Caroline: Belle of the Ball

In the aftermath of the Rose Ball it is Princess Caroline who has been given the most attention over the event and not, this year at least, exclusively because of her role in the planning and design of the event. Rather, it is in light of all of her private hardships in recent days that seems to have made most of the public all the more impressed by her style, glamour and cheerful attitude. In spite of all she has been through, Princess Caroline was her usual, radiant self at the Rose Ball. Many have said, because of this, that she has put her marital problems behind her; she is over it, it is behind her and she is not allowing the recent problems to get her down. In short, the Princess displayed the same strength and grace and ability to rise to the occasion that she has exhibited ever since the tragic loss of Princess Grace when she was suddenly thrust into the role of leading lady in the Principality of Monaco. Of course, I am sure all of the problems are not behind her, the "situation" with Prince Ernst is not resolved and we still do not know how that will turn out. However, Caroline has displayed why so many people (yours truly included) had such confidence from the begining in her ability to cope. However, that being said, it is important in such cases not to exaggerate the seeming strength of such people. It can, at times, be easy to 'expect' such strong people to be able to handle anything and they thus might not get the support and sympathy they need as much as anyone in times of trial. After all, as the song says 'everybody hurts'. It is, still, pleasing to see that Princess Caroline is able to carry on, through good times and bad, with the ability to match herself to every occasion as she always has. God bless you Princess.

The 2010 Rose Ball

This year's Monte Carlo Rose Ball was a resounding success. Princess Caroline, keeping with tradition, picked out the theme of the party which was, this year, "Morocco" and everything from decoration to much of the chosen attire of the guests was built around the styles of the north African kingdom.

Princess Caroline, Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock

Prince Albert's longtime girlfriend Charlene Wittstock attended once again

The Sovereign Prince of Monaco

Charlene, Prince Albert and Princess Caroline pose with guests of honor Frederic Mitterand (French Culture Minister) and Princess Lalla Joumala Alaoui of Morocco

Charlotte Casiraghi, looking as lovely as usual

Charlotte attended with her older brother Andrea Casiraghi (cousin Melanie de Massy can be seen in the background)

Pierre Casiraghi attended with girlfriend Beatrice Borromeo

French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterand and Princess Lalla of Morocco

Princely cousin Melanie de Massy (right) granddaughter of Princess Antoinette of Monaco attended with Gaia Repossi

Also on hand were Princess Camilla and Prince Charles of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

Andrea Casiraghi's girlfriend Tatiana Santo Domingo (right) chose distinctly Moroccan fashions in keeping with this year's Rose Ball theme

MM Video: Princes of Monaco in Art

Blog Update

Readers will notice a new links table on the sidebar; a collection of websites, fansites etc devoted to Monaco, the Grimaldis or certain family members. So, if you are Mad for Monaco and have a Monaco or Grimaldi related website, webpage, fansite etc just leave a comment to let me know (including the web address of course) and I will add it to the table. Thanks for reading!

The Tragic Prince Hercule

HSH Prince Hercule of Monaco was born in 1623 to HSH Prince Honore II and his wife Princess Ippolita Trivulzio of Milan. He was brought up in Monaco to be the heir of the principality (once Honore II achieved his goal of obtaining recognition as a prince) and was made a commander of the Order of Alcantara by the King of Spain just prior to Honore II breaking with Spain, defeating the garrison and taking Monaco into the French sphere of influence. When the change came Prince Hercule was made Marquis Les Baux by King Louis XIII of France. This was justified as Prince Hercule had played a key role inn the final attack on the Spanish garrison in Monaco. He led the attack on the Serravalle Tower, taking the sentries prisoner.

Honore II grew old and feeble with gout but he was satisfied that the future of Monaco rested on his son Hercule who married Aurelia Spinola on July 4, 1641. The couple had one son and three daughters so the succession seemed secure. However, disaster struck on August 1, 1651 when Prince Hercule was shot in the back by an incompetent musketeer while target shooting in Menton. He died the following day to the great saddness of his family at the age of only 27. Because of his loss Honore II would instead be succeeded by his grandson; HSH Prince Louis I of Monaco.

Still Enjoying the Winter

Why does the Sovereign Prince hate global warming so? Because His Serene Highness loves him some skiing! On the 20th Prince Albert II hit the slopes in Sestriere, Turin, Italy as part of the 5th World Stars Ski Event. The occasional grimace aside, the Prince seemed to enjoy himself (didn't take home the prize unfortunately) and it was all for a good cause. Afterwards, as the notables and celebrities who participated gathered for dinner Albert II was all smiles. His Highness' love for winter sports has certainly been one of the constants in his life and he shows no signs of slowing down and is still quite an athlete for a man in his 50's.

