Princess Caroline
The eldest child of Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly, Princess Caroline of Monaco and Hanover was born on January 23, 1957 in the Palace at Monaco. Since her birth she has been one of the most fascinating royals of the world today, as well as one of the most pursued by the press. Through it all, Caroline has begun to come into her own as the daughter of Princess Grace.
From her earliest years, Caroline was not like other royal children. Prince Rainier and Princess Grace attempted to give the children a more normal life than other royals, and in doing this seemed more indulgent to their children than other Europeans. The children were drilled less in having manners appropriate for royalty than in having a character free of selfishness. Caroline, in particular, was a more rambunctious child than her brother Albert. One of the nicknames her mother affectionately called her was "Caroline-Caline" or "Caroline my little cuddler." Caroline also did took part in activities familiar to many children, such as ballet lessons when she was five years old. However, being a Princess did have advantages, such as when Caroline met Sir Winston Churchill on an airplane flight. The young girl liked the great British Prime Minister so much that she bestowed him with the honor of holding her favorite doll, Poor Pitiful Pearl, through the rest of the flight. Princess Grace described Caroline as "gregarious, outgoing, terribly frustrated if she can't do something immediately and do it well."
Caroline's education began in the home with her brother when their parents hired Maureen King as a governess. Caroline was an excellent student and advanced later to the convent school Les Dames de St. Maur in Monaco. She showed an early interest in languages. As she grew older, the Princess was sent to boarding school at an English Catholic school near Ascot called St. Mary's. The Princess graduated in 1973. At the end of her years at St. Mary's, Caroline was able to speak French, English, Spanish, and German with varying degrees of competency (recently, in her new role as Princess of Hanover, Caroline has again begun studying German so she can have a better command of the language). Caroline played piano and flute, enjoying classical music but also having a taste for rock and pop. The Princess then moved to Paris for school at 16 years old, and was immediately besieged by the press. She became trapped with her mother and sister Princess Stephanie in Paris with the watchful eye of the press following her every move. As Caroline began attendance at the Ecole Libre des Sciences Politiques, she began to discover the nightlife of Paris. This led to a drop in her grades and a strain on her relationship with her mother. It was decided that Caroline needed to get out of Paris and the family decided Princeton University in the United States would suit Caroline well. She had plans to enroll in the fall of 1976.
Princess Caroline, however, never left Paris. That summer the Princess met international playboy Philippe Junot. Junot was 17 years older than the young Princess, and offered a much needed break from routine. Caroline refused to leave Paris and Junot that fall, instead entering the Sorbonne. Finally, Caroline expressed a wish to marry Junot, and her parents reluctantly consented. The couple were married and settled in Paris in 1978, where Caroline continued studies at the Sorbonne.
The marriage, however, was doomed from the start. Caroline wanted to start a family, while Junot was more interested in the nightlife of a bachelor. Yet it was a shock to Junot when Caroline informed him that she was filing for divorce in August 1980. Caroline emerged from the divorce a bit stronger and wiser for the experience. Yet one of the greatest tragedies in Caroline's life was the death of her mother. On September 13, 1982, Princess Grace drove her Range Rover over a cliff while driving from a family home in France to Monaco. .
Caroline had been in London when the accident took place, but flew home immediately when hearing of it. Grace died on September 14, 1982. Her children have since remained silent on the incident, including details leading up to it, but the grief and loss of the event have overshadowed their lives since that time.
Caroline, however, soon began picking up the pieces. On December 29, 1983 she married her second husband, Italian businessman Stefano Casiraghi. This marriage, unlike the marriage to Junot, was a success. Together the couple had three children: Andrea, born June 8, 1984, Charlotte, born August 3, 1986, and Pierre, born September 5, 1987. Like their father, these children have no titles, but in reality Andrea is third in line to the throne of Monaco after his mother and uncle Prince Albert. Yet her happiness ended in tragedy when Casiraghi was killed in a speedboat racing accident in 1990. Caroline was left alone to raise her three children.
After her husband's death, Caroline faded into the background through the early and mid-1990's. She moved to St.-Remy-de-Provence, France with her children, and became involved with French actor Vincent Lindon in 1990 after meeting him at a literary luncheon. Yet by 1995, the relationship was souring and gossip columns were again beginning to report on the increasing time the Princess was spending with Prince Ernst of Hanover. In 1996, rumors flared when Caroline appeared bald in photographs. However, it came out that this was due to a skin condition and was not serious.
Prince Ernst was married to Swiss heiress Chantal Hochuli at the time his relationship with Caroline began and is the father of two sons from that marriage: Prince Ernst August of Hanover, born July 19, 1983, and Prince Christian of Hanover, born in 1985. However, after his relationship with Caroline became public, his wife filed for divorce. It became final in September 1997. This left Ernst and Caroline free to build a relationship, and the couple was married in a surprise, low-key wedding on January 23, 1999. This was followed by another event-- on July 20, 1999 Caroline gave birth to a daughter, Princess Alexandra of Hanover, in Vöcklabruck, Austria. The child was her fourth and Ernst's third.
