The Monaco Royal Family has a reputation for being the jewel of European royalty. When Prince Rainier III married famous Hollywood starlet Grace Kelly, two glamorous worlds meshed into one sparkling, ritzy, and intriguing bundle of riches, power, and beauty. The House of Grimaldi has a fascinating history and a lineage of beautiful people.
The Backstory of the Monaco Royal Family
The House of Grimaldi reaches back some 700 years after François Grimaldi, the first lord of Monaco, laid stake and claim. While Monaco is small in size, it is massive regarding its population's wealth. Perhaps no other state on Earth is associated with riches as Monaco is. When speaking of modern Monaco, it was Prince Rainier who started transforming the state into what is currently seen and experienced in present times. Through his many expansions and construction projects, along with his union with one of the world's most beautiful and famous actresses, Rainier helped Monaco rise to the top of the royal pack. While both Rainier and Grace Kelly are now deceased, their legacy lives on in their children and grandchildren.
Who's Who in the House of Grimaldi?
Like many high-powered Royal Families in Europe, the Royal Family of Monaco is extensive. The who's who of the House of Grimaldi could go on endlessly, depending on how far back in the family tree one wanted to extend. Here are the house members standing closest to the throne and making waves in the public realm.
Prince Albert II
Prince Albert is the only son born to Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier. He took the throne following his father's passing in 2005. The Prince certainly played the field, dating droves of beautiful women and siring two children out of wedlock. In 2011, Prince Albert married Olympian Charlene Wittstock, and the couple welcomed twins in 2011. Albert is one of the wealthiest royals, being worth brought $1 billion.
Princess Charlene
Married to Prince Albert, Princess Charlene is a Zimbabwean-South Africa, former Olympic swimmer. She began dating former playboy Prince Albert in 2006, married into the House of Grimaldi in 2011, and became a mother of two in 2014. Charlene has served as honorary president of Ladies' Lunch Monte-Carlo since 2009 and is associated with the Nelson Mandela Foundation. She also founded The Princess Charlene Foundation, which aims to help children's education and development through sport.
Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques
The little royal twins are the only children of Prince Albert and his wife, Charlene. The tots hold the titles of Countess of Carladès and Marquis of Baux. Still young, their royal duties are limited to appearing with their parents at public functions and events.
Princess Caroline
Also known as the Princess of Hanover, Caroline is the eldest child of the late Prince Rainier and his deceased wife, Grace Kelly. She had four children, three with her second husband and one with her third. Like her iconic mother, Caroline is often looked to for her high fashion choices and love of designer apparel.
Princess Stephanie
Princess Stephanie is the youngest child of Rainier and Grace Kelly. She was involved in the car accident that took her mother's life and is best known for her ill choices in partners and her rebel ways. When it comes to men, Princess Stephanie has tried her hand at dating all walks of life. From actors (Rob Lowe), to racecar drivers, to circus performers and bodyguards, this royal rebel cares not what her high-profile family thinks.
Stephanie married her bodyguard Daniel Ducruet in 1995, and together the couple had two children, Louis and Pauline. Following scandal, the couple divorced. Daniel was banished from Monaco, and Stephanie fell pregnant by another palace employee, giving birth to his daughter Camille.
Stephanie has tried her hand at pop music and serves as president of multiple associations, including The Princess Stephanie Activity Centre. She is also an honorary board member of the Princess Grace Foundation, mixing royal with rebel all the time.
Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo
He is the son of Caroline and the eldest grandchild of the late Prince and Princess. Andrea stands fourth in line for the throne behind Prince Albert's twins and his mother, Princess Caroline. He is wed to American heiress Tatiana Santo Domingo, who shares his mother and grandmother's love of style and fashion and is the father to three children, Alexandre, India, and Maximillian.
Charlotte Casiraghi and Dimitri Rassam
The daughter of Caroline married Dimitri Rassam in 2019. She is well known in high power fashion circles worldwide, often seen taking in shows and sporting famous collections. Charlotte and her husband have one child together, and she has a son from a previous relationship. Standing 11th in the line of succession, Charlotte is beautiful and smart, having earned a License of Philosophy (B.A.) from the University of Paris IV: Paris-Sorbonne. Charlotte Casiraghi is currently worth around $30 million.
A High Fashion Fairytale Family
(The Late) Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly are the true Cinderella story. While actress Grace Kelly wasn't exactly toiling away for her wicked stepmother before being saved by a handsome prince, she did go from essential commoner to bona fide princess, much like the current story of Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan. Their legacy of beauty and power lives on through their descendants and the current members of the House of Grimaldi.
