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Scottish Sun
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Royal fury over fake German prince who met King Charles after using legal loophole to gain access to high society
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FAKE German prince who has met King Charles has sparked fury among real royals. His Serene Highness Dr Donatus, Prince of Hohenzollern, has spent the past 20 years using his title to access high society in Britain. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Dr Donatus, Prince of Hohenzollern, has spent the past 20 years using his title to access high society in Britain Credit: Dan Charity 4 In a video released by Donatus, in the background there's a framed photo of him and King Charles together Credit: Dan Charity 4 Donatus, circled, at the Royal College of Music with the King But despite his claims to be descended from a royal dynasty, in reality he is a low-born music teacher called Markus Hänsel. It's understood Donatus, 64, paid to be adopted by a minor royal in the House of Hohenzollern at the age of 42, taking advantage of a law loophole in Germany. The real Prince of Hohenzollern, Karl Friedrich, the head of the House of Hohenzollern, blasted the imposter. He told The Sun: 'It makes me angry and frustrated, it leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth. 'Donatus is not my blood, he is not a member of the German royal family, he is simply a non-royal name bearer. 'He certainly cannot use the moniker of Serene Highness.' And European nobility expert Bearn Bilker insisted: 'Donatus is indeed the fake prince.' Donatus is connected to a number of top music organisations and charities alongside King Charles and the Duke of Kent. He became Chairman of the Friends of the English Chamber Orchestra and is also ambassador of The Purcell School for Young Musicians, in Bushey, Herts, Charles is a patron of both. Humiliating moment Harry poses with Z-list German 'fake prince' dubbed King of Trash TV who starred in show Travel Boobs Donatus is a member of the International Board of Governors of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, of which the Duke of Kent is patron, and also Creative Benefactor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. And he's formerly a Principal Supporter of the Royal College of Music in London and founding patron of the Royal College of Music Prince Consort Orchestra. In an online video Donatus talks from his Surrey home about his charity work and in the background there's a framed photo of him and Charles together. He is also seen in a video at the Royal College of Music with the King. Prince Karl, a direct descendant of German emperor Wilhelm I, said he first found out about Donatus' bogus claims more than a decade ago. 4 The real Prince of Hohenzollern, Karl Friedrich Credit: Dan Charity He told The Sun: 'I wrote to Donatus and said I know all the members of my family but I hadn't heard of him. He wrote back and said, 'yes I have been adopted by your aunt Katharina'. 'I then spoke to my aunt and she told me, 'yes well, he offered me such an amount of money I couldn't resist'. She was always short of money. 'There's nothing we as a family can do.' It's understood Donatus was adopted by Katharina Feodora, Princess of Hohenzollern in around 2003. Three years later he married Dr Viola Hallman, heiress of the Theis steel business, who became Dr Viola Christa, Princess of Hohenzollern. They lived in a castle in Haelen, the Netherlands. Viola died of cancer in 2012. We don't like somebody bringing the family name into a bad light Prince Karl Mr Bilker exposed the couple's dodgy royal standing in the Dutch media in 2007. He said: 'Princess Katharina adopted this man. He paid a lot of money. We see such awkward facts only in Germany. 'Donatus claims to be a real prince but that is not the case.' 'Fake prince' Mr Bilker said the name Prince (Prinz) is a name under German law, not a title. He added: 'Donatus is well aware of these facts. Donatus, born in Germany in 1961, used to be a music teacher. After getting a doctorate in Catholic theology in Frankfurt, he later self-published several books under the name Dr Markus von Hänsel-Hohenhausen. He first appeared in the UK in 2007 when he bought a £975,000 annexed section of a manor house on a private estate in Surrey. He drives a Bentley convertible with a personalised number plate, takes his blind dog, Alexis, for country walks and helps out with local music groups. Donatus admits he was adopted by Princess Katharina, but said it was wrong to call him a 'fake prince'. Speaking in the third person in an email he said: 'Donatus has the same legal rank and rights represented in Germany's family law as Karl Friedrich of Hohenzollern, who does not have the authority to speak on behalf of all the members of the family,' He also says he 'financially supports' his 'mother'. Prince Karl said he is seeking legal advice and insisted: 'We don't like somebody bringing the family name into a bad light. 'It's obvious he doesn't know me and the history of the Swabian branch of the Hohenzollerns. He's an uninformed man. 'He is not a member of the royal house of Hohenzollern.'
