Monaco is a dwarf state in the south of the European continent, which is mainly known for its world-famous casinos and as the venue for the Formula 1 competition. Since the end of the thirteenth century, he has been ruled by the Grimaldi dynasty, represented by Prince Albert II, who took the throne after his father Rainier III. This monarch, who died in 2005, during his youth became the hero of one of the most high-profile royal novels of the last two centuries.
Parents
The future monarch, whose full name sounded like Louis-Henri-Bertrand Grimaldi, was born in 1923 in the family of the illegitimate daughter of Louis II Charlotte, who four years earlier was officially recognized as the successor to the throne. The fact is that otherwise the throne could pass to his second cousin, Wilhelm von Urach, who fought in the First World War on the side of Germany. The prospect of seeing the Germans as Prince of Monaco did not suit France, which threatened in this case to occupy the principality. Therefore, Prince Louis II went into violation of all laws by assigning the girl the title of Duchess of Valentinua, and also marrying her to the Frenchman - Count Pierre de Polignac. The marriage of Rainier's parents did not last long and was dissolved when the boy was ten years old, due to the homosexual relations of his father, information about which became public.
Rainier III, Prince of Monaco: biography before accession to the throne
The future monarch took a course at the best private schools in Switzerland and the UK, and then received a certificate of completion of general humanitarian education in Montpellier and graduated from the Paris Higher School of Political Science. Upon reaching adulthood, Louis-Henri Grimaldi volunteered to serve in the French army as an officer and took part in hostilities against Nazi Germany in Alsace.
In the role of the crown prince
In the same 1944, his mother, with the consent of Prince Louis II, transferred her succession rights to her son. At the same time, the young man did not leave his military career, for the military merits of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Military Cross. After the end of World War II, he was sent on a French military mission to Berlin, where he took part in resolving economic issues. In this field, the young man also achieved success, and at the beginning of 1947 the president of the French interim government awarded the heir to the crown of Monaco the Order of the Legion of Honor and the Knight's Cross.
Reign
Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, ascended the throne in 1949, after the death of his grandfather. Since that time, a real golden era has come in the history of this tiny state. It is enough to say that it was under him that the country acquired its modern appearance, and great economic and political transformations were made. In particular, in 1962, Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, initiated the adoption of a new, progressive constitution of the country, and in 1993 this state became a member of the UN with all the ensuing rights. In addition, thanks to his wise policy aimed at increasing the tourist attractiveness of the principality, the Monte Carlo coast has become one of the most prestigious resort areas in Europe.
Grace Kelly Before Marriage
This style icon and one of the most charming Hollywood divas was born in the USA in 1928 in the family of a wealthy entrepreneur and former Olympic champion Jack Kelly. He always dreamed that his children would enter high society, and so Grace and her three sisters were raised as little princesses, which helped them a lot in the future. At the age of six, the girl was sent to a strict Catholic college, where she excelled in exemplary behavior and exceptional diligence. Later in an expensive private school, she became interested in theater and performed in student performances, and at nineteen she went to New York with the firm intention to acquire the specialty of an actress. The extraordinary beauty of a young girl from Philadelphia helped her become a model first, and then a sought-after movie star. And long before Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and Grace Kelly met, she had many admirers and lovers, including famous Hollywood actors, directors, fashion designers and even the Iranian check, who, according to rumors, suggested that she become her next wife. At the same time, Grace's parents jealously watched their daughter's personal life and hoped very much for a profitable marriage. Fate smiled at the Kelly family when, during one of the film festivals, their already famous daughter at that time met Rainier III. The Prince of Monaco, whose photo at that time showed him as a representative young sleek man, immediately recorded the girl among the potential brides, since he was going to get married for a long time.
At the time of the meeting, which took place in the spring of 1955, Grace was at the zenith of fame. She recently received an Academy Award, but, oddly enough, she was completely alone. The young people liked each other almost at first glance, and their engagement was soon announced.
