Ernst August Snr, Prince of Hanover, is set to sue his ‘ungrateful’ son over a castle

It sounds like a right royal ruck. What happened?  

Ernst August Snr, Prince of Hanover, a distant cousin of Queen Elizabeth, claims that his son and heir apparent, also called Ernst August, went behind his back to seize control of his estates. The catalyst for the legal action concerns Marienburg Castle, a 135 room Gothic revival palace in Lower Saxony, built in 1867. 

The property, along with two others, was given by Prince Ernst August to his son between 2004-2007, according to court documents. But upkeep for the castle has been crippling and much-needed renovations will reportedly cost around €27million (£23.4million).  

And so, in 2018 Ernst August Jr announced he would sell Marienburg Castle to Lower Saxony authorities for a “symbolic” €1 (87 pence) to allow it to be preserved for the nation. But this decision has incensed his father who, according to The Art Newspaper is demanding back control of the castle and several other assets from his “ungrateful” son.

The legal dispute claims Ernst Jr attempted to seize control of the estate “behind his father’s back” and illegally appropriated some of the family’s painting, sculptures and antique coaches from the Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel, Lower Saxony, and the Hanover Historical Museum. 

Ernst Snr filed the case before the Hanover Regional Court through a Berlin law firm. The court has not yet set a date for a hearing. 

Who is Ernst Snr?  

As well as his link to Queen Elizabeth, he is also the estranged husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco and is the brother-in-law of Albert II, Prince of Monaco. A divorcé, (he was married to Swiss-born Chantal Hochuli who is the mother of Ernst Jnr) his wealth was at one time estimated to be £178million. 

No stranger to controversy, he has been described by the German press as the “party prince” and the “brawling prince” due to his well-publicised drunken exploits. He was once fined more than £150,000 and given an eight-month suspended sentence for charges of threatening behaviour, verbal abuse and causing bodily harm relating to three separate incidents. 

What do these warring royals say?  

Ernst Jr told the German news agency DPA that the case was baseless. He said all the arguments raised “have already been invalidated out of court in the past” and insists the deal to transfer ownership of Marienburg Castle to the Lower Saxony authorities was “legally secure”. 

As for Ernst Snr the court documents state that he now “lives sick and isolated in a forest in Austria and that his son does not support him despite several requests for help”.  

Microsoft News: Jane Clinton  19/02/2021