Prince Ernst condition worsens, Caroline (of Monaco) near

[cliss]

collapse.
Source: Swedish online newspaper 'Expressen' http://www.expressen.se/index.jsp?a=266619
Date: Sunday, April 10
translated by: Cliss

Princess Caroline is at Prince's side

Princess Caroline's alcoholic husband, Prince Ernst August's condition, 51, has worsened. Yesterday morning he slipped into a deep coma and is in intensive care.

A mother of four, Caroline is near a nervous breakdown - once again she risks becoming a widow. - The prince is under constant care. His condition is serious and he needs round-the-clock care, confirmed the press secretary for the Royal Family in Monaco.

Prince Ernst August of Hanover, who married Princess Caroline, 48, six years ago, was taken to the hospital on Tuesday to the Princess Grace Hospital. He had an inflammation of the pancreas after a long period of alcholism, was in very bad shape, and sources within the royalty say that doctors had to do "life-saving" measures.

Yesterday morning, his condition worsened and Prince Ernst went into a deep coma.
<snip>
Princess Caroline lost her father, Prince Rainier on Wednesday.
<snip>
Deep sadness in Monaco today.
<snip>
Caroline has been hit with yet another curse. She is near a collapse.
<snip>
Caroline and Princess Stephanie are preparing for their father's funeral on Friday.
=== === === ===
Sad, very sad. What do they say about alcholism? It's the disease that recognizes no social boundaries, sees no difference between rich and poor, educated and uneducated, knows no gender or race.

[MADem]

1. Curse of the Grimaldis? With a vengeance? n/t

[Sannum]

2. Ernst is a dick...

But I would not wish what Caroline is going through on anyone. She only married the drunkard because she was pregnant.

Caroline does seem like a good person. She is intensely private, but honestly, who wouldn't be?

This is very sad.

[ribrepin]

3. Sad

Princess Caroline has had a lot of unhappiness in her life. I hope he recovers and I hope he gets the help he needs.

[aquart]

4. She's having a lousy week.

And the month isn't looking better.

[readermostly]

5. So sorry to hear this

I'm hoping this sad situation gets better. Sending good thoughts.

[Pachamama]

6. Wow-that's pretty bad when an article directly refers to a Prince as an

alchoholic....referenced so matter of factly....

This is an awful and tragic situation...I can't even imagine the despair this woman may be feeling...To suffer the loss of her only surviving parent and then to have her husband rushed to a hospital carrying her dead mother's name sake....Given the fact that she suffered a nervous breakdown in the past and even suffered a stress related symptom caused hair loss, I hope that they are "watching" her as well as her dieing husband...

Is it a "curse"? Hardly...Apparantely alchoholism runs in Caroline's own family (from the Kelly clan) and clearly she shows all the signs of being a classic co-dependent. She and her sister never chose their lovers very well, and none of the circumstances are very surprising all things considered.

The timing sure sucks though...imagine getting ready to bury your father and maybe even your husband within the same week....

Very very sad...I wonder how her children are doing....and that if this familie's alcholism isn't addressed, that they too will suffer similar tragedies in their future...

[cliss]

24. Odd, I agree.

This is a Swedish online newspaper. I was surprised by this, too. The article is translated exactly as it's written in Swedish - never any embellishments or "subjective" interpretations.

But then again, the Swedes should know all about alcholism -- they have a huge number of them in that country. I should know.....I'm Swedish myself.

[chookie]

7. Sad

I have never lain on a bed of roses (metaphorically speaking) in my life, and have had some tough challenges (this is life after all), but I never faced anything of the caliber that caused the hair on my head to cease to grow. The lovely Caroline did -- and remained poised and graceful thoughout, which speaks volumes about her character.

It is a great sadness that her husband should come to such an end, and at such an extraordinarily tragic time - within days of the loss of her father, and in a somewhat shameful manner.

Caroline has every reason to collapse at this time -- although something tells me SHE is the most stable and functioning member of the family, and that can be an overwhelming burden to bear.

One small mercy the untimely death of her mother yielded was less publicity for the Grimaldi family in recent years, and Caroline seems to have cherished this time -- she is dutiful, not an attention seeker, and as the middle child, she is the raft upon which the rest of the family floats.... Her hair grew again in recent years, indicating a return to some more balanced emotional/physical state.

