The Rothschild family’s long-standing tradition of privacy has been disrupted by a legal dispute over a valuable art collection housed at the Chateau de Pregny, a lakeside property near Geneva owned by the wealthy family, The Guardian reported.
The dispute follows legal action initiated by Nadine de Rothschild, 93, widow of banker Edmond de Rothschild, who is seeking ownership of artworks and historic objects kept at the estate. Her move has drawn her into a court battle with her daughter-in-law, Ariane de Rothschild, 60, the current baroness and widow of Benjamin de Rothschild, who died in 2021.
According to court documents and public statements, the collection includes historic furniture and works by artists such as Goya, Rembrandt, Fragonard, El Greco and Boucher. The contents of the chateau have never been publicly catalogued, though, and access to the property remains restricted.
Nadine says her late husband bequeathed her a substantial portion of the collection. She has said she plans to place the artworks in a new museum in Geneva linked to the Edmond and Nadine de Rothschild Foundation. Ariane, however, maintains that the collection should remain intact at the family estate.
Her representatives argue that Nadine did not assert ownership claims until after her son’s death and therefore lacks a valid legal claim. Meanwhile, both sides have recorded partial court victories: Ariane failed to prevent Nadine from using Edmond de Rothschild’s name for her foundation. At the same time, Nadine lost the legal right to enter the chateau. However, a third lawsuit concerning ownership of the collection remains unresolved.
