Red Cross Ball

 Last Friday (yes, I'm behind a little) was the annual Red Cross ball in the Principality of Monaco, one of the major charitable events of the year hosted by the Princely Family. This year the entertainment was provided by Eros Ramazzotti and, as usual, the Princely couple cut a fine figure on the dance floor.

HSH Princess Charlene was looking good in blue, a good color for a swimmer

HSH Princess Charlene, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover, the three biggest names on the scene without question

Palace Drops Support for Film

The upcoming film "Grace of Monaco" has been creating a great deal of buzz and, previously, seemed to have the full support of the Princely Family with TSH Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene even attending the U.S. Academy Awards last year to draw attention to the film and the late, beloved Princess Grace, herself an Oscar-winner as I'm sure everyone knows. However, all of that seems to have changed and whatever support the House of Grimaldi had for the film has been withdrawn. A statement from the Princely Palace, endorsed by HSH Prince Albert II, HRH Princess Caroline and HSH Princess Stephanie said that the Princely Family was not endorsing the film, that it is not a biopic, was overly glamorized and contained many falsehoods about the family and the Principality of Monaco. They stress it is "purely fictional". Those behind the film said that the Palace had, in the past, made some suggestions related to the film, including corrections about certain people and historical events but admitted that they paid little attention to what the Palace told them and more or less made it clear that truth and accuracy is not their primary goal in making this movie about Princess Grace.

Considering how supportive the Grimaldis seemed to be in the past toward the film, this came as a surprise to me. However, perhaps it should not be as the time period the film is focused on; when relations between France and Monaco were extremely tense over French citizens relocating to Monaco to avoid taxes and when Princess Grace was invited back into the movie business by her former director (and admirer) Alfred Hitchcock. It is a sensitive period to look at it and, perhaps, it should not be surprising that filmmakers would disregard the truth and the wishes of the family in an effort to make an even more dramatic story. That is quite normal, however, speaking for myself, I am far less interested in seeing this movie if it is just going to be another carbon-copy Hollywood drama rather than the real story of what actually happened to Princess Grace in Monaco at that time.

Grimaldi Days

It has been 'all hands on deck' for Monaco at the 35th International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo. Princely fiance Charlene Wittstock was just on hand with HSH Prince Albert II for the awards ceremony at the Big Top in Fontvieille.

HSH Princess Stephanie of Monaco was, of course, also attending as was daughter Pauline Ducruet. Also close at hand were Grimaldi cousins Keith Sebastian Knecht and Laetitia de Massy Brouwer. Over the past week Pierre Casiraghi and long-time girlfriend Beatrice Borromeo appeared on the scene, with Beatrice starting to look more like just another girlfriend these days. Pierre's uncle Marco Casiraghi was also spotted as was little Princess Alexandra of Hanover but none of these returned for the awards ceremony.

Princess Caroline was not to be seen, but that is no surprise. The circus has always been more the domain of Princess Stephanie and, in any event, Princess Caroline had other business to attend to. On Thursday she was in Brussels for a charity luncheon organized by her foundation AMADE to raise money for orphans in Burundi. Several members of the Belgian Royal Family also attended the event (Burundi was formerly a Belgian colony) and announced their own support for the project "AMADE Burundi" which was launched by Princess Caroline in cooperation with sister Stephanie's charity Fight AIDS Monaco. Charlotte Casiraghi also commanded a great deal of attention when she appeared a couple days ago sitting with Kate Moss at a lingerie fashion show by Etam at Paris Fashion Week.

Family fun at the circus, helping the less fortunate and high society glamor all in the week or so, which pretty well sums up the Princely Family of Monaco and what they do.

Charlene Joins Christmas Traditions

For the first time, Princess-to-be Charlene Wittstock joined the Grimaldi siblings for the traditional gift giving to the children of Monaco. At the Christmas party at the palace Charlene joined husband-to-be Prince Albert II and future in-laws Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie in handing out presents. Afterwards the Princely Family was treated to a round of Christmas carols by the grateful children. The young Monegasque seemed quite at ease with Charlene and she with them, it was all smiles all around and Charlene seemed to be in her element. During all the prep work for her future "job" as princess, I would say that occasions like this are what there should be more of and interviews such as she had in the past are what there should be less of. Of course this was hardly a difficult occasion, and there is no better way to gain popularity at Christmas time than handing out gifts to children, and there was Prince Albert, Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie to give support. However, events such as this, alongside the rest of the family, is a good way of easing into the job of being Princess consort of Monaco. Just as we saw on National Day, Charlene seems to have the appearance and style of a princess down pretty well.

MM Video: Princes of Monaco in Art

Christmas in Monaco

HRH the Princess of Hanover arrives at the palace
HRH Princess Alexandra, one of Santa's little helpers

HSH Princess Stephanie of Monaco goes for the 'Hello Kitty' boxes
A princess with toys commands attention!

The Grimaldi siblings of Monaco together for Christmas

HSH Prince Albert II explains to the boys the importance of this toy car having zero emissions and of buying carbon offsets to compensate for its manufacture.
A group photo with the children on the steps of the Princely Palace. Christmas in Monaco is always a special time of year.

