Prince Hulbertus von Hohenlohe – his name might sound German, but he’s actually Mexican. But he’s also a German prince. Confused? Let’s start again.
Prince Hulbertus was born in Mexico in 1959, to Prince Alfonso and Princess Ira of the reigning dynasty of a former German county. The German prince and Mexican citizen is often known to people by his nickname – ‘Royal Disaster’.
Over the years, the prince has been in the news for all strangest reasons. The latest – he’s formed a one-man Alpine Skiing Team for the Winter Olympics in Sochi. He plans to represent Mexico and win the title of ‘king of the hill’. Not for his skiing talents of course, but for his bizarre outfit.
Photo: Mexican Olympic Committee
The one-of-a-kind Mariachi-themed racing suit that the prince will be spotted in is an odd choice for a skiing outfit. But one thing’s for sure – you can’t miss him in that black-and-red ensemble over the backdrop of white snow. Which is perhaps the sort of attention that he’s aiming for. “It’s an appropriate suit for someone who’s not as explosive as the young ones,” he remarked.
Video clips on YouTube show Prince Hulbertus (who sort of reminds me of Professor Lockhart of the Harry Potter series) posing for photographs next to the Olympics logo, in his brand new suit. It is quite well-fitting, I must say, exposing a slightly protruding midriff. And he appears to be very pleased with himself, adding to the comical effect.
Photo: Mexican Olympic Committee
The Prince, who spent most of his childhood in Austria where he leant to ski, is also a singer, musician and photographer. He is known to record music under the name ‘Andy Himalaya’. His 2013 music video titled ‘Higher than Mars’, features him crooning away at the center of a pool, dressed in a yellow jacket and orange pants. He even does a bit of rap. Facepalm much?
This happens to be the seventh Olympics event in which Prince Hulbertus is making an appearance. “The fact that I have a span of 30 years where I’ve competed at the Olympics is special,” he said. He is now being referred to as the ‘most interesting Olympian’. He’s also the ‘second-oldest Olympian’ in history. In the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, he wore a racing suit that featured bandoliers and pistols. “The main thing was looking good. I won,” he had said at the time.
Photo: Mexican Olympic Committee
Although the prince doesn’t spend much time in Mexico, he’s taken the liberty to fashion his current outfit after the nation’s folk music form. In fact, he has expressed pride over representing the nation of his birth. “In life you have a couple of opportunities and openings,” he said. “And one of them was that I was born in Mexico. Sure, I used it to my favor. But not in an abusive way. You try to find that little thing that makes a difference, and take advantage of them. I took advantage of it.”
In fact, the prince actually believes he’s doing Mexico a favor. “I’ve also created a lot of publicity in European countries for Mexico. When people are sitting in their houses in Sweden, thinking how cold it is, they think, ‘Wow, this guy is from Mexico. Maybe I should go to Cancun or Acapulco to visit it.’ I’ve done a lot for the country too. It’s give and take.”
Somehow, I don’t get the feeling that’s exactly true. I think, when people are sitting in their homes, cold, they’re thinking, “Wow, is this guy for real?”
Sources: The Republic, The Big Lead