The Irish Sun
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Royal fury over fake German prince who met King Charles after using legal loophole to gain access to high society
A FAKE German prince who has met King Charles has sparked fury among real royals. His Serene Highness Dr Donatus, Prince of Hohenzollern, has spent the past 20 years using his title to access high society in Britain. 4 Dr Donatus, Prince of Hohenzollern, has spent the past 20 years using his title to access high society in Britain Credit: Dan Charity 4 In a video released by Donatus, in the background there's a framed photo of him and King Charles together Credit: Dan Charity 4 Donatus, circled, at the Royal College of Music with the King But despite his claims to be descended from a royal dynasty, in reality he is a low-born music teacher called Markus Hänsel. It's understood Donatus, 64, paid to be adopted by a minor royal in the House of Hohenzollern at the age of 42, taking advantage of a law loophole in The real Prince of Hohenzollern, Karl Friedrich, the head of the House of Hohenzollern, blasted the imposter. He told The Sun: 'It makes me angry and frustrated, it leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth. READ MORE ON ROYALS 'Donatus is not my blood, he is not a member of the German royal family, he is simply a non-royal name bearer. 'He certainly cannot use the moniker of Serene Highness.' And European nobility expert Bearn Bilker insisted: 'Donatus is indeed the fake prince.' Donatus is connected to a number of top music organisations and charities alongside King Charles and the Duke of Kent. Most read in Royals He became Chairman of the Friends of the English Chamber Orchestra and is also ambassador of The Purcell School for Young Musicians, in Bushey, Herts, Charles is a patron of both. Humiliating moment Harry poses with Z-list German 'fake prince' dubbed King of Trash TV who starred in show Travel Boobs Donatus is a member of the International Board of Governors of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, of which the Duke of Kent is patron, and also Creative Benefactor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. And he's formerly a Principal Supporter of the Royal College of Music in London and founding patron of the Royal College of Music Prince Consort Orchestra. In an online video Donatus talks from his Surrey home about his charity work and in the background there's a framed photo of him and Charles together. He is also seen in a video at the Royal College of Music with the King. Prince Karl, a direct descendant of German emperor Wilhelm I, said he first found out about Donatus' bogus claims more than a decade ago. 4 The real Prince of Hohenzollern, Karl Friedrich Credit: Dan Charity He told The Sun: 'I wrote to Donatus and said I know all the members of my family but I hadn't heard of him. He wrote back and said, 'yes I have been adopted by your aunt Katharina'. 'I then spoke to my aunt and she told me, 'yes well, he offered me such an amount of money I couldn't resist'. She was always short of money. 'There's nothing we as a family can do.' It's understood Donatus was adopted by Katharina Feodora, Princess of Hohenzollern in around 2003. Three years later he married Dr Viola Hallman, heiress of the Theis steel business, who became Dr Viola Christa, Princess of Hohenzollern. They lived in a castle in Haelen, the Netherlands. Viola died of cancer in 2012. We don't like somebody bringing the family name into a bad light Prince Karl Mr Bilker exposed the couple's dodgy royal standing in the Dutch media in 2007. He said: 'Princess Katharina adopted this man. He paid a lot of money. We see such awkward facts only in 'Donatus claims to be a real prince but that is not the case.' 'Fake prince' Mr Bilker said the name Prince (Prinz) is a name under German law, not a title. He added: 'Donatus is well aware of these facts. Donatus, born in After getting a doctorate in Catholic theology in Frankfurt, he later self-published several books under the name Dr Markus von Hänsel-Hohenhausen. He first appeared in the UK in 2007 when he bought a £975,000 annexed section of a manor house on a private estate in Surrey. He drives a Bentley convertible with a personalised number plate, takes his blind dog, Alexis, for country walks and helps out with local music groups. Donatus admits he was adopted by Princess Katharina, but said it was wrong to call him a 'fake prince'. Speaking in the third person in an email he said: 'Donatus has the same legal rank and rights represented in Germany's family law as Karl Friedrich of Hohenzollern, who does not have the authority to speak on behalf of all the members of the family,' He also says he 'financially supports' his 'mother'. Prince Karl said he is seeking legal advice and insisted: 'We don't like somebody bringing the family name into a bad light. 'It's obvious he doesn't know me and the history of the Swabian branch of the Hohenzollerns. He's an uninformed man. 'He is not a member of the royal house of Hohenzollern.'