H.S.H. Princess Charlotte Therese Nathalie Grimaldi

One of my favorite paintings of one of the Princesses of Monaco, this work was done by Pierre Gobert in 1733 of Princess Charlotte of Monaco, daughter of Prince Jacques I who was a nun of the Order of the Visitation. Princess Charlotte, known as Mademoiselle de Valentinois and then as Mademoiselle de Monaco, was born on May 19, 1719 in Paris and her parents decided she would devote her life to the Church when she was only a few months old. However, Jacques and Louise-Hippolyte later changed their mind when they thought a good match could be made for her and in 1724, when the Princess was only 5, she was engaged to the Prince d'Auvergne. Yet, this proposed marriage did not come to be and before she was much older the engagement was broken off and Charlotte went to a convent to begin her education. She considered becoming a nun while there, wrestled with the decision but did finally take her vows as a sister of the Order of the Visitation. She did leave the convent a number of times to visit her family and, as an interesting historical point, the convent in which she took her vows was the same one where the convert Louise de la Valliere went to do penance.

H.S.H. the Princess Charlotte of Monaco

Princess Charlotte was the daughter of Prince Louis II and the mother of Prince Rainier III of Monaco. For twenty years she was the Hereditary Princess of Monaco before abdicating her succession rights to her son Rainier. Her life story begins in Algeria where Hereditary Prince Louis of Monaco was serving with the French Foreign Legion. While there he became enamored with a cabaret singer (and part time laundress and dressmaker) named Marie Juliette Louvet. As a result of their relationship Charlotte Louise Juliette Louvet was born in Constantine, Algeria on September 30, 1898. The status of her birth was a matter of controversy from day one and, in time, would become a matter of international concern.

Prince Louis very much loved Marie Juliette but his father, Prince Albert I, was aghast at such a relationship becoming permanent. Because of this, Prince Louis maintained that he had married his beloved secretly a year before their daughter was born. No evidence was produced and insofar as the laws of Monaco and France were concerned little Charlotte was illegitimate. This became a major concern for both countries as Louis would one day inherit the Monegasque throne and if he died without a legitimate heir the next in the line of succession was his cousin Duke Wilhelm von Urach, the son of Princess Florestine of Monaco. This was actually a major concern for the French who did not want a German, even one largely raised in Monaco, ruling a country on their southern coast.

To avoid this issue before it became a crisis a law was passed by Prince Albert I which recognized Charlotte as Prince Louis’ daughter, making her a member of the Princely Family. However, this still did not please everyone as it was later held to be invalid because of a previous legal code adopted in 1882. Finally, though the worst of the potential threat had passed, on October 30, 1918 another ordinance was passed which allowed for the throne of Monaco to pass to adopted heirs. The following year, on May 16, 1919 Prince Louis formally adopted Charlotte, giving her the surname Grimaldi and granting her the title of Duchess of Valentinois. Because of the laws already passed when her father became Sovereign Prince Louis II of Monaco in 1922 his daughter became Hereditary Princess of Monaco.

Some still questioned the legality of the adoption (which seems all the more absurd when Charlotte was the natural daughter of Louis II and according to the Prince never illegitimate in the first place) because of age requirements for adoption in the Monegasque legal code.
Nonetheless, Louis II was sovereign prince and as far as he was concerned the whole issue was settled and his daughter would be his successor. Moreover, by that time, the family was already growing larger. On March 19, 1920 the Princess Charlotte married Count Pierre de Polignac of Guidel, Morbihan, Brittany, France. Prince Louis had arranged the aristocratic match and by his princely decree the count was given the Grimaldi family name and made a Prince of Monaco as well as becoming Duke of Valentinois by his marriage to Princess Charlotte. In December of that year the couple welcomed their first child into the world, Princess Antoinette. Three years later Princess Charlotte gave birth to their second child, the future Prince Rainier III.

For a time Princess Charlotte and Prince Pierre were one of the most seemingly glamorous couples in the world. However, in private, the marriage was unhappy one and things only grew worse with time. On March 20, 1930 Princess Charlotte left her husband to live with her Italian paramour Del Masso. Her mother died the same year and on February 18, 1933 a frustrated Prince Louis II officially declared the couple divorced. Princess Charlotte continued to appear at social functions and did charity work, for a time serving as a volunteer nurse. She also became more aware that, as a divorced woman whose legitimacy was clouded by controversy it would probably be best for her not to take the throne of an officially Catholic monarchy in her turn. Therefore, on May 30, 1944, a day before her son turned 21, she gave the title of Hereditary Princess, renouncing her rights of succession in favor of her son Prince Rainier. Prince Louis II agreed to the move and placed his hopes for the future of the principality on his handsome young grandson who had already proven to be a young man of considerable ability.

Princess Charlotte had officially left the stage but she remained very busy and involved. She went to college, earned a degree as a social worker and remained close to her children. When her father died and her son became Sovereign Prince Rainier III of Monaco she moved to the family estate at Le Marchais outside of Paris. Very much against the wishes of her concerned children she turned the estate in a rehabilitation center for ex-convicts. Her good deeds were judged too dangerous by many and especially so when she became very close to one of her “patients” a former jewel thief named Rene Girier or “Rene the Cane”. There were even rumors that he practiced his trade on some of the guests at the wedding of Rainier III and Princess Grace. Princess Charlotte did not always see eye-to-eye with Princess Grace but adored her grandchildren and left her famous jewelry collection to Princess Caroline who bears a striking resemblance to her grandmother. The long and tumultuous life of Princess Charlotte of Monaco came to an end on the night of November 15/16 1977 in Paris, France.

MM Video: Princely Family of Monaco