Which famous faces were Prince Albert The Second of Monaco romantically linked to back
in his playboy days? For this father of four, it may come as a surprise.
Prince Albert shared a special relationship with his mother. In
an interview with People magazine, Albert described the actress as:
"A loving and caring hands-on mom [who] was even more beautiful on the inside."
"An incredible mother, but just an incredibly generous person in heart and spirit."
Kelly's untimely death due to a car crash in 1982 hit him hard. On "In Depth" in 2017,
decades after her death, Albert said,
"It always takes a while. [...] You recover thanks to your other family members,
to your friends, to the people who are dear to you
and provide comfort. It also takes years to really fully come to terms with that."
Albert has continued to honor his mother's memory after her death, notably purchasing
her childhood home in Philadelphia and restoring it. As Today reported, Albert is maintaining the
property as a place for his family to visit, and has also made it the headquarters of the Prince
Albert the Second of Monaco Foundation, which supports environmental issues.
Albert also serves as vice chairman of the Princess Grace Foundation.
"I hope that she would be proud of me, proud of what I've tried to achieve."
Prince Albert's childhood may not have been as charming as you'd expect. While he was undoubtedly
loved by his parents, their royal duties kept them busy. Albert's sister, Princess Caroline,
revealed that the children didn't spend much time with their parents when they were younger.
She is quoted in the book "Albert [The Second] of Monaco, The Man and The Prince" saying that
their primary caregiver growing up was their nanny, Maureen Wood. Caroline said,
"For my brother and I, Maureen was the key figure in our life. When we were little,
we were probably closer to our nanny than to our parents."
Caroline recalled that she and Albert would beg Wood not to leave on her summer vacation,
adding that their mother would often ask the nanny
to cut her vacation short because the children missed her so much.
Grace Kelly may have given up her acting career when she married into Monaco's royal family,
but she didn't give up her American citizenship. According to the Princess Grace Foundation,
she was a dual citizen of the U.S. and Monaco for the rest of
her life — so her American citizenship was passed on to her children. Royal
Central notes that Albert gave up his American citizenship when he turned 21.
Though he's no longer an American citizen, in 2018 Albert was granted a Medal of Honor from
The Ellis Island Honors Society — an award typically only given to American citizens.
According to the Ellis Island Honors Society website, the medal is presented annually to:
"Those who have shown an outstanding commitment to serving our nation either professionally,
culturally, or civically, among other criteria."
The Ellis Island Honor Society Chairman said in a speech,
"His Highness is proof that you don't have to be born on American soil to keep America in
your heart. I'm sure his ancestors dreamt of a better life for their children and
children's children, and His Highness is the fulfillment of their dreams."
Perhaps not too surprising for a young man blessed with both good looks and wealth,
Prince Albert was something of a playboy in his younger years. Tatler notes that he was reluctant
to settle down, although he loved the company of women. According to Esquire Philippines,
some of the many famous faces he's been linked to are Janice Dickinson,
Brooke Shields, Lisa Marie Presley, and model Claudia Schiffer.
Albert's reputation for womanizing reportedly became so troublesome that his father,
Prince Rainier, changed the country's law of succession to allow one of his sisters
to inherit the crown if Albert died without legitimate children. A former
employee of Monaco's royal family told The New York Times in 2005,
"Knowing Rainier, I am convinced he was sorry not to see his son marry a young
Catholic princess and have children. He was always reluctant to give the power
to his son too early because he was waiting for his son to marry and have a male heir."
After becoming the head of state in 2005,
Albert got to work reforming his image — and his country's. He told Financial Times in 2022,
"I've been trying to boost the attractiveness of Monaco since I took over from my father."
Prince Albert finally settled down in 2011, six years after ascending to the
throne. According to Tatler, he first met his bride, Olympian Charlene Wittstock,
in 2000. The couple wasn't officially linked until 2006, when they first appeared in public
as a couple. After a lengthy courtship, they announced their engagement in 2010.
Their wedding was lavish, even by royal standards.
People magazine noted that the four-day affair cost a jaw-dropping $70 million,
a budget that included hiring the Eagles to play at the event for the couple's 800 guests.
It was a wedding to remember, but Albert insisted
the couple would have been happy with a smaller ceremony. He said,
"I was glad to share it, to share the moment with a lot of people from Monaco, but [if] it
would have been a private affair it would have been fine with me. And fine with Charlene, too."
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene have two children together, twins Gabriella and
Jacques. Born in 2014, Gabriella is two minutes older, according to the South China Morning Post,
but Jacques is his father's heir thanks to Monaco's patriarchal law of succession.
Gabriella and Jacques aren't Albert's only children, though. A brief fling in
1991 produced a daughter, Jazmin, who didn't meet her father until she was
11 years old. Another relationship brought him a son, Alexandre, in 2003. Since Jazmin
and Alexandre were born out of wedlock, they are not in the line of succession,
but they are still beloved members of the royal family. Jazmin told Harper's Bazaar,
"We like to share family meals, have barbecues, go to the beach,
everything a normal family does. Except with heavy scheduling."