Princess Caroline's time in the spotlight has certainly not ended since her marriage and the birth of her daughter. Her eldest child, Andrea Casiraghi, is becoming a royal heartthrob often featured in magazines around the world, and her other children are not far behind. Like their mother, they too will be forced to learn how to live life in the eye of the media.
Prince Albert
Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre, Hereditary Prince of Monaco and Marquis of Baux, is the unassuming man on whom has been shouldered a great burden of responsibility. Born on March 14, 1958 to Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace of Monaco, he is the heir to the throne of the tiny Principality of Monaco on the Mediterranean. As such, he will one day lead Monaco, and his actions will play a crucial role in the future of his country.
Prince Albert began his early years under the supervision of English governess Maureen King with his sister Princess Caroline. In those early years, like today, Albert was known as more shy and quiet than his outgoing sister Caroline, and could be very sensitive toward others. The two siblings were very close and had no problems in their relationship beyond a few childhood squabbles. The two children began their education under the supervision of a tutor at their palace in Monaco, and then Albert moved on to a local school in Monaco. The Prince was a good student, but even then was known to be reserved, self-controlled, and aware of his future as ruler of Monaco. At home the life of the Prince was dictated by routine and characterized by the love of his parents, who did not wish to have their children raised by governesses as was common during the period. The parents taught the children to be kind and considerate of others and not to take advantage of their royal status.
Albert soon moved on secondary school at Lycee Albert I in Monaco. At school he began to overcome some of his shyness, and participated on the school's cross country team. He also spent time in the United States during his teenage years, attending Camp Tecumseh in New Hampshire, USA and showing his athletic prowess there by winning swimming and fencing medals. He also became known for his sense of humor during these years. He eventually graduated from Lycee Albert I in 1976.
Though many American universities such as Princeton were considered for Prince Albert's higher education, the Prince finally decided on a smaller liberal arts college in Massachusetts, Amherst College. At Amherst, the young Prince was popular with fellow students, making them forget his royal status. Albert, who had been raised bilingual in English and French, fit in easily at college. As a Catholic, the Prince attended mass on Sundays, and like most students had a messy room. Albert had an active social life. He was a member of Amherst's soccer team and the Amherst College Glee Club as a baritone. He studied subjects including political science, economics, psychology, English literature, art history, anthropology, geology, philosophy, sociology, German, and music. On May 30, 1981, he recieved a degree in Political Science.
After college, Albert spent a short time in the French Navy as a second grade sub-lieutenant, serving aboard the helicopter carrier "Jeanne d'Arc." Today the Prince is a first grade sub-lieutenant. He then began receiving practical work experience as an intern for Morgan Guaranty Trust of New York, which ended in 1984 after he had served at the bank's Paris branch..
When Princess Grace drove off a cliff in France on September 13, 1983, Albert was with his father at the Roc Agel home in France and rushed to the hospital in Monaco where Princess Grace and Princess Stephanie were taken to. The Prince was there to say goodbye when his mother died the next day. Albert, who had been very close to his mother, has always been private about his grief, along with the rest of the family. Yet it undoubtedly shaped the course of his future.
The Prince's life since his mother's death has been characterized first by a series of internships with international businesses and then by increasing duties as the heir to Monaco's throne. In 1983 Albert interned at Moet-Hennessy, an international company based in Paris. The Prince explored the world of law in 1985, when he was an intern in New York, USA at Rogers and Wells, a law firm.
The Prince plays an important role in Monaco. For example, in 1993 Albert was President of Monaco's first member delegation to the United Nations. In the same year he also became president of Monaco's Olympic Committee. His charity positions include President of the Monaco Red Cross, Vice-President of the Princess Grace USA Foundation, President of the Monegasque Swimming Federation, President of the Monaco Yacht Club, Honorary President of the Friends of Opera Association in Monaco, and patron of many other charities. In 1988 he got together a project to build a free health center in Nigeria for the poor of that nation. He also spends increasing amounts of time with his father in government affairs, preparing to assume the sovereignity of Monaco.
Albert is also known to be a keen sportsman. He created and participated in Monaco's national soccer team, the "Barbagiuans." He also competed in the Olympic Games on Monaco's bobsleding team, not once, but three times-- in Calgary, Albertville, and Lillehammer. He also enjoys a wide variety of other sports, including handball, swimming, tennis, sailing, skiing, squash, fencing, and rowing. He is also a judo black belt.
