Wednesday, April 06, 2005

In Memoriam


His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III



* Born: 31 May 1923
* Birthplace: Monaco
* Best Known As: Ruler of Monaco and husband of Princess Grace

For more than 50 years Rainier Grimaldi III has ruled the tiny and glamorous principality of Monaco on the south coast of France. Rainier succeeded his grandfather, Prince Louis II, as ruler of Monaco on 9 May 1949. On 18 April 1956 he married American movie star Grace Kelly, who became known as Princess Grace. The couple had three children: Caroline (b. 1957), Albert (b. 1958) and Stephanie (b. 1965). Though small in size -- its total acreage is smaller than New York's Central Park -- Monaco has long been known for its grand casino, beaches and annual auto race. Rainier is credited with modernizing the principality and building it into a banking center and financial haven for the wealthy. He has kept a lower public profile since his wife's 1982 death in an auto accident, and is thought to have been deeply affected by the tragedy. His son Albert is next in line to the throne.

Rainier's formal title is His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III... Though the family name is Grimaldi, the prince is generally called simply Prince Rainier... The prince succeeded his grandfather on the throne because his mother, Princess Charlotte, had renounced her right of succession in 1944... Rainier is the grandfather of Caroline's children Charlotte and Andrea Casiraghi. LINK

Long Live Prince Albert!

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home