| Native Name: | Truchsessenamt Waldburg-Zeil → Grafschaft Waldburg-Zeil → Fürstentum Waldburg-Zeil |
| Conventional Long Name: | Stewardship of Waldburg-Zeil → County of Waldburg-Zeil → Principality of Waldburg-Zeil |
| Common Name: | Waldburg-Zeil |
| Era: | Middle Ages |
| Status: | Vassal |
| Empire: | Holy Roman Empire |
| Government Type: | Principality |
| Year Start: | 1589 |
| Year End: | 1806 |
| Event Start: | Partitioned from Waldburg-Wolfegg-Zeil |
| Event1: | Raised to County |
| Date Event1: | 1628 |
| Event2: | Annexed half of Waldburg-Waldburg |
| Date Event2: | 1660 |
| Event3: | Partitioned to create Waldburg-Wurzach |
| Date Event3: | 1674 |
| Event4: | Raised to principality |
| Date Event4: | 1803 |
| Event End: | Mediatised to Kgdm Württemberg |
| P1: | Waldburg-Wolfegg-Zeil |
| S1: | Kingdom of Württemberg |
| Flag S1: | Flagge Königreich Württemberg.svg |
| Capital: | Zeil |
| Common Languages: | Alemannic German |
Waldburg-Zeil was a County and later Principality within Holy Roman Empire, ruled by the House of Waldburg, located in southeastern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located around Schloss Zeil, near Leutkirch im Allgäu.
Waldburg-Zeil was a partition of Waldburg-Wolfegg-Zeil. Originally ruled by Truchesses (stewards), Waldburg-Zeil was elevated to a County in 1628, and a Principality in 1803 shortly before being mediatised to Württemberg in 1806.
In 1674, Waldburg-Zeil was partitioned between itself and Waldburg-Wurzach. Count Francis Anthony inherited Waldburg-Trauchburg in 1772 (the districts of Friedburg and Scheer were later sold to Thurn und Taxis in 1785), and Steward Froben and Steward Henry of Waldburg-Wolfegg partitioned Waldburg-Waldburg after the death of Steward Gebhard.
The present prince is Erich, Fürst von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg (born 1962), the only son of Georg, Prince von Waldburg zu Zeil und Trauchburg (1928-2015) and Princess Marie Gabrielle of Bavaria (b. 1931), daughter of Albrecht, Duke of Bavaria. In 1988 he married Mathilde, Duchess of Württemberg, daughter of Carl, Duke of Württemberg and Princess Diane of Orléans. As Erich has five daughters, his heir presumptive is his first cousin, Count Clemens von Waldburg-Zeil (b. 1960), married to Princess Georgina of Liechtenstein, who has three sons.
In 1779 a side branch of the Counts of Waldburg-Zeil inherited the sovereign county of Lustenau by marriage. The county was mediatized to Bavaria in 1806 and became part of Austria in 1830. The present Count is Franz Josef von Waldburg-Zeil-Hohenems.[1] [2]