Despite being the heir to Monaco's throne, Prince Albert has avoided the scandal known to plague his sisters. Though his moves are constantly watched by the tabloids and he has been seen with Hollywood starlets and international supermodels, Albert seems to be unaffected by his own status and the constant talk of marriage surrounding him. Though Albert isn't afraid to have fun, he is also aware of the heavy responsibilities that will fall on his shoulders when his father abdicates or dies. Yet this is nothing new for Prince Albert of Monaco; he's been living with this all his life.
Princess Stephanie
One of the world's most well-known royals, Princess Stephanie Marie Elisabeth of Monaco has rocked her family with continuous scandal, but has also shown herself to be one of the most resourceful members of Monaco's royal family. Time after time, Stephanie has bounced back from the brink of disaster to re-shape her image and become one of the most watched women in the world.
Princess Stephanie was born on February 1, 1965 at her family's palace in Monaco where her elder siblings had entered the world. Stephanie's early years were much like those of the previous royal children, with Maureen King as governess and nanny, and a well-ordered, structured life. Even at this age, though, Stephanie exhibited some of the traits that have secured her reputation today; she was very stubborn and often wanted things her way. Her mother, Princess Grace, said about spanking her, "I could have beaten her like a gong without making her give way." Yet Stephanie was also known to be a loving child that could win over the hearts of those around her.
Stephanie began school at the same convent school her sister had attended in Monaco, Les Dames de St.-Maur on the Rock. Stephanie's forte at school was art, and it could be said that she had an artistic temprament-- impulsive and passionate in what she did. Stephanie also took ballet lessons and was a huge fan of gymnastics. Yet Stephanie's life would be impacted by the events in the life of her sister Caroline. When Caroline, at school in Paris, began having problems with the press, it was decided that Princess Grace and Stephanie would move to Paris to help Caroline.
As Stephanie got older and the problems with Caroline subsided, the young princess began to have her own issues to deal with. Stephanie, still in Paris with her mother, had things much easier than her two elder siblings. She changed schools twice-- from a strict Catholic school to a liberal Catholic school to Charles-de-Foucauld, a secular private school in a town near Paris. Stephanie was determined to have things her way, and didn't even attend the ball after her sister Caroline's wedding because that would have required her to wear a dress. Yet Stephanie was devoted to her mother and the two were close.
Stephanie finished high school in 1982, but was not interested in following her siblings to a higher education. Instead, she considered becoming an intern at the fashion house Dior, since she had a flair for clothes design. Yet fate would interrupt her plans on September 13, 1982. That morning, Stephanie got in a car with her mother, Princess Grace, for a drive from the family's home in France to Monaco. Driving along the cliffs toward Monaco, however, Grace suddenly and inexplicably drove off a cliff. The first person helped out of the car was Princess Stephanie, who told those around her who she was and asked for help, which was promtly given. Seeing her family at the hospital in Monaco, Stephanie was hysterical, but had luckily escaped serious injury with only a fractured vertabrae. Yet her mother, with severe head trauma, died the next day on September 14, 1982. Only Princess Stephanie has a clear idea of what happened in that car that day, but she has since remained silent on the issue, leaving the cause of the accident a mystery.
Since the death of her mother, Stephanie has had a very turbulent private life. She has been a fashion designer, swimsuit model, recording artist, and business owner in her adult life, even launching her own fragrance in 1989. Her boyfriends have included a race car, Hollywood actors, businessmen, and others. Yet it was her personal bodyguard, Daniel Ducruet, that caused some of the worst scandal Stephanie has ever dealt with. In 1991, romance blossomed between the two, and Stephanie became pregnant by her bodyguard. She gave birth to her son Louis on November 26, 1992, who was followed by Pauline Grace on May 4, 1994. Finally, after the births of both children, Stephanie secured permission from her father to marry Ducruet on July 1, 1995. The prenuptual agreement stripped Ducret of custody rights to any of his children. This proved to be wise when only two months after the couple's first anniversary, Ducruet was caught on camera with a cabaret singer and the marriage ended.
Since her divorce, Stephanie remained low key until it was announced that she would have another child out of wedlock. Camille Marie Kelly was indeed born on July 15, 1998, but Stephanie refused to announce the name of the father. Since then, however, it has been said that the child's father is Jean Raymond Gottlieb, another former bodyguard to the Princess and boyfriend. He was there for the birth of the child. It seems, however, that Stephanie is determined to raise the children by herself. She is known as a devoted mother.
Princess Stephanie has managed to keep the Monaco royals in the spotlight with her problems and antics. Yet this vulnerable woman, like many, still seems to be searching for the path in her life without a mother to help and guide her. Through it all, however, Stephanie manages to keep the rebellious spirit that has always pulled her through.
Most of the information for this page has come from the book Grace of Monaco: An Interpretive Biography by Steven Englund, as well as other sources. If anyone has more information to add or any suggestions to make, I am always willing to hear them! Thanks!
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