Time Out
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Kurt Cobain's $6 million guitar is going on display in London for the first time
A piece of bona fide rock history is coming to London next month. Kurt Cobain's acoustic guitar – which is the most expensive guitar ever sold and was apparently the last guitar he ever played – is going on display in the capital. The guitar will be part of an exhibition titled 'Kurt Cobain Unplugged' at the museum of the Royal College of Music (RCM – which was recently crowned the world's best place to study music), and it'll feature alongside Cobain's mothy old cardigan, which he wore for his legendary MTV Unplugged performance. The exhibition will mark a few 'firsts'. It'll be the first time the guitar has gone on display in Europe, and it'll be the first time that it's gone on show alongside Cobain's battered olive-green mohair cardigan. Curated by American rock journalist Alan di Perna and the RCM's Gabriele Rossi Rognoni, the exhibition will also feature Nirvana memorabilia, including gig posters and collectible vinyl. Kurt Cobain's acoustic guitar is a Martin D-18E which he modified to be played left-handed. According to Courtney Love, it was the last guitar Kurt Cobain ever played. After being passed down to Kurt's daughter Frances Bean Cobain then given to her ex-husband in a divorce settlement, in 2020 it went up for auction and was bought by Australian businessman Peter Freedman for a whopping $6 million (£4.54 million). Freedman has loaned it to the RCM for this exhibition, which will open on June 3. Tickets are on sale now for £5, and you can buy them here.
Times
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Professor Peter Bassano obituary: Trombonist on Hey Jude
Peter Bassano spent almost three decades as a trombonist with the London Philharmonia Orchestra and served almost as long as a professor at the Royal College of Music. Yet the best-paid gig of his career came in August 1968 when he was still a student and got a call to turn up with his trombone one evening for a three-hour recording session at Trident studios in London's Soho. 'We weren't told what it was but then George Martin arrived and I realised it was a Beatles session,' he recalled. Martin told Bassano and the other 35 members of the ad hoc orchestra that they were required to play four notes in the coda of Hey Jude. According to Norman Sheffield, the studio's owner, several
The Guardian
04-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Survival and stoicism: stories of women born before the second world war
As a way of maintaining contact with my elderly neighbours during the Covid restrictions of 2020, we set up a project where each person held up a card showing the age they felt inside. From their life stories, a new idea formed in my mind. This is a generation of women who had experienced first-hand the impact of war on the domestic front, who had been evacuated to strangers across the country, not seeing their parents for months on end. Maybe these experiences created a different mindset; a resilience and stoicism, where the self is less important than being part of a community. To the question 'how are you today?', the reply is invariably: 'Oh, you know, I have my moments, but you've just got to get on with it, haven't you?' Ruby was four when she was sent to relatives in Somerset. She remembers crying for her mother at school and one of the teachers comforting her by sharing her cup of Bovril. She was terrified of the German bombers flying overhead and she hated having to put her gas mask over her face. There was always the tangible fear of an imminent German invasion. Food was very scarce. She finds what keeps her from decrepitude is being as mentally and physically active as possible, walking everywhere, using the stairs, and volunteering at a hospice. Norma was born in the East End of London to a British father and a mother who had come to England from Lithuania at the age of four. Norma's family moved from London to Middlesex when the East End was bombed. She remembers all the school desks being lined up in the corridors for easy evacuation into the shelters under Harrow on the Hill. After the war she won a scholarship to the Royal College of Music, but now, owing to poor eyesight, she prefers to listen rather to play. She practises ashtanga yoga every day, as she has done for nearly 40 years. Annie was evacuated from Moseley to a Welsh-language boarding school at the age of seven. She didn't go home again but stayed with her eccentric grandmother, going on to train as a nurse. Annie lives in sheltered housing in Birmingham and has introduced the ritual of a pre-dinner vodka and tonic to all the other residents. Fran was evacuated from Swindon to her grandmother's farm in Wales at the start of the war. Her mother stayed behind to nurse the servicemen returning from Dunkirk, while her father, an aeronautical engineer worked at secret locations building Spitfires. After teaching all her working life, Fran bought her own farm in an idyllic corner of Cornwall