The Royal House of Romania is going through a difficult period.

A scandal broke out on Tuesday evening, November 7, when Nicolae Medforth-Mills (picture, right), the disinherited grandson of King Michael I (picture, left), allegedly tried to force his way into his grandfather's home in Switzerland, according to an official statement of the Royal House. The King’s health has worsened in the last few days, and Nicolae said he just wanted to see him.

The incident took place one hour after King Michael received Eucharist from bishop Iosif, the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Western Europe. The Eucharist is similar to the Catholic last rites, or prayers meant to prepare a dying person's soul for death.

The Royal House of Romania announced through a press release that Nicolae Medforth-Mills tried to enter into King Michael’s private residence by “forcing the door of the house”. It also said that the King’s grandson "physically and verbally assaulted" three staff members, leaving one of the employees with body injuries.

“His Majesty made it clear for several months that he refuses to see his grandson, which he had repeatedly told Mr. Medforth-Mills as well,” reads the Royal House's press release. The Royal House also said it has filed a complaint with the Swiss police.

In a response to the Royal House’s statement, Nicolae Medforth-Mills said in a Facebook post that he is “deeply saddened” and doesn’t understand “the aggressiveness of the Royal House” in keeping him from seeing his grandfather and discredit his image.

“I will not be a part of this dirty game. I will choose to respect my grandfather in these difficult moments, because this is the proper and Christian thing to do,” reads the Facebook post.

He also said that he went to King Michael’s residence just to see him and say a last goodbye in case his grandfather’s condition is very bad.

Her Royal Highness Princess Elena, Nicolae's mother, also reacted to the scandal, saying that she was very disappointed and worried about Nicolae’s actions. “By his behavior in the past days, Nicholas disregarded the intimacy, suffering, and dignity of my father, King Michael.”

She said that she had previously told Nicolae that the King didn’t want to see him because of “his lack of moral principles.”

“Even the King, receiving the news of my son's marriage, told Nicolae in a private letter on August 4, 2017 that he was deeply saddened that Nicolae had done nothing to clarify the paternity of his alleged child, a girl of nearly two years. This shows an unacceptable lack of responsibility,” Princess Elena said in a press release issued by the Royal House.

She ended the statement: “Nicolae’s actions these days are profoundly wrong, morally and humanly. My son has shown contempt for Romania, its people and the principles of the Royal House. For me, as a mother, this is devastating.”

Nicolae was third in the succession line to Romania's throne, but King Michael decided to withdraw his royal title as Prince of Romania in August 2015. Royal House representatives said at that time that King Michael made his decision thinking about the future, after observing his grandson’s behavior in public and in private, and that Prince Nicolae had agreed to this decision.

King Michael, Romania’s last monarch, celebrated his 96th birthday on October 25. Unfortunately, the Royal House announced late last week that his Majesty’s “general state of health has worsened considerably, with a significant decline in his physical strength.”

King Michael withdrew from public life in 2016 after being diagnosed with cancer. He passed the responsibility of representing the Romanian Royal House on to Princess Margareta. The 96-year-old monarch has a private residence in Switzerland, which he shared with his wife, Anne of Bourbon-Parma, until she passed away in 2016.

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Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Nicolae de Roumanie Medforth Mills - Nepotul Regelui on Facebook)