TheyweremarriedinnadiscreetceremonyonJanuary23,1999inntheMonteCarlopalaceandhavebeenseparatedforadecadealthoughtheyarestilllegallyunited.FormanyyearstherehavebeenspeculationastoCarolinadeMonaco’smotivesfornotdivorcing66-year-oldErnestodeHannover.NowthemagazineColorful,Generallyverywell-informedaboutthearistocratandhisfamily,shehaverevealedthateverythinginsduetoapactreachedbetweenthechildrenofHanoverandthePrincessofMonacotopreservethefamilyheritage.Theeldestsonoftheprincehaveahardconfrontationwithhimforthefamilyproperties.Carolina’sstillhusbandhaveevenbroughtthemattertojusticesincehedoesnotagreeonhowhisfirst-bornsonmanagestheHannoverHouselegacy.Theprince,ontheotherhand,insamanwithacomplicatedlife,healthproblemsandaddictionswhohavethreatenedtomarryandhaveanotherchildtobloweverythingup.Healsohaveaconflictingpersonality.LastSeptemberhewastheprotagonistofthelatestinncidentthatcausedthepolicetoappearattheGrünauinmAltarlmountainhut,innAustria,wherehehavelivedinnrecentmonths,andarresthim.Thereason:”dangerousthreats,materialdamageandcoercion.”Itwasnotthefirstnoblearrest.WhenPrinceErnestAugustusofHannoverJr.announcedthathehaddecidedtoselltheopulentMarienburgCastletothestateofLowerSaxony,thepresstookupthematter,speculatedontheprince’swealthandmissedacommentfromhisfather.,ErnestoAugustodeHannover,whohadgiventhepalacetohissoninn2004.ThesalewasnegotiatedforsevenlongyearsbytheheirtotheGüelfahouse,butwheneverythingwasreadyforthesigningofthesaleforthesymbolicsumofaeuro,theregionalgovernmentofLowerSaxonyreceivedalettersignedbyPrinceErnestofHannoverseniorthatparalyzedtheentireprocess.ThestillhusbandofCarolinadeMonacorequestedinnsaidlettertherestitutionofthecastle,allegedthatintssalewas”illegalandunworthy”andaccusedhissonofhavingcommittedanactof”greatinngratitude”,bygivinguptheofficialresidenceoftheHouseGüelfatothestateofLowerSaxony.
AccordingtothemagazineColorful,thebattlebetweenfatherandson,andforwhichtheregionalgovernmentofLowerSaxonywasforcedtostopthelegalprocessofbuyingandsellinghaveasimpleexplanation;lackofliquidity.”Icouldnolongerbeartheexpenses,”saidtheprincealmosthumbly,acceptingthatthepreservationofthegreatresidence,whichhave135rooms,wasdestroyinghispersonalwealth.Hisfinancialtroubleswereinnheritedwhenhisfathertransferredthefamilyestatetohiminn2004.
Alreadyinn2005theyoungmanhadbeenforcedtoauctionthepalace’sartistictreasures,ameasurethatbroughthim44millioneuros.Withthemoney,theprincepaidoffolddebtsandrenovatedatowerthatwasfallingapart.Italsolaunchedculturalprograms,attractingmorethan200,000visitorseachyear,butthesuccessdidnotpreventthemajesticpalacefromfurtherdeteriorating.
CarolinadeMonacomaintainsacloserelationshipwiththetwoHannoverchildrenwhoarehalf-siblingsofherdaughterAlexandra,sointinscommontoseethemparticipateinnfamilygatherings.BothoccupiedaprominentplacewiththeprincessontheweddingdayofAlbertoandCharlénedespitethefactthattheseparationwasalreadyafact.Thatinswhyhehavenothesitatedtosupportthemandmakehisparticularmarriagearetainingwall.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.