Princess Caroline, Unbelievable

What a look...

What a face...

I defy anyone to tell this photo apart from one of Charlotte's

A smile for little brother...

Is she gonna kill Bill?

Oh, very 70's baby!

Looking far away

Gorgeous

MM Video: Princess Grace, Face of Perfection

Gala for Princess Charlene Foundation

On Saturday, the Princely couple were off to South Africa where the SBM (which owns most of the major hotels and casinos in Monaco) sponsored a special gala dinner with an appropriately South African theme at the Monte Carlo Opera House to benefit the new Princess Charlene Foundation. Maybe this will help them finally get their website up and running -I mean, it's been a year people, you should have something up there by now. One has to wonder if anyone among the locals there even noticed that Prince Albert was present? Princess Charlene is such a star and beloved daughter in that part of the world, but by now I expect all princes everywhere are used to getting less attention than their glamorous princesses. Anyway, once that was done, Princess Charlene was back in Europe, going solo at Fashion Week in Paris with all the other stunning, stylish people.

Prince Going to Wyoming

Buffalo Bill and Prince Albert I

It was recently announced that HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco will be visiting the state of Wyoming to attend the 2013 Buffalo Bill Historical Center Patrons Ball for the 100th anniversary of the visit of HSH Prince Albert I of Monaco to Cody, Wyoming for a hunting expedition with the legendary scout and western showman. The Monegasque ambassador said,

"As you know, 2013 is ... the centennial of the visit to Cody of Prince Albert I, the scholarly prince and co-founder of oceanography. In September 1913, he went hunting with the iconic Buffalo Bill. Now, I have the distinct honor of informing you that Prince Albert II has accepted the kind invitation of Governor Matt Mead and the BBHC board of trustees to participate in this celebration and will be present here next year."

There is no word yet if HSH Princess Charlene will be accompanying the Prince. However, we do know that, while he is in the neighborhood, the Sovereign Prince (and noted super-environmentalist) will present a biodiversity award for the Yellowstone region on behalf of the Prince Albert II Foundation. A fitting tribute as well for Buffalo Bill Cody who was also something of an early-day environmentalist, concerned with the state of the great outdoors in Wyoming and the surrounding western region.

In 1993, Prince Albert II made a memorable visit to Cody, Wyoming for the 80th anniversary of the expedition by his predecessor. It was on that occasion that former girlfriend Tamara Rotolo showed up at the event with her then 17-month old daughter Jazmin Grace to gain an acknowledgement that the baby was Prince Albert's. That was soon established and the Prince has supported Jazmin ever since. This time, we can be confident there will be no such "surprises".

Colonel Cody looks on as Prince Albert I presents a special rifle to a Crow chief

Prince Albert Crushes It With the Clintons

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco was one of many high-profile attendees at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, a huge group of world elites who get together every year in their unending quest to help you out (your check is probably in the mail as we speak). The "Initiative" was formed by former U.S. President Bill Clinton in an effort to give back and to get his name in the history books for something other than being convicted of perjury and being only the second president in American history to actually be impeached (but not removed from office!), but of course I kid good ol' President Bubba. I really miss the old horny toad these days (as Dolly Parton called him) when America is stuck in such a rut. I remember the years when Clinton was in the White House and Newt Gingrich was running Congress and two serial adulterers put aside their political differences and compromised to get things done for the country. Boy, those were the days. Anyway, as the (outdated) picture above shows, President Clinton has been on friendly terms with the Grimaldis for a long time and Prince Albert II has been a long-time supporter of the Clinton Global Initiative. Among the very long list of global big-shots on hand for the gathering this year were HM King Juan Carlos I of Spain, HM Queen Rania of Jordan, HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, former British PM Tony Blair, former President of Mexico Felipe Calderon, former PM of Canada Jean Chretien, actor Michael Douglas, actress Geena Davis, NASCAR guy Jeff Gordon, singer/actress Babs, a former IRA terrorist, the President of Liberia, former President of Ireland, and a horde of global ambassadors for this, that and the other as well as the leaders of numerous big banks, companies and charitable foundations. Former Governor and Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney also stopped in to address the assembled dignitaries. Between this gathering and the General Assembly of the United Nations, I'm sure that great strides will be made in things like "dialogue", "diversity" and "sustainable development" in the year ahead. I can't wait!

