Prince Inigo of Urach
Head of the House of Urach
Prince Inigo
Head of the House of Urach
Tenure1 February 1992 – present
PredecessorWilhelm Albert of Urach
Heir apparentPrince Eberhard
BornEberhard Friedrich Inigo Antonius Maria von Urach[1]
(1962-04-12) 12 April 1962 (age 63)
Bachhausen, Munich, Bavaria, West Germany
Spouse
Baroness Danielle von und zu Bodman
​
​
(m. 1991)​
IssuePrince Eberhard
Prince Anselm
Duchess Amelie
HouseUrach
FatherPrince Eberhard of Urach
MotherPrincess Iniga of Thurn and Taxis
ReligionRoman Catholic
Military career
AllegianceGermany
BranchBundeswehr
RankOberstleutnant[2]

Prince Inigo of Urach, Count of Württemberg, (German: Eberhard Friedrich Inigo Fürst von Urach; Lithuanian: Princas Eberhardas Frydrichas Inigo fon Urachas; born 12 April 1962) is a member of the House of Urach and the fifth legitimate pretender to the defunct Lithuanian throne. He is the grandson in the male line of King-elect of Lithuania, Wilhelm Karl of Urach, known by his regnal name as Mindaugas II.[3]

Life, family and education

Prince Inigo was born in Bachhausen, Munich, Bavaria, West Germany, on 12 April 1962, as the fifth and youngest child of Prince Eberhard of Urach and Princess Iniga of Thurn and Taxis.[4] Inigo's father died when he was only seven. On 24 September 1991, he married his wife, Baroness Danielle von und zu Bodman at Niederaichbach, Germany, with whom he currently has 3 children – Eberhard (born 1991), Anselm (born 1992) and Amelie Philippa (born 1994).[5] Inigo is a descendant of several Lithuanian royal and noble dynasties – the Gediminids, the Jagiellons and the Radziwiłłs.[6] In addition, he is connected to the Albanian, British, Liechtenstein, Luxembourgish, Monégasque, Portuguese and Russian royal families by birth.[2]

He is a forester by profession and has served in the Bundeswehr armed forces, participating in international NATO missions,[7] while his wife studied biogenetics.[8] Inigo is a director and manager of several companies. As of 2011, he is serving as the CEO and co-owner of The Nobleweb Company Limited.[9] Inigo also holds ownership in companies offering forestal and land rights consulting services in Forstdienstleistungen[10] and Fürst von Urach Consulting UG.[11]

Inigo first visited Lithuania in 2009, when he was 47.[12][13] From this year onwards, his visits to Lithuania are being organized regularly.[8] Following an invitation from the German Embassy and the Lietuvos Karalystės Rūmai (LKR),[a] Prince Inigo was received in the country on 17–21 November 2012. During his time at the House of Signatories, an agreement was signed with the LKR affirming their recognition of his royal candidacy[7][14] since the marriages of his older brothers are morganatic.[2][verification needed]

Nonetheless, Inigo subsequently assured the Lithuanian press that the question of monarchy restoration lies with the Lithuanian public, claiming: "If Lithuanians will ever want to revive the monarchy, if they will need my knowledge and experience, I am ready to accept this honour the same way my grandfather did. However, this decision will be not up to me, but to the Lithuanian people."[15] He also expressed his opinion that a dual constitutional monarchy, where the sovereign may veto Parliament's decisions, is a better option than the parliamentary model found in many European monarchies.[6] In a 2018 interview for LRT, Inigo spoke about his efforts to launch a charitable organisation for abandoned babies in Lithuania, just as he had done in Germany.[16]

He speaks German, English and is known to be learning Lithuanian.[2]

Political views

Nuclear energy

Inigo is an outspoken critic of nuclear energy, deeming it to be costly and unpromising in the long run and urging to focus on sustainable energy instead. "I think that nuclear energy is a cul-de-sac. Uranium, like oil are finite and limited resources," the Prince has said in an interview. "And also all the pollution related to the fuel, production, use and later destruction. The best solution is green-energies. Let us recall the Gospel of Matthew: Is it human that your child asks for bread, and you give him a stone? And what we do, we leave all these problems to our children and grandchildren," he added. Inigo has reacted positively to the shutdown of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in Lithuania, by saying that the nuclear waste it produced was raying, poisonous, and "dangerous for fifty thousand years".[17] He is involved in the anti-nuclear power movement in Lithuania as an environmental and energy expert.[18]