Kitty Kelley, in her book on the British royals, tells of how the newly wed Diana sought out the counsel of Princess Grace, about how to cope with the intense public focus, and Princess Grace smiled and said coolly -- it just gets worse. Her candor provided no sense of comfort to the young Diana, but in hindsight it appears to have been excellent, wholly pragmatic advice.

The article you cite clearly states the funeral is in the hands of Caroline and Stephanie -- hmmm, does Albert have something more important to do than bury his father the Prince? What's up with the eldest son....?

Jerry Springer stuff, only these folk wear crowns. I do not say this to mock, but in heartfelt sympathy.

[Pachamama]

8. Actually, Caroline is the oldest...Albert's the middle kid....

I agree...she does seem to be the most stable of the clan, but even the most stable person has their limits, no matter how much of a rock of Gibraltar they may seem.

Like I said in my previous posting, I hope someone is "watching" her...this is a dangerous period for someone like her and if people aren't watching out for her, this tragedy could end up with three funerals in one month in one family.

[zann725]

9. I actually think she would be the best to take over the Throne.

Does it have to be Albert? He's always been a bit of a flake.

She has the inner strength (and beauty) of her mother.

[theHandpuppet]

13. Here's an idea...

.. for the people of Monaco. It's called DEMOCRACY.

[DrZeeLit]

16. Democracy? Mmmmm.... isn't * trying to get EVERYONE on that band wagon?

Wonder why he doesn't mention this in his next radio address to the nation?

I mean.... wow....those poor, suffering common folk in Monaco. Whew -- a great place to sow the seeds of self determination....


(sarcasm off)

[theHandpuppet]

17. But of course, Monaco has no oil...

... which exempts them from the chimp's crusade for Democratic governments. Meanwhile, this playground of the idle rich can be content with their "constitutional monarchy" where only a male heir can inherit the throne and sit at the head of government.

A bit more of Monaco's government for those who might be uninformed: http://www.monaco.mc/monaco/info/institutions.html

[1monster]

22. Monaco becomes a territory of France should there be no heir to the

throne. Thus, should the citizens of Monaco decide to do away with the principality and become a democracy, they will no longer be an independent nation. Monaco would be no more.

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/countryfacts/monaco.html

CHRONOLOGY
1191 The Genoese took control of Monaco, which had formerly been part of the Holy Roman Empire. 1297 Came under the rule of the Grimaldi dynasty, the current ruling family, who initially allied themselves to the French. 1524-1641 Came under Spanish protection. 1793 Annexed by France during French Revolutionary Wars. One member of the ruling family was guillotined; the rest imprisoned. 1815 Placed under protection of Sardinia. 1848 The towns of Menton and Roquebrune, which had formed the greater part of the principality, seceded and later became part of France. 1861 Franco-Monegasque treaty restored Monaco's independence under French protection; the first casino was built. 1865 Customs union established with France. 1918 France given veto over succession to throne and established that if a reigning prince dies without a male heir, Monaco is to be incorporated into France. 1941-45 Occupied successively by Italians and Germans during World War II. 1949 Prince Rainier III ascended the throne. 1956 Prince Rainier married US actor Grace Kelly. 1958 Birth of male heir, Prince Albert. 1962 A new, more liberal constitution was adopted. 1982 Princess Grace died in a car accident. 1993 Joined United Nations. 1998 Michel Leveque was appointed head of government. 2000 Patrick Leclercq replaced Michel Leveque as minister of state. France threatened to take punitive measures against Monaco unless it took action against money-laundering and tax-evasion. 2003 In parliamentary elections the opposition Union pour Monaco (UPM; Union for Monaco) defeated the previously dominant Union Nationale et Dmocratique (UND; National and Democratic Union), taking 21 of the 24 seats in the National Council.

[DrZeeLit]

26. People. People. I was sooo trying to be funny.

Actually, been to Monaco. Didn't like it. Left for Italy tres vite.

So, really don't care what happens to les Montequescues (probably spelled that wrong, but....)

[1monster]

27. Sorry, I meant to reply to post number 9.

:blush: My bad. :banghead: You can :spank: if you want. :hide:

[cmkramer]

29. That's no longer true

Prince Rainier changed the rules of succession so now Princess Caroline can succeed her brother, and her children can also succeed.

