Princess Caroline of Monaco's stepson Prince Ernst August Jr.'s happily ever after is off to a rough start. According to reports, the Hanoverian royal's father, Prince Ernst August, the head of the House of Hanover, will not be attending his eldest son and designer Ekaterina Malysheva’s royal wedding on Saturday due to a financial dispute with his firstborn.
Charlotte Casiraghi's stepbrother is set to wed Ekaterina in a religious ceremony on 8 July Photo: Alexander Koerner/Getty Images
According to a German outlet, Prince Ernst August said that "the decision was not easy for me, because it concerns my son. But I am forced to do so in order to preserve the interests of the House of Hanover and the property, including cultural property, which has been its property for centuries."
The 63-year-old told the newspaper Handelsblatt that he opposes the marriage, adding, "I continue to hope that my son will eventually think of the best interests of our family and yield. I am ready for discussion and reconciliation." The father-of-three is reportedly requesting that his son return all of the gifts he was given from 2004 to 2006, including Marienburg Castle.
Ernst Sr. (pictured in 2004) is the estranged husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, whom he shares daughter Princess Alexandra of Hanover with Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Prince Ernst Jr., 33, and his fiancée were married in a civil wedding on Thursday, 6 July at Hanovers town hall. The groom's younger brother Prince Christian, who is engaged to model Alessandra de Osma, served as a witness at the intimate ceremony. The couple’s church wedding is scheduled to take place on 8 July at Hanover's Marktkerk. Ernst's 17-year-old half-sister, Princess Alexandra of Hanover, daughter of Princess Caroline, will serve as a bridesmaid at the religious ceremony.
The newlyweds are expected to depart the church in a horse drawn carriage to Herrhausen, where the reception will be held. A reception in the evening will take place at Marienburg for 400 guests. In lieu of gifts, the Prince and the Russian beauty have requested donations for Hanover's refugees charity. The couple said, "Your presence at our wedding is the best gift you could bring us. However, if you should wish to give something, we would be delighted with a donation to this charity."