The Circus is in Town

The House of Grimaldi has, in recent times, shown a great deal of support for "the greatest show on earth" and this year is no different. Yesterday, HSH Prince Albert II along with HSH Princess Stephanie and her lovely daughter Pauline Ducruet were on hand for the opening ceremonies of the 34th International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo. Grimaldi support for the circus first came about during the reign of HSH Prince Rainier III and has continued under Albert II. Princess Stephanie in particular has shown great love for the variety of entertainment, at one point being in a relationship with an elephant trainer with the circus, accompanying the circus and with little Pauline appearing in some shows riding an elephant (mother and daughter loved the animals). That lasted only about a year and there was another relationship with another performer from the same circus later on, but though the boyfriends came and went Stephanie's love for the circus itself has never changed. In times such as we live in today, it is nice to encourage some good old-fashioned family entertainment that has never lost it's style and simple appeal.

Princess Caroline in Court

Ever the trooper, HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover was in court in Germany yesterday to testify at the trial of her husband HRH Prince Ernst August V of Hanover; who was not in court at the time. The Monegasque princess was looking somewhat out of sorts, suffering from a cold and enduring ever greater scrutiny since the pictures of her hubs frolicking in Thailand with another woman became public but she did her duty. Princess Caroline testified that Ernst did slap the man in question, twice, "one for the music and one for the lights" but did not do so with any force. This backs up the Prince's story and contradicts that of the hotel owner who claimed Ernie used brass knuckles and caused him injury. As I have already commented, it seems to me the hotel owner is just looking to cash-in on a royal with a bad reputation. Still, especially in light of recent events it is hard to feel any sympathy for the man but kudos to Princess Caroline for carrying on and staying strong for her family in spite of the terrible time she must be going through right now.

Technical Difficulties - They're Here

Last week my main computer went KAPUT and that has put a bit of a damper on the blogging lately. Still havn't torn myself away from my own domain here to take it to the experts, so don't know if it can be fixed or will have to be replaced but my resident tech sergeant says it doesn't look good. However, I shall struggle on best I can in the meantime, but things may not be quite up to par for a little while yet. I appreciate everyone's patience and understanding as I work through these "issues" with the wonders of modern technology.

Around the World Voyage Launched from Monaco

Yesterday, HSH Prince Albert II was on hand to see off 30-year-old sailor Alexia Barrier who left the port of Monaco to start a voyage around the world, on her own, to benefit her project called "4myPlanet". The intended purpose of the voyage is to raise money for research and technology to combat global warming/climate change. The Sovereign Prince met with Barrier and her family, gave her an Albert II Foundation cap before seeing her on her way to circumnavigate the globe for the cause of the environment. Today the Sovereign Prince was in southern France to help promote advances in the use of nuclear energy and recent advances in that area. Evidently the record cold temperatures of much of the world have not dampened the Prince's devotion to combating global warming.

Alexandre Coste

Alexandre Eric Stephane Coste is the natural son of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and former flight attendant from the African Republic of Togo Nicole Coste. He was born on August 24, 2003 as Alexandre Eric Stephane Tossoukpe; his mother changing their last name a year after he was born. Prince Albert II and Nicole Tossoukpe met on an Air France flight in 1997, where their relationship started. After Alexandre was born in 2003 Prince Albert knew about it and has been involved in his life from the start, but in a very low-key way. It is difficult to say exactly what happened but a persistent rumor is that Nicole Tossoukpe heard that Albert was soon going to come clean about his daughter in California and that this prompted Nicole to make the first move and go public with the story that Prince Albert was the father of her son.

Prince Albert II, of course, eventually confirmed that he was the father of Alexandre Coste and his older daughter Jazmin Grace. However, what put many people off of Nicole Tossoukpe-turned-Coste is the time and the way she went about going to the tabloids with her story. She went to the media and went to court, filing a paternity lawsuit against the Prince of Monaco. This media frenzy also almost coincided with the tragic death of HSH Prince Rainier III, which most people thought was a deplorable time to go public with a story like this so soon after Albert had lost his father and the Monegasque had lost their beloved monarch. When the lawsuit was first filed Prince Albert said nothing out of respect of the period of mourning following the death of Prince Rainier III.