Ancestry

Notes

  1. ^ English: Palace of the Kingdom of Lithuania

References

  1. ^ Łapszewicz, Brygita (4 July 2018). "Litwa a współczesne monarchie" [Lithuania and modern monarchies]. Kurier Wileński (in Polish).
  2. ^ a b c d Kontrimavičiūtė, Inga (19 September 2012). "Lietuvos karalystė – ne tuščia fantazija?" [Is the Kingdom of Lithuania not an empty fantasy?] (in Lithuanian). Delfi. Archived from the original on 31 January 2025.
  3. ^ Jakavičius-Grimalauskas, Liudvikas (2013). "Princas Inigo jaučia pareigą padėti Lietuvai" [Prince Inigo feels obligated to help Lithuania]. In (Eds.), Kultūros barai [Bars of Culture] (in Lithuanian). p. 15. ISSN 0134-3106. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024.
  4. ^ McNaughton, Arnold (2008) [1973]. The Book of Kings: A Royal Genealogy. London: Garnstone Press. p. 239. ISBN 978-0-902745-03-2.
  5. ^ Mertens, Dieter, Lorenz, Sönke (2007) [1997]. Das Haus Württemberg: ein biographisches Lexikon [The House of Württemberg: A Biographical Lexicon] (in German). Stuttgart: Kohlhammer. p. 397. ISBN 978-3-17-013605-2, ISBN 3-17-013605-4.
  6. ^ a b Aleksandravičius, Arnoldas (17 November 2009). "Lietuvoje bręsta sąlygos antrajai konstitucinei monarchijai?" [Are the conditions ripe for a second constitutional monarchy in Lithuania?] (in Lithuanian). TV3.
  7. ^ a b Iškauskas, Česlovas. (17 February 2013). "Lietuva – monarchija? Viltys dar nežlugo…" [Lithuania – a monarchy? Hopes are not lost yet...] (in Lithuanian). alkas.lt. Archived from the original on 30 April 2025.
  8. ^ a b Treščina, Ana (15 January 2019). "Lietuvos karaliaus Mindaugo II anūko istorija: dviejų kilmingų jaunuolių meilė užsimezgė ne pilyje, o, kaip ir daugumos kitų jaunuolių, – turistiniame žygyje" [The story of Lithuanian King Mindaugas II's grandson: the love of two noble young people sparked not in the castle but, like that of most other youth, during a tourist trip] (in Lithuanian). Moteris. Archived from the original on 27 December 2024.
  9. ^ "The Nobleweb Company Limited [No. 07315288]". Gov.uk. Archived from the original on 6 November 2025.
  10. ^ Bauen & Wohnen mit Holz Programm [Housing and Living with Wood Program]. 8–9 October 2018. p. 2. World Resource Ventures.
  11. ^ "Fürst von Urach Consulting UG, Niederaichbach, Germany". North Data. Archived from the original on 6 November 2025.
  12. ^ Walfisz, Jonny (21 September 2022). "The Kings who never were: the living heirs of Europe's abolished monarchies". Euronews. Archived from the original on 11 February 2025.
  13. ^ Butterwick, Richard (2025). Lithuania: A History. Oxford University Press. p. 259. ISBN 978-0-19-784582-0, ISBN 0-19-784582-7. "In 2009, his grandson Inigo visited Lithuania for the first time, and expressed his willingness to become King if asked by the Lithuanian people."
  14. ^ Švedarauskas, Stanislovas (29 December 2012). "Visuotinės gerovės valstybė – tai Lietuvos Karalystė" [The Universal Welfare State Is the Kingdom of Lithuania]. Ūkio patarėjas (in Lithuanian).
  15. ^ Jakavičius-Grimalauskas, Liudvikas (19 May 2013). "Mindaugo II anūkas: jei lietuviai panorės atgaivinti monarchiją, esu pasirengęs priimti šią garbę" [Mindaugas II's grandson: if Lithuanians would like to revive the monarchy, I am ready to accept this honor] (in Lithuanian). Delfi. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024.
  16. ^ Jakilaitis, Edmundas (13 March 2018). "Paskelbto Lietuvos karaliaus anūkas: monarchija Lietuvai būtų pigiau ir naudingiau" [The proclaimed Lithuanian King's grandson: a monarchy for Lithuania would be cheaper and more beneficial] (in Lithuanian). LRT. Archived from the original on 5 November 2025.
  17. ^ Jakavičius-Grimalauskas, Liudvikas (5 May 2013). "King of Lithuania? Prince Inigo von Urach is ready!" VilNews.
  18. ^ Pásztory, Tibor (2014). 1918: Királyság Litvániában? [1918: Kingdom in Lithuania?] (in Hungarian) (No. 4). pp. 74–84. Korunk Cultural Foundation.
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