where she breeds Dexter cows. Patricia was evacuated from Hackney to her grandparents in Barrow-in-Furness in 1939. There was no electricity (she used to read at night with a candlestick on her pillow) nor was there an inside toilet or bathroom. She remembers getting dressed in her Sunday best to go to the seaside. Her grandmother would bring homemade bread, 'holding the loaf under one arm and sawing at it with a sharp knife'. They returned to London after the war to find their house intact. Irena was born in Lviv, then in Poland (now Ukraine). When she was two her family were taken to a labour camp, while her father was captured by the Russians and sent to Siberia. She and her mother survived but everyone else in the family, including her seven-year-old sister, were murdered. When the Americans arrived they could not believe anyone was still alive as everyone 'looked like corpses'. A soldier called Steve helped them get to a refugee camp in Italy before they reached England to be reunited with her father. 'My mother was the heroine in all of this, I'm just a survivor,' Irena said. In 1939, Christabel, her five sisters and their nanny were sent from Kensington to the Sussex farm where she still lives today. Among the nanny's jobs was to look after the pigs, while the girls milked the cow and grew vegetables. There was no electricity or sanitation and water had to be drawn from a well. Christabel breeds British white cattle, which roam freely around the house and all have names beginning with P. Camille's London street was bombed, scattering shards of glass over her baby brother in his cot. He was unhurt but the family moved to the Midlands while her father stayed behind as an air raid warden searching at night for injured people amid the rubble and burning buildings. Camille was widowed last year and is preparing to go to France to be near her children. Caroline's house in Surrey was on the flight path to London and she remembers the roar of enemy bombers overhead. There were Jeeps along the A24 as they prepared for the D-day landings. She would see Italian prisoners being taken by lorry to nearby farms, shouting and waving as they passed. Her mother drove an ambulance and her father was an air raid warden, going round the London streets assisting firefighters after the bombings. They took in refugees, and one family stands out in her memory: they arrived covered in black dust having escaped from Naples in a coal barge. In spite of all this, she remembers a carefree, happy childhood. Eve is from Liverpool where she trained as a midwife and district nurse, cycling everywhere to visit patients' houses 'with our Gladstone bags full of bandages and sterilising equipment, ready for anything'. When their house was destroyed, Eve and her sister were sent to live with an aunt in the country. Her budgie, Joey, somehow survived the bombing, chirping for many more years. There were dairies situated at the edge of the city; cows had been brought down from the dales and it was a common sight to see them being driven up the lanes to graze every evening. Beryl was evacuated from Catford at the start of the war. She remembers sitting in a field with lots of other children waiting to be taken to the countryside. She ended up with a young couple in Kent called Ida and Stan. Stan worked in a paper mill and Ida would cycle down every day to bring him his sandwiches. She can still picture Stan in his shed and Ida in the kitchen cooking wonderful food. Beryl has 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren to whom she is very close. Gill grew up near Oxford, which was spared enemy bombings; it was thought that Hitler intended to have it as his base after he invaded. Her mother took over the family greengrocers, making sure those in need didn't go hungry. Gill remembers cycling up to her grandmother's pub, which was always full of American troops giving out chewing gum and chocolate. Lindsay is from Essex. Her mother died of rheumatic fever in her 20s and she never knew her father. Her nan took her to live with her in Worthing, where Lindsay trained as a dancer. She worked in a munitions factory in Reading. One day when she was walking home, a German aircraft shot at her and she had to throw herself behind the sea wall. She married Fred, a Canadian, in 1943 but he returned home after a few years. She met her third husband, 88-year-old Maxwell from Whitechapel, 10 years ago on a bus and they share a love of dancing. Michiko was born in Kobe, Japan, and as a young interpreter met Jeremy, an English officer, at a party. They went on have four children before Jeremy left them to go back to London. Her father-in-law insisted that the family come to England. She lives in a converted railway carriage on the south coast and only stopped driving last year when the police impounded her car. Quietly Getting On was selected for the Taylor Wessing portrait prize at the National Portrait Gallery 2022, and shortlisted for the Julia Margaret Cameron prize and the Royal Photographic Society's International Photography exhibition.
