Grand Principality of Liège (World of Sovereigns)

Part of timeline World of Sovereigns

The Grand Principality of Liège (Dutch: Grootvorstendom Luik, Walloon: Grand Principåté d' Lidje, Limburgish: Groeat Prinsdóm Luuk, archaic spelling in English and French: Liége) is a federal monarchy in the Low Countries in Western Europe. It borders Flanders to its west, France and Luxembourg to its south and southeast, Germany to its east and the Seven United Provinces to its north.

The nation finds its origin within the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, founded in 980 after Notger, the bishop of Liège, obtained secular powers from the Holy Roman Emperor. The Prince-Bishopric retained independence from Spain and Austria and was almost wholly sovereign from the Holy Roman Empire. In August of 1789, a revolution broke out in Liège, leading to the establishment of a republic.

Holy Roman Imperial forces conquered the territory in 1791, but the Liègeoises refused to accept the rule of the Prince-Bishopric, demanding secular and liberal politics. This led to a civil war between the Republicans and the Royalists, who wanted to make Liège into a hereditary, secular monarchy. Due to further revolutions in Belgium and general unrest in Germany, the HRE was unable to continue intervention.

In 1794, the Royalists won; Johannes IJzeldoorn, a Liègeois nobleman, was put on the throne as the first Grand Prince of Liège. The current Grand Prince of Liège is Adriaan IJzeldoorn; the heir apparent is Prince Lukas, with precedence over his younger sisters Princess Zoë and Josephine, who upon coronation will become Lukas III.