"When you're -- when you’re a parent, uh,
you have a heightened sense of responsibility toward these-toward these children."
Prince Albert has faced other paternity claims over the years, but Jasmin and Alexandre are the
only children born outside of his marriage to Charlene who he has acknowledged as his.
Prince Albert's marriage to Princess Charlene has been plagued by rumors since day one. According
to Tatler, Charlene cried on her wedding day — as many brides do — and this was enough to
make people wonder if she was actually happy that she was marrying the royal. French outlet
Le Journal du Dimanche claims Charlene tried to run away multiple times before the wedding,
and allegedly had her passport confiscated by Albert's staff.
Rumors of Charlene being trapped in the marriage surfaced again in 2022,
after she spent several months in her home country of South Africa due to health issues.
"I am African. This is my home. It will always be, it's in my, it's in my heart, it's in my veins."
According to Marie Claire UK, the princess shot down the gossip after returning to Monaco, saying,
"I still find it regrettable that certain media peddle such rumors about my life, my relationship.
Like everyone else, we are human beings, and like all human beings we have emotions,
weaknesses. [...] Only our family is exposed to the media and the slightest weakness is relayed."
Monaco is a tiny country. According to Insider, it's less than one square mile in size. Still,
it's a wealthy country, with nearly a third of the population being millionaires who flock to
the principality, which doesn't charge its residents income tax. This makes the
country one of the richest in the world — according to the World Population Review,
it had the highest Gross Domestic Product per capita in the world in 2021.
Even by the tax haven's high standards, Prince Albert is obscenely wealthy,
with an estimated fortune of $1 billion, making him one of the wealthiest royals in
the world. According to the International Business Times, Albert's assets include
a robust real estate portfolio and other moneymakers, like the Monte Carlo Casino.
He also owns an expensive car collection inherited from his father,
which is on display to the public at the royal palace – a lavish structure that
was first built as a fortress in 1191, making it rich in history as well as monetary value.
Tatler reports that Prince Albert, an avid sportsman, dreamed of playing
football for Monaco. While that never came to fruition, Albert is a five-time Olympian,
competing in bobsledding. He competed in his first Olympics in 1988,
just three years after discovering the sport. In November 1987, he said,
"I came to bobsledding quite by accident. I was on a skiing holiday
in St. Moritz and took a guest ride. I liked it. I thought it was a thrilling
experience. It is scary. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was apprehensive at first."
"So I kind of said to myself, maybe I'd like to try that someday."
Albert insisted on being treated as just another athlete at the Olympics,
staying with his fellow Olympians in the Olympic Village, according to UPI. He said,
"I would rather people watch me at these Games as a bobsledder — not as Prince Albert."
Alas, Albert never won an Olympic medal, and he competed in his last Games in 2002. He's
interested in other sports, though. According to The New York Times, he's competed in at least
16 others — though not at the Olympic level — and has a black belt in judo.
Prince Albert is a passionate environmentalist who is committed to combating climate change. He's the
founder of the Prince Albert The Second of Monaco Foundation, which, according to its website, is:
"Dedicated to protecting the environment and
promoting sustainable development at a local and global level."
He's been outspoken on the issue for years, ever since making a trek to the North Pole
in 2006 to raise awareness about the rapidly decreasing Arctic ice cap,
according to Today. Three years later, he made the journey to the South Pole,
making history. As his foundation's Vice President told the Monaco Tribune,
"To this day, Prince Albert II is therefore the only head of state still in office who has
been to both poles. He quite happily calls himself the bipolar prince."
Prince Albert is also dedicated to protecting the world's oceans,
telling "CNBC Meets: Defining Values":
"We need to find new solutions not only for ocean preservation, but to be able to prove
that the ocean not only is important for all that we know already scientifically,
but that it has resources that have tremendous value for us."
"We depend on nature to survive."
According to Financial Times, Albert is working on making his own country
more environmentally friendly. The nation is increasingly swapping its gas-powered
vehicles for electric cars, and is set to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Ruling a country — even one as small as Monaco — is no easy task.
"My father was called the boss as well, I view it as an endearing term…"
"Bosses usually do…"
While some royals might have you believe that they are unbothered by the weight of
that responsibility, Prince Albert has been frank about the challenges
of being his country's sovereign. In the documentary "Inside Monaco," he admitted,
"I can't say that every day is wonderful bliss and enjoyment. It's not easy for anybody in a
position of responsibility. There are some very unpleasant meetings. I try to think
what nice things will come after my meetings are over. [...] Having a nice glass of wine."
In a 2019 interview with People magazine, Prince Albert opened up about speaking to Prince Harry,
Duke of Sussex, revealing that he could relate to the British royal, who had been harassed by
the media along with his wife, Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex. Albert said,
"He has said he feels 'bullied,' and I can understand. [...] I sympathized with him,
saying, 'Just do what you have to do to ensure your privacy.'"
Just a couple of months later, Prince Harry did just that,
stepping down as a senior royal along with Meghan.