After that period had passed, six days before his official enthronement as Sovereign Prince of Monaco, Albert II confirmed through his lawyers that he was Alexandre's father. At the time and in subsequent interviews the Prince and his officials have made clear what should be obvious, that Alexandre has no place in the Monegasque succession and cannot succeed his father; the succession being restricted to direct descendants of legitimate birth. However, Nicole and Alexandre Coste have kept a fairly high profile since announcing themselves to the world. Nicole has posed for many photographs, given a number of interviews and putting her working class past behind her has become a common feature at Paris fashion shows and other societal soirees in France.

Prince Albert II has provided generous financial assistance to his son and Nicole to make sure they want for nothing and has given them the lavish estate of Villefranche-sur-Mer near Monaco for their primary residence and where Prince Albert can be close to his son as he grows up. According to EU laws now on the books, despite the status of his birth, Alexandre stands to inherit a large share of the Grimaldi family fortune when Albert departs this mortal coil. As mentioned Alexandre has a half-sister by his father in America as well as two older half-brothers who live in South America with their father; Nicole's previous husband. Little Alexandre is hardly to be seen without his mother and by all appearances seems to enjoying a happy childhood and looks to be a very bright and vibrant little boy.

Monaco Independence Day

It was on this night in 1297 that Francesco Grimaldi and his relative the future Lord Rainier I stormed the castle on "the Rock" of Monaco, first taking the fortress for the House of Grimaldi. Francesco overpowered the gate guards after approaching the castle disguised as a Franciscan friar, hence the modern Monegasque coat-of-arms showing the Grimaldi colors flanked by two men monk robes holding swords over their heads. Today marks the 713th anniversary of the Grimaldi monarchy reigning over Monaco.

More Bad News for Hanover

Rumors of an impending divorce for the Prince and Princess of Hanover have surfaced again after HRH Prince Ernst August V was caught in a lip-lock with a mystery woman while on vacation in the Kingdom of Thailand. The talk of marital discord began to spread after the Hanoverian couple stopped being seen together and last year Princess Caroline moved away from their home in France back to Monaco with their daughter Princess Alexandra and enrolled her in school there. Caroline was in the Middle East when Ernst was in court in Germany, Princess Caroline was also on her own at the National Day festivities and other events while Ernst was seen in Austria at a photo-shoot involving fast cars and topless models. Most recently, while the Grimaldi clan were taking their usual winter ski vacation the Prince of Hanover was in Thailand, obviously feeling his oats. The Palace earlier denied reports that a divorce was on the horizon, but this news does nothing to assuage such fears. I've never totally bought in to the whole legend of the "curse of the Grimaldis" supposedly imposed on Lord Rainier I that would prevent any of his family from happiness in marriage, but sometimes you cannot help but wonder. I will admit to never being a big fan of the Prince of Hanover, after all she's been through Princess Caroline deserves better and I had hoped this would work out but such does not seem to be the case. I'm sure this whole embarassing mess does nothing to make Prince Albert II very anxious to rush down the aisle. Whatever happens I hope everything works out for the best and that Princess Caroline and little Princess Alexandra find happiness through all of these problems.

Jazmin Grace Grimaldi

Jazmin Grace Grimaldi is the eldest natural child of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco. She was born on March 4, 1992 in Palm Springs, California to her mother Tamara Rotolo; a former waitress and later salesperson at a real estate office. Tamara was separated from her husband but not yet divorced when she met Prince Albert while vacationing on the Cote d’Azur. When Jazmin was born Prince Albert was listed as father on her birth certificate but, the Prince said later, he wanted to keep her paternity secret until she grew up in order that she might have a normal childhood. That hope was dashed when rumors of a daughter were finally confirmed by the Sovereign Prince on July 1, 2006 following a more painful series of events surrounding the revelation of another out-of-wedlock child, Alexandre Coste, whose mother had publicized the news at a time when Monaco and the Grimaldi clan was dealing with the death of their beloved patriarch Prince Rainier III.

