Swedish prince attacked outside nightclub

CANNES, France, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Swedish Prince Carl Philip said he was attacked outside a French nightclub during the weekend and "this is an incident that we want to handle privately."

Carl Philip was attacked by an unknown assailant as he was leaving the Baoli nightclub in Cannes around 3 a.m. Saturday, The Local.se reported.

"It's been an emotional and overwhelming experience. We feel fine considering the circumstances, but this is an incident that we want to handle privately," the prince, 33, told the Aftonbladet newspaper.

A video of the incident surfaced on the Internet. The prince is seen being hit several time while held in a headlock. Carl Philip's girlfriend, Sofia Hellqvist, is also seen in the video, trying to diffuse the situation.

"We had a pleasant night with our nearest and dearest. When we were leaving, Carl Philip was attacked by a stranger," Hellqvist told Aftonbladet, dismissing the notion that the assailant was possibly an acquaintance.

The Royal Court said the incident will not affect the prince's schedule and is being investigated.

"We're considering how we can proceed with a possible lawsuit. This will be decided this week," said Royal Court press representative Bertil Ternert.