This Day in History

On this day in 1795 HSH Prince Honore III (left) passed away at the age of 74 in Paris and was succeeded by his son HSH Prince Honore IV. It was a dark time for the Grimaldi family; their French estates had been taken by the Revolution, many members of the family had been put in prison and Monaco itself was taken over by the French republicans with even the Princely Palace being seized and looted. Prince Honore III had been in prison the year before his death, which ruined his already weakening health. Prince Honore IV thus succeeded to his rights as Sovereign Prince of Monaco but could not actually take up that position and was a man without a country. He had been in prison when the Reign of Terror broke out and Honore IV was thrown in prison. His confinement was cruel and was to ruin his health to a large extent, even long after his release he was frail and sickly for the rest of his life. It must have seemed like the most hopeless position for Honore IV when he inherited the title of Sovereign Prince of Monaco; his family in prison or in exile, his country occupied, the family fortune gone and revolutionary radicals in control and preaching war and conquest. However, Prince Honore IV would eventually see his country restored but it all started with his succession on March 21, 1795.

HSH Prince Pierre of Monaco

HSH Prince Pierre of Monaco, Duc d’Valentinois was born Pierre Marie Xavier Raphael Antoine Melchior Comte de Polignac in Kerscamp on October 24, 1895. His father was the French Maxence Melchior Comte d’Polignac and his mother was the Mexican lady Susana Maria de la Torre y Mier. His family was one of the oldest and most elite aristocratic families in France. One of his ancestors was a sister of Madame de Montespan and another was Yolande de Polastron, Duchesse de Polignac, one of the favorite friends of Queen Marie Antoinette. Described as charming, sensitive, suave and elegant the multi-lingual aristocrat was a common feature at elite parties in France and Monaco where he attracted the attention of Princess Charlotte of Monaco, the only child of Prince Louis II.

HSH Prince Albert I took an interest in the count as a possible husband for Charlotte as it seemed likely she would become Sovereign Princess of Monaco and he was rather concerned about history repeating itself with the story of the only other Sovereign Princess in Monegasque history Louise-Hippolyte. A prenuptial agreement was reached which would limit the role of the count should his wife ever take the throne. The legal haggling done Charlotte and Pierre Comte de Polignac were married in a civil ceremony on March 18 followed by a religious ceremony on March 19, 1920 at Marchais. The count officially became HSH Prince Pierre Grimaldi, Comte de Polignac, of Monaco. After the marriage he was also given the title of Duke of Valentinois.

At first things went well and nine months later Charlotte and Pierre had their first child, Princess Antoinette, on December 18, 1920. However, from the very start Pierre had a bad relationship with his formidable father-in-law Prince Louis II. The crusty military man viewed Prince Pierre as “a society dandy”. When Louis II succeeded to the throne relations only worsened as he insisted on keeping his family close around him and father and son-in-law could not have been more different. On May 31, 1923 Princess Charlotte gave birth to a son, Prince Rainier, and as far as Louis II was concerned, with the arrival of male heir, Prince Pierre was no longer necessary.

Princess Charlotte and Prince Pierre had been having problems almost from the start. Princess Charlotte adored her father but the presence of Prince Pierre came between them. In time, relations between husband and wife deteriorated further. Princess Charlotte began to complain that Prince Pierre was distant and something of an elitist while others found him eminently likeable. Finally, in 1929 the couple separated with the approval of Louis II. Later they were divorced (though the marriage was never annulled) and Louis II banned Prince Pierre from Monaco. Relations between husband and wife went from bad to worse with the children caught in the middle.

In the divorce settlement Prince Pierre had insisted on keeping control of the education of his son Prince Rainier and sent him to a very harsh boarding school in Britain. Rainier was so miserable he tried to run away and Princess Antoinette fought so fiercely with Prince Pierre that she accused him of being abusive (something few would believe). All of this was enough for Prince Louis II to take charge of his grandchildren himself. Pierre tried to take his case to court but there was little he could do against the Sovereign Prince of Monaco and Louis II won the day.

Over time Prince Rainier became quite upset with his mother and grandfather for keeping him away from his father for so long. Rainier and Prince Pierre wrote to each other and became as close as possible through correspondence. Prince Rainier became quite fond of him, finding him a completely different person from the image of Pierre that his mother and grandfather had and missed his presence in his life. He was quite worried when their correspondence stopped during World War II which, he later discovered, was because Prince Pierre was aiding the Free French underground; something which might have surprised his ex-father-in-law.

