Ernst August of Hanover, the tumultuous head of the famous House of Hanover, is the living embodiment of the adage "noblesse oblige"… to make waves. At a well-seasoned 70 years old, this German prince proves that there is no age limit to being the star of a tabloid-worthy saga. His latest performance? An altercation in a Madrid restaurant that could rank in the top 10 most chaotic nights of the Spanish capital.
A gastronomic… and acrobatic evening
The scene is set at Bistroman Atelier, a sought-after table in Madrid where people usually come to savor refined dishes. Except that, on this particular evening, Ernst August and his companion, the elegant Claudia Stilianopoulos, offered the patrons a show halfway between an impromptu musical and a wrestling match.
From the moment he entered, the prince set the tone: glass throwing, outbursts, and grandiloquent insults worthy of a Wagnerian opera. The grand finale? A gastronomic incident where the royal guest managed to choke on a dish, requiring emergency intervention. "A demanding customer," some might say. "A tornado in evening wear," witnesses would correct.
The bistro says stop
Tired of these lively evenings, the restaurant’s chef, Stéphane Del Rio, decided to sound the alarm on X (formerly Twitter): "Always the same story with this gentleman… It’s no longer a dinner, it’s a survival marathon." The result? A firm and definitive ban for Ernst August from ever crossing the doors of Bistroman again.
But like any good princely drama, the matter didn’t stop there. Claudia, on the front line to defend the prince’s honor, took to her keyboard to post a scathing review on TripAdvisor. "Good food. Zero human quality," she wrote, not hesitating to add a hint of bad faith to the mix.
A royal connection with Monaco… and its share of embarrassments
As a good cosmopolitan aristocrat, Ernst August is also linked to the princely family of Monaco through his marriage to Caroline of Monaco, the sister of Prince Albert II. This makes him, among other things, the royal brother-in-law that no one really wants to invite to official dinners. Imagine the scene: at the palace, while Albert is busy aligning the silverware, Ernst August shines with his talents… as a disorganizer.
His reputation precedes him, so much so that he is now more often expected for his public apologies than for his fiery toasts.
Even the famous Bal de la Rose has not escaped his chaotic aura. It is whispered that his presence made more than one member of high society grimace, especially during an impromptu speech where he compared the Riviera to a "beautiful but boring postcard". And yet, despite the family friction, Princess Caroline continues to maintain a royal elegance in the face of her estranged husband’s exploits.
A royal career marked by scandals
If this Madrid evening made headlines, it is just another episode in the florilegium of excesses signed by Ernst August. We still remember the Hanover World’s Fair in 2000, where he immortalized his visit… by urinating on the Turkish pavilion. A gesture, certainly questionable, but which remains to this day one of the most memorable cultural contributions of his career.
And what about 2020, when he made headlines by threatening Austrian police officers with a knife before showing up at the police station… armed with a baseball bat? It’s as if he secretly dreams of landing a role in a remake of "Les Tontons Flingueurs".
A faltering health, but an intact energy
Despite a recent hip surgery, the prince continues to defy the odds. His tumultuous escapades and his taste for excess prove that neither age, nor pain, nor criticism have dampened his joie de vivre.
Ernst August of Hanover is somewhat the anti-hero that European aristocracy did not ask for, but cannot help talking about. Between the scandals, the colorful anecdotes, and a vibrant personality, he reminds us that behind every prestigious lineage, there is sometimes… a troublemaker in a tuxedo.
