2017-2021 Lawsuit Between Members of the Royal Family

[Benjamin]

On Wednesday, 6 October 2021, Judge Lionel Guignard of the District Court of La Côte, which hears cases from Morges and Nyon, acquitted Nicholas de Roumanie Medforth-Mills (also known as "Principele Nicolae al Romaniei" and "Prince Nicholas of Romania") of charges levelled at the erstwhile Romanian heir in 2017 by his aunt Crown Princess Margarita of Romania (now titled "Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Crown" and "Margareta, Majestatea Sa Custodele Coroanei Române"). Margarita became a Swiss citizen in June 2017; she has dual Romanian-Swiss citizenship. On 7 November 2017, Margarita called Vaud police when her nephew attempted to visit his grandfather, the ailing King Michael of Romania, at the home where the king was living in Aubonne, Switzerland. Acting on behalf of her incapacitated father, the crown princess pressed charges against her nephew and alleged that Nicholas committed home invasion and assault when he tried to see the king for a final time. The court dismissed these claims. In November 2017, following his aunt's rejecting his final plea to see his dying grandfather, Nicholas confessed: "My only desire was to see my grandfather one last time, and to say goodbye to him in the most respectful, calm and Christian way possible."

At the ruling, Nicholas de Roumanie Medforth-Mills was present in chambers with his lawyers, Malek Adjadj and Kristina Croce. Nicholas became emotional and hugged his defenders when the judge ruled in his favour. Margarita of Romania was absent "due to illness" at the proceedings and represented by her attorney, Marc-Antoine Aubert. That Margarita, the Head of the Romanian Royal Family, could not attend the court hearing because of illness is curious, because she had held several events at Elisabeta Palace in the days and weeks prior to the ruling.

The Swiss court was apprised of the fact that before Nicholas's attempt to visit his grandfather on 7 November 2017, which was Nicholas's seventh and final try, the prince had previously tried to see the king on six different occasions over the previous two years, beginning in 2015. On each of these occasions, Nicholas was denied access to his grandfather. Aware that his grandfather Michael, who had acted as a substitute father since Nicholas's youth, was on his deathbed, Nicholas tried to enter the Swiss residence of the royal family when two nurses arrived. It was at this point that Margarita, Nicolas's aunt and the acting Head of the Romanian Royal Family since King Michael's retirement from public life in March 2016, summoned police to the property. The crown princess alleged that her nephew assaulted the nurses (a claim which has been found to be false) and that he committed home invasion (a claim which has also been dismissed).

Judge Lionel Guignard received testimony from several relatives of the late king, who are not named in Swiss news reports, that King Michael had asked his caretakers/family on numerous occasions during this time-frame to see his grandson. Each time, the king's requests to see his grandson, whom Michael named the eventual heir of the Romanian royal family in 2010, were reportedly rebuffed with objections by Michael's eldest daughter Margarita. The court learned that King Michael had been suffering from cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. The issue of the king's impairment and the possibility of its influence on the August 2015 decision to remove his grandson from the succession was discussed in court; however, the judge did not make a ruling regarding this issue.

In his ruling, Judge Guignard concluded that "there is nothing in the dossier to confirm that the king did not want to see his grandson." Afterwards, Nicholas of Romania stated: "My right to see my grandfather on his deathbed has been legitimized." Reportedly, the attorney for Her Majesty Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, rejected the idea of any familial reconciliation as far as his client was concerned.

Sources:

Un conflit royal devant le tribunal de Nyon

La justice suisse estime que Nicholas de Roumanie avait le droit de faire ses adieux à son grand-père Michel 1e

Nyon: le petit-fils de feu le roi de Roumanie blanchi par la justice

Le petit-fils de l'ex-roi de Roumanie nie avoir agressé l'entourage de son aïeul

Undignified spat rips through Romania's proud royal family

Scandal hits Romanian Royal House while King Michael on deathbed

 

[tihkon2]

If the events happened as Nicholas and apparently other relatives have testified in court, Margareta does not come off well at all. Yikes.

