The Scandalous, Glamorous Royal Family That Is the Polar Opposite Of King Charles’ Clan

British royal family news reveals that royalists the world over are familiar with King Charles, and the former reigning monarch, his mother the late Queen Elizabeth.

The family’s trials and travails are well chronicled each and every day, especially the tawdry antics of failed Prince Harry and his first wife Meghan Markle. But Monaco’s royal family takes the cake in the royal scandal sweepstakes.

Known as the House of Grimaldi, the family have been in power since 1297, operating from the Palais Princier, a lavish fortress that looks out over the Mediterranean sea and the gambling mecca of Monte Carlo. Here’s a who’s who of the ultra glam royals who have been making headlines for centuries. That Is the Polar Opposite Of King

Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene

Prince Albert is the reigning Prince of Monaco, born in 1958 to Prince Rainier and American movie star Grace Kelly. His reign began in 2005, upon the death of Prince Rainier, and six years later he married South African Olympic swimmer, Charlene Wittstock.

Albert is also an Olympian, and as a member of Monaco’s bobsled team he competed in five Olympiads.

The rumor plagued couple share twins Jacques and Gabriella. Albert’s brood also includes illegitimate son Alexandre with former flight attendant Nicole Coste, and daughter, Jazmin, with a California woman named Tamara Rotolo.

The out of wedlock kids (who he initially denied and rejected) were scandalous enough, but in 2021 rumors of marital problems made the news when Charlene left Monaco for South Africa and did not appear in public for ten months.

Before this it was reported that Charlotte allegedly tried to run away before her wedding, was confiscated at the airport, and returned to Albert.

Prince Albert and Princess Grace

Prince Rainier was the Prince of Monaco from 1949 to 2005. He was born in 1923 to Princess Charlotte and her husband Count Pierre, and he joined the Free French Army in 1944 going on to fight in The Battle of Alsace.

His legacy includes the financial stabilization of Monaco, which was in dire straits after WWII. He managed to reverse the country’s fortunes by making it a tax haven for wealthy individuals.
He died at age 81 in April 2005 after being hospitalized for a lung infection.

Princess Grace was born in 1929 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By her early twenties, she was one of the most glamorous actresses in the world.

As Grace Kelly she beguiled audiences and won an Academy Award in 1954 for her performance in The Country Girl. She starred Dial M For Murder, Rear Window, and To Catch a Thief.

She met Prince Rainier in 1955 during The Cannes Film Festival, and their lives were pocked by reports of infidelities on both sides. She died in 1982 after a car crash.

It was rumored at the time that her young daughter Stephanie was driving the car although the official report lists Grace as the driver. The couple had three children: Caroline, Albert, and Stéphanie.

Princess Caroline

Princess Caroline, born in 1956, was the heir to the Monaco throne until Prince Albert was born. Charlotte has modeled for Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and is a brand ambassador of Chanel. Her marriages unfortunately were the stuff of Greek tragedy.

She married the much older banker Phillipe Junot in 1978 in front of Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner but they divorced in 1980.

In 1983 she married Stefano Casiraghi and they had three children: Andrea, Charlotte, and Pierre. He died in a racing accident in 1990.

Princess Caroline married for a third time in 1999, to Prince Ernst August of Hanover, who has had his own scandal-filled life, including threatening Austrian police with a knife, urinating in public, and attacking a photographer.

Princess Stéphanie

Princess Stéphanie is the youngest child of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly. On September 13, 1982 she was 17 years old and a passenger in a car driven by her mother. The car crashed, killing Princess Grace Kelly and injuring Stéphanie.

Stéphanie’s colorful life includes children out of wedlock, joining the circus, modeling and singing, and running with the Hollywood Brat Pack during her 20s. Today she is described as a philanthropist.

Tell us who your favorite Monaco royal is!

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