In the latest public scandal to afflict one of Germany’s most prominent aristocratic families, the Canadian-born wife of Germany’s Carl-Eduard Graf von Bismarck has sued him for $3.4 million in unpaid child support.
Born in Montreal, designer Nathalie Bariman married into the Bismarck family in 2004 after a period of rather intense pursuit by the German nobleman.
The Canadian’s Jewish heritage, in particular, was seen as a milestone in German history.
“You two have united history … the next Prince of Bismarck will be a mix of both religions,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel is said to have told the couple at a function.
Their whirlwind seven-year marriage included living at Germany’s picturesque Friedrichsruh Castle, opening an upscale hair salon for children in New York, and having Nathalie featured on the cover of a New York glamour magazine as the “modern contessa.”