Jazmin and her mother visited Monaco earlier in the year and Prince Albert hired a security firm to look after her and invited her to come study in Monaco. Growing up young Jazmin gained a reputation for friendliness and intelligence. She has been an honor student in high school, a science fair winner and student of the month. She also made local news as a soloist in the school choir and once performed with Barry Manilow. In November of 2006 Jazmin visited the Fiji Islands as part of a humanitarian mission to aid the native children in the area of education and assist the community with medical and community services. She was so taken by Fiji that she set up her own charitable foundation for the relief of the poor there called the Jazmin Fund.

Contrary to the hopes of some any idea of Jazmin taking a place in the succession to the Monegasque throne is quite out of the question. On rare occasions in the past history of Monaco an illegitimate child might be adopted or legitimized by the Church to succeed to the throne but in his 2002 constitution the late Prince Rainier III specifically eliminated this possibility in the future. Jazmin is the only one of Prince Albert’s two offspring to take the Grimaldi family name and he has supported her, and his son as well, over the years and made it clear that he stands ready to do all he can for her though he would have liked for her to have reached adulthood before having the full scrutiny of being his daughter brought down on her. That the matter was made public earlier than expected was very much to do with the paternity of his son becoming public and how that event unfolded.

It would have been nice if Jazmin could have grown up without the intrusion of tabloid photographers, being shadowed by a body guard and shuttled around in an armored SUV but such was not the case. Jazmin graduated from the private Catholic Junipero Serra High School in Orange County in June, 2010 and is currently attending Fordham University in New York.

Princess Louise-Hippolyte of Monaco

Blogger Ann Lauren relates the life of the only Sovereign Princess of Monaco (so far) Louise-Hippolyte, daughter Prince Antoine I and Marie de Lorraine.

Church Music in Monaco

The Monegasque national cathedral is home to the Little Singers of Monaco and of the Choir of Monaco Cathedral. The first children's choir in Monaco dates at least as far back as the reign of HSH Prince Antoine I and was formed to assist in the liturgy at the Palatine chapel. In 1905 HSH Prince Albert I and the Bishop of Monaco (who himself came from a musical background) organized a new choiral group which has continued to this day, tasked first and foremost with assisting in the liturgy and later branching out, participating in the preservation of sacred music as well as the rebirth of such sacred music in the 20th Century. Today they also hold concerts in various places and were honored with a performance in the Vatican in 1997 as part of the celebrations of the 700th anniversary of the Grimaldi reign over Monaco.

HSH Prince Albert II said of the children's choir, "The "Little Singers of Monaco" are celebrated worldwide ; the "Choir of the Cathedral" has a century old reputation. Culture benefits from their meeting, whereby the sacred and profane complement each other and harmonize with the poetry, the generosity and the melodious singing proper to any young child, as my Father used to say.

"The activities of these little ambassadors of Monaco deserve all of my support, and I commend them for their commitment and their career. Their merit is praiseworthy and so is the enthusiasm they show under the guidance of Mr Pierre Debat, himself gifted with the same passion as that of his parents."

More information on the musical aspect of the Church in Monaco can be found at the link to the Monaco National Cathedral in the blog sidebar.

Princely New Year Address

At the start of the new year HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco broadcast a radio address wishing all of his subjects a happy 2010 and discussing the year past in the Principality of Monaco.

"The year 2009 has been marked by the global economic crisis with the many consequences that entails, especially in the social sphere, even if our country was less severely affected and sees taking shape in the last quarter, signs of recovery.

"I would like, once again, everyone, to Monaco, which measures the opportunity is his to live in a free and peaceful, enjoying security, comfort and facilities with little benefit through world.

"It is my hope that this crisis will lead us to recognize the need to adapt our development to environmental conservation," the Prince said before thanking the outgoing Monegasque prime minister and his government for all of their work.

"Mr Jean-Paul Proust has implemented efficiently and the political authority which I have traced the contours in all important areas of life of the Principality. I want to remind everyone in his place, must play its full role, but only its role within the institutions of our country."

To finish up the Sovereign Prince said, "to all I ask solemnly beyond the divisions and move forward in a spirit of unity, not only in words but in deeds. I welcome and encourage all initiatives of actors in our economy who are keen to implement projects in the Principality and implement innovative achievements. Their dynamism and determination to succeed are the guarantee of social benefits to which I am very attached."

2010 Is Here

Hope all the Monegasques and Grimaldi loyalists out there have all the best in 2010.