Still More Babies on the Way?

Hello! Magazine started the rumors and the other media in Europe have been running with it; that Tatiana and Andrea Casiraghi are expecting another child. At a recent wedding in the Thurn und Taxis princely family of Germany, to which the couple were invited, someone thought they noticed a slight "baby bump" under the loose-flowing fashions sported by Tatiana and the story has taken off from there. In the Spring of last year Tatiana gave birth to the couple's first child, Sacha, in London (the two were married first at the end of August 2013 and then secondly at the end of January 2014). So far there has been no official confirmation from the palace about this, nor do most expect there to be any time soon given past behavior. However, it seems that babies have suddenly become quite popular in Monaco these days and when Princess Charlene delivers, the new arrival will have several cousins of similar age to play with. Nice to see the family growing, presuming this rumor turns out to be true and we wish the couple all the best in any event.

Andrea is Married

Saturday (as in yesterday), a little before noon, Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo were married in a civil ceremony near the water in Monaco, witnessed by about 400 special guests (no cameras please) followed by a reception in the gardens of the Princely Palace. A religious wedding is also planned but will be several months from now in the bride's native Switzerland. So, congratulations to the happy couple and to their little son Sasha who, being legitimized by this union, officially takes his place in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne. My only problem with that is that there still has not even been an official birth announcement from the palace. Now, I realize, we were warned ahead of time that this wedding would be a very low-key, private affair but, really, there wasn't even a wave from the balcony by the happy couple. I also remain at a loss as to why Andrea has no official title. Look at it this way; think about all of the (valid and deserved) fuss and fanfare over the birth of little Prince George of Cambridge. Now, consider for a moment that, until Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene do their duty, little Sasha is just as close in the line of succession to a throne, one of the oldest in the world at this point, as baby Prince George is. And yet, very little coverage of the birth, not much for more the wedding of his parents and both father and son remain, legally, commoners. That just doesn't seem right. Anyway, perhaps it will be remedied in the future, perhaps they know something we do not. Not to sound impatient or anything but, of course, this whole picture changes if the Sovereign Prince and his Princess consort give us an heir to the throne...

In a Family Way

Many of us were suspicious when Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo announced their engagement in July after seven years of keeping steady company and acting very much like a couple. Well, it is official, Tatiana herself has confirmed that she is not only a bride-to-be but a mother-to-be as well. HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover will be a grandmother (the first Grimaldi of her generation to reach the rank) and I'm sure she is happy about that. According to Tatiana, the baby is due in January of next year. Now, I'm the old fashioned sort who thinks that the wedding is supposed to come before the baby announcements but I realize I'm a dying breed on that front. All the same, we send our heartfelt congratulations to the expectant parents and I am sure everyone involved is happy to see the family continuing to grow. As for what this means for the monarchy; who can say? All still depends on HSH Prince Albert II doing his duty by Princess Charlene. If he does not, Andrea is next and come January Tatiana may be giving birth to an heir to the Monegasque throne. If he does, the Casiraghi line will be 'in the clear' and the Grimaldi-Polignac line will carry on for another generation. In any event, we wish all the best to Tatiana and Andrea, I'm sure they will be great parents and I'm sure the new addition will be getting all sorts of attention from Aunt Charlotte, Uncle Pierre, Great Aunt Stephanie, Great Uncle Albert and Her Royal Highness the Grandma of Monaco! Congratulations all around!

MM Video: Andrea and Tatiana

Yes, Andrea is Engaged!

It has been all over the "news" that Andrea Casiraghi, oldest son of HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover and currently second-in-line to the Monegasque throne (until such time as Albert II and Charlene do their duty) is set to marry his girlfriend of seven years Tatiana Santo Domingo, a Brazilian-Colombian, U.S.-born socialite and heiress who was introduced to Andrea many years ago by his little sister Charlotte. The rumors have come and gone more than once over the years and when word first started to leak out this week, some (such as yours truly) were not inclined to take it seriously. However, it has been confirmed by the Princely Palace, though they have released no information about the details of the wedding (no 'when', no 'where' and I think we all know why ;-)) but it is expected to take place some time next year. Congratulations are certainly in order for the happy couple, and though there have been false reports before, I think most of us knew this day was coming. Andrea and Tatiana have been together for a long time now, they have survived some nasty rumors, good times and bad times and have always just seemed very comfortable with each other. Tatiana landed quite a catch and I think Andrea made a fine choice as well. She's very intelligent, well educated, knows business and she's very lovely. We wish them all the best and look forward to a stylish Casiraghi wedding!

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.

Everyone Has Those Days

Rich or poor, we all put our pants on one leg at a time and we all have car trouble from time to time. Monegasque heir Andrea Casiraghi was out for a drive with his girlfriend Tatiana Santo Domingo when he made the mistake of filling up his tank with diesel instead of gasoline. Did the automotive gene of Rainier III skip over his grandson? Perhaps it was simply a moment of absent-mindedness but it brought things to a screeching halt. Tatiana took the wheel while Andrea pushed the car to the side of the road where they waited for a mechanic to come to the rescue. I'm sure there was plenty of teasing in the meantime. Unfortunately, if they ran a gasoline engine on diesel there will be little a mechanic can do other than call 'time of death'. Everyone has those days, even the most elite amongst us.

Andrea and Tatiana Still Together

On the 5th, Andrea Casiraghi attended the 'Mario de Janeiro Testino' booklaunch at Cafe Carmen in Paris. Longtime girlfriend Tatiana Santo Domingo was also on hand, though the two were not photographed together which led some to continue muttering about problems. However, the following day Andrea and Tatiana were also at the Fendi 'O' party For Pixie Lott at the VIP ROOM Theater. They were also together at the launch of a new Jewellery collection called 'NEREE for ERE' by Repossi at the Ritz Hotel on the 7th. So, it seems that despite the earlier scares the two are still together and still an item.

Caroline & Casiraghi News

Are Andrea Casiraghi and longtime girlfriend Tatiana Santo Domingo (seen above) a thing of the past? That's what has the Monaco rumor mills humming ever since photos came out of the 2nd in line to the Monegasque throne on the island of Ponza walking and getting quite romanitic with a girl who was definitely not Tatiana though he was seen again with her the following day. If this is the end of their relationship, I would find it a shame as Tatiana was always my favorite Casiraghi girlfriend and seemed a very "normal" girl very at home in her own skin. Mad for Monaco will follow the story. In other news HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover and daughter Charlotte Casiraghi were among the VIP's attending the benefit gala for the Miracle Africa International Foudation Gala in Valkenswaard. Charlotte was also recently at a riding event in France but did not do so well and was in tears from the pain in her wrist from her recent car wreck. Luckily, attentive mom Princess Caroline was on hand to rush to her little girl's aid with an ice pack. There's your 'heart warming' moment folks. Take them when you can.