties in consultation with the Council of State.

Article 16.—The Sovereign shall organize his or her Household, taking into account the public and State interests.

Article 17.—The Sovereign’s person and conscience are inviolable.

Article 18.—The Sovereign shall exercise his or her authority in full compliance with the provisions laid out in this Constitution.