Albert, 12th Prince of Thurn and Taxis (Albert Maria Lamoral Miguel Johannes Gabriel Fürst von Thurn und Taxis,[1] pronounced [ˈalbɛʁt maˈʁiːa lamoˈʁal miˈɡɛl joˈhanəs ˈɡaːbʁieːl fʏʁst fɔn ˈtʊʁn ʔʊnt ˈtaksɪs]; born 24 June 1983), is a German aristocrat, businessman and race car driver.[2][3]: 540 [4] He has been listed as the world's youngest billionaire many times since his father's death in 1990,[5] first appearing on the list when he was eight years old.[2]
Biography
Family
Through descent from King Miguel I of Portugal, Albert is related to several reigning hereditary heads of state in Europe. He also descends from the dynasties of Wittelsbach, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Braganza and the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.[3]: 536–540, 778 [4] The House of Thurn und Taxis is a German family whose fortune derives from the appointment of an ancestor, Leonhard von Taxis, as hereditary postmaster general of the Holy Roman Empire in 1595.[4] Albert's father preceded him as the head of this family, which has several branches.[4] The family of Thurn und Taxis remains well known as owners of breweries[6] and former builders of castles.[5] The family seat is Saint Emmeram's Abbey.
His father, Johannes von Thurn und Taxis, an internationally renowned boulevardier, died in 1990 when Albert was seven years old, leaving the young boy to inherit a US$3 billion fortune and US$500 million in debts.[5] His mother, Gloria (née Countess von Schönburg-Glauchau), a popular media figure since marriage to his 53-year-old father as a 20-year-old, was instrumental in preserving the family fortune until Albert became of legal age to take over its management.[5] He has two older sisters: Princess Maria Theresia and Princess Elisabeth.[5]
Education
Thurn und Taxis completed his high school education in Rome and then, after his military service, he studied economics and theology at the University of Edinburgh. Prince Albert completed a doctorate in philosophy at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in 2022, defending a dissertation entitled: Rational Nature Or Wishful Thinking? Freedom & Rationality in Aquinas And Their Medieval Critique.[7]
Media attention
In 2008, Albert was included as 11th on the list of the Forbes Magazine's List of The 20 Hottest Young Royals as compiled by Forbes magazine.[2]
Motorsport
Von Thurn und Taxis is a racing driver, vice-champion (2007/2008) and champion (2010) of the German GT Championship ADAC GT Masters with the German Team Reiter Engineering.[8]
He embarked on a career in rallying in 2009, competing in the European Rally Championship since 2016.[9] In March 2026, von Thurn und Taxis and his co-driver received minor injuries during the Rebenland Rally in Austria when their car came off the road and fell 50 meters down a slope.[10]
Honours
Dynastic honours
- House of Thurn und Taxis: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Parfaite Amitié.[11]
- Calabrian House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies: Knight Grand Cross of Justice of the Calabrian Two Sicilian Order of Saint George.[12]
Racing record
Complete GT1 World Championship results
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Reiter Engineering | Lamborghini | NOG QR 3 | NOG CR 8 | ZOL QR Ret | ZOL CR 8 | NAV QR 12 | NAV QR 14 | SVK QR 2 | SVK CR Ret | ALG QR 13 | ALG CR Ret | SVK QR 11 | SVK CR Ret | MOS QR | MOS CR | NUR QR | NUR CR | DON QR | DON CR | 18th | 18 |
Complete World Rally Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Albert von Thurn und Taxis | Škoda Fabia R5 | MON | SWE | MEX | FRA | ARG | POR | ITA | FIN | GER Ret | TUR | GBR | ESP | AUS | NC | 0 | |
| 2019 | Albert von Thurn und Taxis | Škoda Fabia R5 | MON | SWE | MEX | FRA | ARG | CHL | POR | ITA 27 | FIN | GER | TUR | GBR | ESP | AUS C | NC | 0 |
| 2021 | Albert von Thurn und Taxis | Škoda Fabia R5 Evo | MON | ARC Ret | CRO | POR | ITA | KEN | EST | BEL | GRE | FIN | ESP | MNZ | NC | 0 |
Complete World Rally Championship-3 results
| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Albert von Thurn und Taxis | Škoda Fabia R5 Evo | MON | ARC Ret | CRO | POR | ITA | KEN | EST | BEL | GRE | FIN | ESP | MNZ | NC | 0 |
References
- 1.In 1919 royalty and nobility were mandated to lose their privileges in Germany, hereditary titles were to be legally borne thereafter only as part of the surname, according to Article 109 of the Weimar Constitution. Styles such as majesty and highness were not retained. Archived 24 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine
- 2.[2.2][2.3]"The 20 Hottest Young Royals – 11. Prince Albert". Forbes. 27 May 2008. Retrieved 4 June 2008.
- 3.[3.2]Willis, Daniel. The Descendants of Louis XIII. Clearfield, 1999, Baltimore, US. ISBN 0-8063-4942-5.
- 4.[4.2][4.3][4.4]Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels: Furstliche Hauser Band XIX. Limburg an der Lahn: C. A. Starke Verlag. 2011. pp. 369, 382–383, 385–386. ISBN 978-3-7980-0849-6.
- 5.[5.2][5.3][5.4][5.5]"The Conversation of Gloria TNT". Vanity Fair. June 2006. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
- 6."Thurn und Taxis Internet1". Archived from the original on 9 June 2002.
- 7."Ad Lauream Assequendam in Philosophia Thurn und Taxis Albert Doctoralem Dissertationem".
- 8."ADAC GT Masters | ADAC Motorsport". adac-motorsport.de (in German).
- 9."Albert von Thurn und Taxis – rally profile eWRC-results.com". eWRC-results.com.
- 10."Albert Fürst von Thurn und Taxis stürzt bei Rallye 50 Meter in die Tiefe ". n-tv.de (in German).
- 11."Prince Albert". Thurn und Taxis family website. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- 12."09/10/2008 (London) Mass and Investiture at the". Constantinianorder.org. 9 October 2008. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2016.