Yachts, Tiaras and Tributes

So, what have the Princely couple been up to lately? Just the normal routine one would expect for the Prince and Princess of Monaco. Earlier this month, HSH the Sovereign Prince hosted the screening of the special "Grace, A Symbol of Change" at the Princess Grace Theatre appropriately enough. Then, on Monday our Albie was down by the sea at Port Hercules to make an appearance at the annual Monaco Yacht Show where every year the world's rich and famous get together to see who has the biggest floaters. Meanwhile, HSH Princess Charlene was up in Paris at the Museum of Decorative Arts for a special exhibit of Van Cleef and Arpels. Why was that? Well, one of the items on display was the very dazzling tiara that Prince Albert II presented to his lovely bride last July. And that, as I'm sure most of you regular readers will know, is a pretty typical week for the Princely couple of Monaco; tributes, yacht shows and diamond tiaras in art museums. And, if you think about it, such activities are a little like Monaco itself. They may not be the big gatherings full of pomp and ceremony such as one might see in the larger monarchies, but special events in Monaco are, like Monaco itself, usually small, exclusive and very, very stylish.

Grace, A Symbol of Change Website

I only just now noticed, and I don't know how long it will stay up, but there is a website for the commemorative event "Grace, A Symbol of Change" (that is at http://graceassymbolofchange.org) for the 3-day event held from September 14-16 in memory of the passing of HSH Princess Grace of Monaco, under the patronage of HSH the Sovereign Prince, to remember the beloved Princess in every aspect of her life; as a social figure, an iconic actress and Princess consort of Monaco. It is very well done and available in English and French.

Charlotte in Paris

The lovely Charlotte Casiraghi attended the 26th Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris at the Grand Palais last Wednesday. Fashion mogul and long-time friend of the family Karl Lagerfeld also attended, as did another friend of the Princely Family, HRH Princess Clotilde of Venice and Piedmont, wife of Prince Emanuele Filiberto, grandson of the last King of Italy.

Remembering Princess Grace

It was on this day in 1982 that Monaco lost a princess, America lost an icon, Prince Rainier III lost a wife, Prince Albert, Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie lost their mother and the world lost a most beloved friend...

Monegasque Family Picnic

It's that time of the year again, when the Sovereign Prince and the native Monegasques have their 'extended family' picnic at Princess Antoinette park. Prince Albert II, looking very traditional in his native costume (or at least as near as he usually gets) with a very relaxed looking Princess Charlene. Baronness Elisabeth-Anne and Melanie de Massy were also on hand for this special event:

The Princely couple arrives.

A little Monegasque cutie presents flowers to her Princess

A group picture with the Archbishop of Monaco

A princely exchange of 'looks'

An English Debt to Monaco?

Not many people today know, but regular readers of this blog certainly will, how several of the earliest Grimaldis, and the first Lords of Monaco, made their fortune, at least in part, in the service of the King of France fighting against the English at sea. Charles Grimaldi in particular made some 1,280 gold florins (a vast sum at the time) raiding the English coast and used this fortune to buy the Spinola lands in Monaco as well as Castillon, Roquebrune, Menton and Eze. Historian Adolph Smith therefore wondered if, perhaps, England might owe a debt of gratitude to the Lord of Monaco for, in a rather rough way, bringing them to their senses:

"How many pleasure-seekers on their holiday jaunts think, as they gaze at the romantic walls and battlements of Monaco, or admire the quaint old palace still occupied by the Grimaldis, that this family, the oldest reigning family in Europe, first made itself distinguished by sweeping the English off the sea ; and, what at the time was much more difficult, annihilating the fleet of the Flemish in their own waters, the Scheldt. To the Grimaldis, Rainier, Charles and the second Rainier the
English should feel deeply indebted. They taught us most effectively that an island cannot be defended without a strong fleet. When first he came on the scene, Rainier Grimaldi trained his inexperienced French recruits by setting them upon the English ships. It is worth repeating that the only real sailors were the Flemish, and therefore Rainier sent his untrained hands to acquire necessary skill and strength by attacking the badly equipped and inefficiently manned English ships."

Could it be possible then that, in those early days, it was the forefathers of the Princes of Monaco who (inadvertently) put England -and thus later Great Britain- on course to becoming the dominant force on the seven seas? You be the judge.

Liberation Day

Today and tomorrow the Principality of Monaco celebrates Liberation Day; that day on September 3, 1944 when a U.S. Army jeep sped into Monte Carlo some time after the last Germans had pulled out. As part of the festivities, HSH Prince Albert II inspected some vintage World War II vehicles, complete with men in period historical uniforms.