Germany’s ousted royal family is threatening to remove treasures from museums unless they are handed a palace.
The Hohenzollerns, led by the great-great-grandson of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Georg Fredrich Ferdinand, are seeking the right to reside at the Cecilienhof Palace, along with the restitution of valuables and at least €1.2m in compensation.
They have spent seven year wrangling with the government over the 176-room palace, which was seized by the state after Wilhelm’s abdication in 1918.
The German government has said it would not be able to stop the Hohenzollerns from taking treasures they own – including the Prussian crown jewels – from museums, but said it would not help negotiations.