And even if it were still true, Albert could always adopt one of Caroline's children and make him -- or her -- his heir should he not have his own children.

[TankLV]

31. Indeed. Fuck all this royalty-worshippping shit going on here.

It makes me sick to see all this by supposed "democrats" here.

I could give a flying fuck what happens to all these leeches on society.

Boo fucking hoo - poor widdle princes and princesses.

Get a real job, do some real work.

They've had a charmed life of leisure and plenty when too many in this world, not to mention their own fucking "kingdom" go without.

Boo fucking hoo.

I'll waste my concern for those who really need and deserve it.

[Journeyman]

11. Reminds me of the old Ernest Hemingway observation. . .

"The rich," he said, "are very different from us."

To which F. Scott Fitzgerald quipped, "Yes, they have more money."

[oppositionmember]

15. Actually it was the other way around...

Fitzgerald said, Hemingway quipped.

[Journeyman]

25. You're right. . .

That should teach me something about posting at 3 in the morning. . .

[theHandpuppet]

12. Caroline -- the most stable and functioning of the family?

You've GOT to be kidding. Which family? Her brother seems to me to be the only one who is even halfway functional.

Pardon me if I seem heartless, but it's a bit difficult to muster up a pot of sympathy for a group of people who did not earn but were born to enormous privilege and squandered every opportunity they were given. (That includes the British royal family, too.) I'll save my tears for those in the world who are truly struggling for a plate of food, a decent place to live, and whose children face disease and starvation and homelessness every day... plus those whose wives and husbands die in unjust wars and end up in early graves by working themselves like plow animals.

[Snap]

14. Ding Ding Ding

The trials and tribulations of the spoiled rich, and get this, not common rich but nobility, no less. The Curse of the Grimaldis', give me a fucking break. The only reason I have the slightest interest is a childhood memory of Grace Kelly in "The Rear Window", a great beauty, upon which I imprinted my notions of what is a good looking woman. I feel sorry for the young boys who are now imprinting on Brittany Spears (she probably couldn't have been homecoming queen at my high school) and the Olson Twins, and Hillary Duff, and Camilla the Consort, who else? Now, Grace Kelly, Catherine Deneuve, Natalie Wood, Yeeow!

[FlaGranny]

18. I can have sympathy for them because

I KNOW most of them are dysfunctional and unhappy. Sure, they have money and prestige, but very few of them have happiness and joy. How many of them know the simple pleasure of weeding the garden and admiring the result, or of cleaning the house and sitting down afterwards with a sense of accomplishment and pleasure that the job is done. No - I'm NOT kidding. That's why so many of them have problems - no sense of personal accomplishment and self worth. In addition, having lots of money causes you to fear losing it and to distrust everyone, and not without cause. If you have wealth, there are always those who want to take it away from you.

[theHandpuppet]

19. But I'll bet you...

... that nary a one of them would give up their wealth, titles, or their servants for a taste of the "simple life". Conversely, their wealth and privilege gave them a unique opportunity to use both to further the causes of peace and prosperity around the world -- now there would have been something to satisfy a sense of real accomplishment. Instead, they have squandered every opportunity in a never-ending, self-pitying party of self-indulgence.

No shedding of tears from this quarter.

[Auntie Bush]

30. Well...they're much better than the Bush twins!

[FlaGranny]

32. I'm sure they wouldn't give it up.

I'm also sure that I do not envy them much. Not that it wouldn't be nice not to have to worry about paying the car mechanic or the electrician, but wealth is totally unnecessary for happiness. In fact, I believe it does the opposite for most people.

[CTyankee]

28. You are so right!

What a nice description. My feelings entirely.

[catnhatnh]

20. Heartfelt Sympathy????

...then in these politically correct days you might want to refer to what is acknowledged genetically linked disease as something other than "slightly shameful".I am an alcoholic and not even SLIGHTLY ashamed!

[Piperay]

10. Sad

to lose your father and possibly your husband within days of each other.

[Pool Hall Ace]

21. Even if they are stinking rich, I still feel bad for Caroline.

Remember, she has already buried one husband.

I wasn't aware she had had a fourth kid. I hope her older children are a source of strength and comfort for her.

[SillyGoose]

23. Wow - to lose a father and have this happen to a husband all in

the same week. That's a lot for anyone to go through. Very sad, my heart goes out to her.