 

[Benjamin]

If the events happened as Nicholas and apparently other relatives have testified in court, Margareta does not come off well at all. Yikes.

It is sad that a grandson was not able to say goodbye to his beloved grandfather, King Michael, who really did act as a second parental unit in addition to the late Queen Anne, whom Nicholas also adored.

 

[Lori138]

Thank you Benjamin for posting this topic in full. I didn't realize others may not be able to read it.

 

[Benjamin]

Below are several Romanian news articles, two with video, concerning this November 2017 incident. You can see how easily the then Crown Princess Margarita and Prince Radu, as well as other persons, were allowed to enter the residence where the ailing King Michael lived. You can also witness how when Nicholas rings the bell at the house where his grandfather is dying, that no one answers the door.

Casa Regală a făcut plângere împotriva nepotului Regelui. Nicolae: "Am încercat să-l văd pe bunicul meu. N-am putut” (8 November 2017)

Ultima umilinţă a ultimului rege al României (9 November 2017)

Corespondență din Elveția. Noi informații despre starea Regelui Mihai (10 November 2017)

An excerpt from the first article:

For his part, Nicolae claims that all he did was ring the doorbell and politely ask the staff to let him visit his grandfather on his name day, Saints Michael and Gabriel.

" It deeply saddens me and I do not understand CR’s [Casa Regala’s] aggressiveness in doing everything possible to prevent me from seeing my grandfather and to discredit my image. I will not enter this dirty game. I will choose to respect my grandfather in these difficult moments because that is the right thing to do and that is Christian, " Nicolae wrote on his Facebook account.

Nicolae: Yesterday I came, I came straight off the plane and I tried to see my grandfather. Unfortunately I couldn't.

Cătălin Radu Tanase : Who stopped you?

Nicolae: I don't know. Is there anyone in the house? I saw the King's secretary and he said he wasn't allowed to let anyone in, and another man said the same thing.

Cătălin Radu Tanase : But you are His Majesty's grandson, everyone will know.

Nicolae : I come as the King's grandson, my grandfather's grandson, and I just want to see him at last. That's all. If it's the last time I come here, when he's in a better condition, then I'd like to see him. If he is not, then I want to say goodbye, for the last time.

Cătălin Radu Tanase : It's His Majesty's name day. It's Mihai, you are Mihai. Do you want to get to wish a happy name day to your grandfather?

Nicolae: Of course I want to say Happy Name Day to him and to everyone named Mihai, I wish you a happy name day, good health and all the best. And I would like to say the same to my grandfather, face to face.

Cătălin Radu Tanase : But those around him did not allow you access...

Nicolae: I haven't had one [visit] in two years, I think today is the 6th, 7th attempt.

Cătălin Radu Tanase: Has Princess Margareta, your aunt, given you any explanation over the past 2 years why she won't let you approach His Majesty?

Nicolae : I never got an explanation. It was just like, "It can't be done." I never got an explanation for what happened in August 2015, the decision that was made.

Cătălin Radu Tanase: They didn't tell you then either?

Nicolae: No, I never said anything about what happened, I heard several rumors and I couldn't say my side, in the end.

Cătălin Radu Tanase : And you haven't met with His Majesty for two years, to ask him what happened.

Nicolae: Yes, once my grandmother was celebrating her birthday and I came over, we had a very pleasant conversation with him [King Michael] about airplanes.

Cătălin Radu Tanase: He didn't reproach you for anything, he didn't tell you what happened with the withdrawal of the title of Royal Highness?

Nicolae: It was a very vague conversation about it. He asked me what I was doing in Romania, what it was like in Romania, and that was it.

 

[Toledo]

Part of me sides with Nicolas trying to see his grandfather for one last time, and part of me sides with Margareta who knows well on the antics of her nephew and tried to protect her father from manipulation on his deathbed.

I understand Nicolas has behaving better these past few years, but when it comes to family issues and inheritance drama she was placed in charge of the family for a reason. Her father needed a level headed person to continue his goal to restore the monarchy, Nicolas is a wild card, emphasis in the wild part.