Marriage
Grace arrived in Monaco in April 1956 on an ocean liner, accompanied by five friends. She was greeted like a queen and showered with flowers from the side of a helicopter ordered by the groom's friend - Onassis. Most of the inhabitants of Monte Carlo sought at all costs to see the bride Rainier III. Prince of Monaco, whose sister, mother and father were present at the meeting ceremony, simply shone with happiness, which could not be said about his relatives. The “Wedding of the Century”, as journalists dubbed the ceremony, took place on April 19, after which the couple went on a honeymoon. Further family life was quite prosperous, at least reporters have never been able to convict the prince of treason. Grace gave birth to her husband three children, and the last child was born when she was thirty-six.
The death of his wife
Grace Kelly and Prince of Monaco Rainier III, whose children themselves have long become parents, lived together for only 26 years. In 1982, the princess, along with Princess Stephanie, was in a terrible car accident and died as a result of her injuries. The daughter of the spouses received serious injuries, but she still managed to save her life. According to investigators, the princess, who on this day refused the services of a driver and drove a car herself, lost control due to a stroke. As a result, the car fell off a cliff. Although the accident happened early in the morning, the necessary medical equipment was delivered to the hospital, where Grace Kelly was brought, only in the evening. The precious time was lost, and the next doctors told the family that even if the princess remained alive, she would be paralyzed forever and could never return to normal life. Then Prince Rainier, after consulting with his older children, decided to turn off the life-support equipment.
So one of the most desirable and charming women of the planet died, the memory of which is still alive today, after more than 35 years from the date of her death.
Son
In 1958, Grace Kelly gave birth to a son, Albert. Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, was most rejoiced. The height, weight and appearance of the baby he was interested in much less than gender, since he had long dreamed of a son. Since childhood, the boy was fond of sports and participated in the Olympic Games five times as a bobsledder. In 2006, he visited the North Pole and even took part in the Dakar rally. In 2005, Prince Albert II inherited the throne, but remained childless until recently. Only in December 2014, his wife Charlene Wittstock gave birth to a twin monarch: a boy and a girl. According to the laws of the principality, after Albert II, the throne will pass to his son Jean.
Daughters
The firstborn of Rainier III (Prince of Monaco) and Grace Kelly was Princess Carolina, who was born in 1957. At the moment, she has been married four times and has four children. As for the second daughter of the princely couple, Princess Stephanie was born in 1965. In her youth, she was known for her ebullient disposition and even for some time was a success as a pop singer, her CDs diverged in millions of copies. In particular, the single "Hurricane" in France is considered one of the most famous hits of the 80s of the twentieth century. From two marriages, she has two daughters and a son.
Grandchildren and great grandchildren
The Grimaldi family tree after the marriage of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly gave many branches. After all, in total at the moment, this couple, long gone into the other world, has nine grandchildren. Great-grandchildren have appeared relatively recently. In particular, a couple of years ago the eldest grandson of Prince Rainier, Andrea Casiraghi, the son of Princess Carolina, married. In this marriage, he had a son, Alexander and a daughter, India. In 2013, Rafael Elmacher, the son of Charlotte Casiraghi , was born .
Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. Sister Antoinette
In the marriage of Charlotte, the Duchess of Valentinua, and Pierre de Polignac, in addition to the son of Louis-Henri, a daughter was also born. The girl was born in 1920 and was named Antoinette. Since Rainier III, prince of Monaco, was not married and had no children until the age of 33, the princess, born first, hoped to someday take her brother’s place on the throne or at least put her young son born of a marriage with tennis player Alexander But eh. They say that she tried in every possible way to prevent the young monarch from getting married. In particular, Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and his sister were seriously quarreled when a woman put an end to her brother’s romance with Gisele Pascal, rumors that this young French actress was barren. However, all attempts to do the same with respect to the American Grace Kelly were unsuccessful. Most likely, this is why after the movie star married Rainier III and gave birth to an heir, the monarch’s sister and her lover retired from the yard. She settled in solitude on the coast with a huge number of cats and dogs and rarely appeared in the world. However, until her death in 2011, Antoinette of Monaco remained an ardent defender of animal rights.
Death
Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, whose children are often the objects of close attention of the yellow press, died in 2005. He is buried in a family crypt in Monte Carlo next to his beloved Grace. The main thing that Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, did for his country was the growth of the welfare of its inhabitants and the transformation of the state into one of the most prestigious resorts in Europe. And in the memory of people around the world, he remained thanks to a beautiful romance with the charming Grace Kelly.