When Louis II died and Rainier III became Sovereign Prince of Monaco he immediately lifted the ban against his father and Prince Pierre was able to return to the principality to attend the most important events in the life of his son. Princess Antoinette would have no reconciliation with her father but Rainier worked to put the past behind them and rehabilitate the reputation of his father in Monaco. Prince Pierre remained very close to his son and a trusted advisor and confidant when needed until his death on November 10, 1964. He did at least live long enough to see his son marry the lovely Princess Grace and start enjoying the close-knit and happy family life that he had never had.

Andrea Casiraghi in Hola!

Andrea Casiraghi, eldest son of Princess Caroline and second-in-line to the Monegasque throne as things stand now, was recently interviewed in Hola! Magazine and gave some interesting and important information on his current status. The occasion of the interview was Andrea becoming patron of the Motrice Foundation which is dedicated to the assistance of people suffering from cerebral palsy. The photos were taken from a party for the foundation in Paris attended by his mother and a number of other celebrities.

When asked about his charity work Andrea said it was his mother, Princess Caroline, who instilled in him the drive to help others by her own example of devoting so much of her time to the less fortunate. Since he was a small child Andrea said he had watched his mother working for charitable causes on behalf of people all over the world and it was this that inspired him to become involved himself. The (possible) future Prince of Monaco also said that he no longer lives in the USA, having finished his studies there in political science and that he now resides in Paris where he is working in an internship with the embassy of the Emirate of Qatar. Such a job might at first seem unusual but learning the political and diplomatic ropes of a very small, wealthy monarchy might prove quite useful for a potential Prince of Monaco.

Also on hand for the party and included in the photographs was Andrea’s current girlfriend Tatiana Santo Domingo whom Andrea referred to as ‘an exceptional young woman’. He said despite his elite princely background he feels as normal as anyone with the same sort of family life anyone might have. He also said he enjoys painting and dabbling in art and greatly enjoys the opportunities offered by the considerable artistic community in Paris. Perhaps most importantly though was the respect Andrea voiced for his uncle Prince Albert II and that he is kept well informed of all current events in the Principality of Monaco. So, it seems he is not neglecting the possibility that he could, hopefully a considerable time off in the future, be called upon to take up princely duties in his native country.

The Princess Grace Irish Library

HSH Princess Grace of Monaco came from an Irish-American family and was very proud of her Irish heritage. Over the years she built up an impressive collection of Irish literature and Irish sheet music. After her tragic death, with the cooperation of novelist Anthony Burgess, HSH Prince Rainier III of Monaco opened the Princess Grace Irish Library. It is well worth a look and well worth a visit for those lovers of the Emerald Isle in the Principality of Monaco. Happy St Patrick's Day to everyone!

Daily Duties of the Prince

Taking yesterday as an example, we look at the duties of an average day with the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. On March 15, according to the Official Journal of Monaco, HSH Prince Albert II naturalized two new citizens of Monaco, nominated a new Honorary Consul of Monaco for Hanoi in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a new ambassador to the Republic of India (one Marco Piccinini), established seven new consular districts in the United Kingdom in Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Edinburgh, London, Manchester and York. The Prince awarded two captains from the Republic of San Marino (which he recently visited) the Grand Cross of the Order of St Charles and appointed a new shorthand typist for the legal department.

Later that day the Sovereign Prince attended a conference at the Théâtre des Variété in Monaco on constitutional justice in France which was hosted by Jean-Louis Debré, President of the French Constitutional Council. The conference was organized in part by the Prince Albert II Foundation. All in all a busy day of typical activities for the Sovereign Prince and reflects his normal duties in the principality.

Happy Birthday Prince Albert!

The date was March 14, 1958 when HSH Princess Grace of Monaco gave birth to an heir to the throne of Monaco, the 31st descendant of Otto Canella, the future Monegasque monarch. Bells rang across the principality and the canon at Fort Antoine fired a 101-gun salute to honor the new Hereditary Prince. HSH Prince Rainier III, the proud father, issued the following message to his subjects:

"You will imagine my great feeling and joy in announcing that the Princess, my beloved wife, has given birth to a Prince, who has been given the names Albert, Alexandre, Louis, Pierre this 14th day of March at 10:50 AM. I wish to share this joy with all who live on our soil, and especially with the Monegasques, who form around the Sovereign Prince a united family whose mutual affection has never ceased throughout the years."

Mad for Monaco joins with all the Monegasques and all fans of the Grimaldis and the Princely Family in wishing Prince Albert II a very happy 52nd birthday with best wishes for many more to come. Long live the Prince!