And now prince Nicolas is doing the victimization tour, doesn't that reminds you of a distant cousin of him in another thread? I think if I had to take sides now, I'm with Margarita because there's a Nicolas in every family.

 

[Benjamin]

One does not wish to veer too far from the initial topic on this forum.

Given my understanding of the circumstances surrounding Prince Radu’s first marriage, in addition to other private matters regarding the Royal couple, I think it best to not delve into details or suppositions as to why the then-Crown Princess Margarita and Prince Radu conducted themselves as they did in the past or in the present. Based on the history of the Royal couple, without going into anything substantial, I would posit that Nicholas is not the wild card in the Romanian royal family.

If you would like, I would be happy to send any forum members an article that I wrote in 2018, which was published in a journal focused on European royal families. You can send me a direct message, and then I can attach or email you the PDF version of the article.

 

[JR76]

Part of me sides with Nicolas trying to see his grandfather for one last time, and part of me sides with Margareta who knows well on the antics of her nephew and tried to protect her father from manipulation on his deathbed.

What antics are you referring to?

 

[tihkon2]

What antics are you referring to?

Probably the child out of wedlock. And there were rumblings he was friends with people that his family didn't approve of. But no one criminal or anything like that. Otherwise I have no idea what Toledo is talking about.

 

[Toledo]

What antics are you referring to?

I think I was too harsh on Nicholas on the above post since the reason that he was removed from the line by his grandfather was the situation with the child with Nicoleta Cîrjan and the alleged assault to staff members protecting his grandfather on his final hours.

Deathbed Drama Surrounds Romania’s Last King

Since then, Nicolas has been on a more serious path and maybe I'm too much of a fan of Margarita and can relate to that situation of her father in such a state and the pushy nephew, who wants to be the head of the family above Margarita, is causing this drama while her father is dying.

I see now, it's been years from this incident and since Margarita's direct heir is Nicolas' mother Princess Elena, the three of them need to sort this drama out for the benefit of a possible restoration. Or at least to bring peace to the family.

 

[An Ard Ri]

The entire episode does not reflect well on Margarita and the Royal House and it such a sad state of affairs and that a familial reconciliation was also rejected.

 

[Marengo]

Thanks Benjamin for this clear overview of the courtcase and its outcome. I remember the incident but forgot all about the trial. It is good to have it in one thread, as a reference point in later discussions on the matter here at TRF.

At the time I thought it inhumane to keep the grandson away from the grandfather. And any so-called antics his aunt claimed to witness- efforts of him to get inside the house- can easily explained. Many of us would be in despair if we would be kept away from the deathbed of a loved one.

I always had my doubts over the revocation of the title for Nicolas too and I think the King may have been heavily influenced in his decision to do so by people who had alterior motives. It may be the same alterior motives that explain why the succession is not resolved. The question is simply: who benifits from this all?

 

[JR76]

The question is simply: who benifits from this all?

Those against a restoration of the monarchy?

 

[Benjamin]

The question is simply: who benifits from this all?

There are certain members of this family who have and continue to benefit from this situation to the detriment of other family members (if not the future of the family as a dynastic entity as well).

 

[An Ard Ri]

Its like the family have no plans for the future of the royal house after the passing of the Crown Princess and her sisters, its ludicrous and simply benefits no one!

 

[Stefan]

This all shines a very, very bad light on Margarita. As for the removal of Nicolas from the succession and not allowing him to see his dying grandfather, i had always the feeling that it was not the Kings decision. Probably he wasn't in a state to do so

 

[maria-olivia]

The King was not dying for the removal of his Grandson. The reasons are not clearly known perhaps Benjamin knews more ?

 

[An Ard Ri]

This all shines a very, very bad light on Margarita. As for the removal of Nicolas from the succession and not allowing him to see his dying grandfather, i had always the feeling that it was not the Kings decision. Probably he wasn't in a state to do so

It all sounds very spiteful and cruel to do that ,there seems to a nasty side to the Romanian Royal family behind the all smiles façade..

