Prince Christian of Hanover’s father Prince Ernst August was temporarily taken to a psychiatric facility, according to reports. The head of the royal House of Hanover, who is the estranged husband of Grace Kelly ’s daughter Princess Caroline , reportedly called police in the early hours of Wednesday morning saying he “needed immediate help.” Per RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), when help arrived about 20-minutes after the call, the Prince was “was extremely aggressive” and “attacked them physically.”
© Getty ImagesAustrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung reports that the royal threatened them with a knife, which officers knocked out of his hand before fixing the Prince to the ground. When Ernst got back up, he reportedly hit an officer in the face. Because “self-harm” could not be ruled out, per RND, Princess Alexandra’s father was taken to the psychiatry unit of a hospital in Vöcklabruck.
However, Prince Ernst August claims that he was the one who was actually attacked. The royal shared his side of the story with Kronen Zeitung explaining that he did call the police for help, but an officer attacked him for no reason. “I had a hypo, so I called 911. I said to hurry up because I am very bad,” he recalled. “A policeman hit me. I think they were drunk, at least they gave the impression. Then they chained me to an ambulance. They didn‘t let me out for five hours. They wanted to take me to a room and spray me. I stood all night. I told them they don’t do that to me, I’m a normal person. I screamed until I was allowed out.”
© Getty ImagesThe dad of three admitted that he “probably boxed back.” He added, “I was amazed. Such a cheeky lout.” The royal is threatening a lawsuit against the police. Following his release from the “psychiatric hospital,” Ernst said, “Suddenly should I be the culprit? I am innocent, was never palpable.”
News of the incident comes a little over a week after Ernst’s youngest son Christian welcomed twins—Sofia and Nicolas—with his wife Alessandra de Osma . The 66-year-old Prince is a father to sons Prince Ernst August , 36, and Prince Christian, 35, from his first marriage to Chantal Hochuli, and 20-year-old daughter Princess Alexandra of Hanover, whom he shares with Princess Caroline. Ernst married Prince Albert of Monaco’s sister in 1999. Although she and the Prince are estranged, Caroline and her children have a close relationship with her stepsons. Ernst famously skipped his firstborn’s wedding to Russian designer Ekaterina Malysheva in 2017 due to a financial dispute. Meanwhile, Caroline’s four children, Pierre Casiraghi, Andrea Casiraghi, Charlotte Casiraghi and Alexandra were in attendance for the lavish nuptials.
