Why Princess Theodora of Liechtenstein enrolled on the Oxford Smith School MSc

Princess Theodora was just nine years old when she founded the Green Teen Team to help children experience and look after nature and animals. “When I started school in Verona, Italy, I realised my peers who lived in the city weren't all as fortunate and didn't have this connection to nature in the same way that I thought was normal. I wanted them to be able to experience it to,” she says. 

“My parents knew the director of the Zoological Park in Verona, Dr Cesare Avesani, and I would go there all the time to volunteer. And then the idea came about I could do something – a hands-on project. We brought in in children to meet the tortoises. They are great animals for this because they are so tactile and can be safely handled by children. We also made a special area in the park for children to have these experiences and developed a curriculum on nature for the school to use, to bring children closer to their local biodiversity.”

Over the years, the Green Teen Team grew into a fully-fledged charity and Theodora has overseen projects across the world. “The idea is always to have part of it be in schools to create a curriculum around their local biodiversity, and we partner with researchers to create this,” she says.

Despite her lifelong passion for sustainability, Theodora studied architecture for her undergraduate degree at Cambridge. “I think people are always slightly surprised when I tell them that I'm now studying sustainability after I studied architecture,” she says. “But for me, it makes sense: like sustainability, architecture is an interdisciplinary subject, which is an aspect I really enjoy. And of course, over 40% of emissions come from the built environment and, for me, some of the most interesting developments in sustainability are in this area. Last year, for example, I conducted research on using natural fibers in construction. That’s something I would like to continue exploring during my studies here.”

After the MSc, Theodora plans to work in Asia to pursue her interests in architecture and real estate. “I want to work at the intersection of sustainability, real-estate finance, and natural-material innovation, ultimately leading to cities transition to low-carbon, regenerative development. I also hope to expand my conservation foundation into a global platform for youth-led environmental action. For now though, I’m making the most of the incredible networks available to me here on the MSc.”

The MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment at the Oxford Smith School begins with a tour of

 London to meet with top companies and business leaders to learn about their approaches to sustainability. “It was really nice to jump in at the deep-end, and we all bonded together immediately when we had that trip to London” reflects Theodora. “Having come from an architecture background, I had very little knowledge in finance, sitting at the table with people from organisations like JP Morgan gave me a completely new perspective on how climate, finance and policy intersect. It opened up lines of thinking I hadn’t yet explored, which is exactly what I hoped this programme would stretch me to do.”

Theodora is a grandniece of Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein. But despite being royalty, she says that the title of Princess does not dominate her life. “I’m very fortunate that way. But I recognise that it gives a sense of credibility - people are more willing to help with my sustainability work, and doors are open to me that would otherwise be closed,” she says.

Theodora puts her ability to network to good use, and even in the midst of starting her MSc, she is currently arranging for a group of Tortoises that were smuggled into Barcelona to be returned to the Seychelle Islands, where she previously led a microchipping project. “The President [Wavel Ramkalawan] has been so helpful and has taken a personal interest in their return,” she said. 

Dr Quentin Coutellier, Departmental Lecturer in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment, comments:

“We were delighted to welcome Princess Theodora this year. With 563 applications to just 35 places, remarkable students are the norm on the Oxford Smith School MSc’s cohort, which this year is 89% international and 63% female. Over the course of the year, we will equip them with the rigorous academic knowledge and applied skills needed to understand and accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon, environmentally sustainable economic model. But they will also learn from each other, and it has been wonderful to see them already develop long-lasting connections."