A German prince sues his son for selling a castle the family inherited for one euro
The castle, which sold for one euro, has a picture of the prince on the side, and below it is the little prince.
German Prince Ernst Augustus sued his son for selling an antique castle the family inherited to the government for one euro.
The prince, who is closely related to Queen Elizabeth II of Britain, accused his son of selling the castle behind his back.
The 66-year-old prince, the head of the Hanoverian royal family, transferred the ownership of Marienberg Castle to his son, also called Ernst, in addition to its Kallenberg farm in 2000.
The 37-year-old Prince sold the farm in 2018, and then announced that he would sell the castle to the German government for a token sum.
Perhaps what the little prince did was an economic deal more than a donation to the government, because the castle needed restorations estimated at 23 million pounds, and it cost a lot to keep it open to visitors who number about two hundred thousand people annually.
The young prince said that what he had done marked a historic turning point for his family, and would help preserve this national palace for public visitation.
The German parliament voted to make a contribution of 12 million pounds for the purpose of restoring the castle, while about a hundred paintings and other artworks were transferred to the Hanover State Museum.
These works were worth about two million pounds, while other works worth 5 million pounds were handed over to an art institution.
Prince Ernst intended by the court summons to restore the castle and accuse his son of violating rights, “entitlements, and judicial interests” and the prince accused his son of unlawfully appropriating the family’s artistic possessions, such as statues, sculptures, antiques and art pieces, from the museum and the library, according to what The Times reported. .
But young Ernst says his father's claims have no value and he is confident that the court will reject them immediately.
"All allegations in this case have been dismissed," he told Der Spiegel.
The royal family that ruled Hanover lost its titles in 1866, but it preserved its large properties such as Marienberg Castle, which was completed in 1867 and is the best edifice built by this family during its rule.
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