 

[Blog Real]

What really happened only the royal family will know. I even sympathize with Nicolae and I think that inevitably the future of the Romanian royal house will pass through him.

 

[Lori138]

What really happened only the royal family will know. I even sympathize with Nicolae and I think that inevitably the future of the Romanian royal house will pass through him.

I agree. I see no other option than that Nicolae will take over headship, whether Margarita and Radu like it or not.

 

[tihkon2]

I agree. I see no other option than that Nicolae will take over headship, whether Margarita and Radu like it or not.

Well I hope the restored properties belong to all the sisters and not just Margareta, or I doubt Nicolae will be receiving any of the patrimony of the family when the current generation is gone.

 

[Marengo]

I doubt he will receive anything too or even that he will at least be chairing a foundation that manages the patrimony. But I think it is very likely that he will be staking a claim. And, if he does not, that much Romanian monarchists still will regard him as such. He is next in line and there simply are no other viable candidates.

In a way it may echo how the late count of Paris (Henri sr) sidelined his own family/ successors of presiding over the patrimony of the Orleans family, which is now managed by a society that is at odds with the present count, in which the family has zero say. Only here it is even more tragic as it means the head of the family now actively tries to make the royal family extinct as well. Perhaps not a coincidence that Prince Jean and Nicholas seem to be -or have been- on friendly terms.

 

[maria-olivia]

Nicholas de Roumanie is Godfather of one of the Count de Paris Children. Since then no show up !

 

[An Ard Ri]

Does the family nastiness and unpleasantness extend to Nicholas's sister Elisabeta or is it just all directed at Nicholas?

 

[Biri]

Does the family nastiness and unpleasantness extend to Nicholas's sister Elisabeta or is it just all directed at Nicholas?

Only at Nicholas, as I heard.

Elisabetta-Karina is the only one of his close maternal relatives who maintains regular contact wit him.

 

[duke of poliganc]

The fact that it was stated in a legal case that at the time of the late king decision to remove his grandson from the line of succession, he was having Alzheimer and not sound of mind is just a gift for Nicholas to reclaim his title and position as head of the royal house after his aunt and mother!

But am also curious about the properties they reclaimed from the state, the two castles, does Romania has the napoleon code where a parent can’t disinherit one of his kids?

 

[An Ard Ri]

The more I read the more and more I feel so sorry for Nicholas and this toxic situation he found himself in.
His family should be very ashamed for their spiteful actions.

 

[duke of poliganc]

The more I read the more and more I feel so sorry for Nicholas and this toxic situation he found himself in.
His family should be very ashamed for their spiteful actions.

I agree, while having a child out of wedlock is not the best thing for a future head of the royal house, they make him seems like the devil!

While actually having a child out of wedlock is the most Royal thing, almost all the most revered monarchs in history had children out of wedlock!

The catholic Duke of Parma has a son with his previous girlfriend, and the late Duke of Aosta had a daughter out of wedlock!

I can’t imagine what they would say if he did a Grimaldi!

 

[An Ard Ri]

Other members of the Royal Family have been involved in a lot worse behaviour and legal actions and were welcomed back.
Sounds like hypocrisy at its very worst.

 

[Toledo]

I agree, while having a child out of wedlock is not the best thing for a future head of the royal house, they make him seems like the devil!

While actually having a child out of wedlock is the most Royal thing, almost all the most revered monarchs in history had children out of wedlock!

The catholic Duke of Parma has a son with his previous girlfriend, and the late Duke of Aosta had a daughter out of wedlock!

I can’t imagine what they would say if he did a Grimaldi!

Hopefully nothing since two of the dynasties most of Europe's monarchs are connected with, Spain's Trastamara and Portugal's Braganza, are from illegitimate lines only because the monarch didn't marry their long time girlfriends that they preferred over the wives product of marriage arrangements.

And after reading more of the comments here I had to say I'm sorry if I was harsh on Nicholas on a previous post, now I take it back and see everything from a different point of view. The royal family of Romania needs to put the differences aside and look forward the restoration as a family unit and not as a battleground of relations and past problems.