Prince Ernst August of Hanover, the estranged husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, celebrated his 70th birthday on February 26. Born in 1954, he is the eldest son of Prince Ernest Augustus of Hanover and Princess Ortrud of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg. The House of Hanover, a European royal house of German origin, has a rich history of ruling over various territories, including Hanover, Great Britain, Ireland, and the British Empire.
In 1981, Prince Ernst married Swiss heiress Chantal Hochuli, with whom he had two sons, Prince Ernst August and Prince Christian. After finalizing his divorce with Chantal in 1997, he tied the knot with Princess Caroline of Monaco in 1999. Together, they have a daughter, Princess Alexandra. Princess Caroline also has three older children from her previous marriage to Stefano Casiraghi.
Prince Ernst August has been involved in numerous scandals throughout his life. In 1999, he was fined for attacking a German photographer. He also faced legal trouble for allegedly urinating on the Turkish Pavilion at the Expo 2000 event in Hanover, which resulted in a diplomatic incident. In 2004, he was found guilty of causing serious bodily harm after attacking a hotel-owner in Kenya.
In 2009, Prince Ernst sought a retrial to have a charge reduced, and in 2021, he received a ten-month suspended jail sentence after an altercation with the police at his lodge in Austria. He has also been hospitalized multiple times in recent years, including for food poisoning during his son’s wedding and for pancreatitis.
Family disputes have also plagued Prince Ernst’s life, as seen when he did not attend his son’s wedding due to a financial dispute over property. He also took legal action against his eldest son for the sale of the ancestral castle, Marienburg Castle. These legal battles have added to the public perception of Prince Ernst as a controversial figure.
Prince Ernst August of Hanover’s life has been marked by a series of scandals, legal issues, and family disputes. Despite his royal background and connections, his actions have often garnered negative attention and controversy. As he celebrates his 70th birthday, it is evident that his past actions continue to shape public perception of him as a controversial figure in European royalty.
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