Want to learn more about the Monaco royal family? The House of Grimaldi is one that’s both glamorous and scandalous. They’ve ruled the wealthy principality since 1297 from the Palais Princier, a sprawling fortress that sits upon the Rock of Monaco and looks out over the Mediterranean sea and Monte Carlo.
In 1956, Monaco felt like the center of the universe, when Prince Rainier III married Grace Kelly, the Oscar-winning American actress, in Monte Carlo. She wore a lace long-sleeved wedding gown by Helen Rose, who was the in-house costume designer for movie studio MGM.
Currently, her son, Prince Albert, rules Monaco. (The country does not have kings: since it’s so small, it knew that proclaiming a “king” would make it a target of invasions from larger countries like France. Instead, they called themselves “prince” or “princess” and defer to more powerful rulers to their north.)
And Albert really rules: while other European countries have monarchs as symbolic heads of state, Monaco’s government is a hereditary and constitutional monarchy. His reign has been a scandalous one: the former accountant of Prince Albert recently leaked unflattering financial information to the French newspaper Le Monde, while there has been ongoing speculation surrounding his marriage to the South African swimmer Princess Charlene.
Below, a who’s who guide to the Monaco Royal Family.
Prince Albert II
The reigning Prince of Monaco. Born in 1958 to Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, he was the couple’s second child and only son.
He attended Amherst College in the United States before joining the French navy. As an adult, he was a member of Monaco’s bobsled team and went to the Olympics five times.
In 2005, upon the death of Prince Rainier, he became the ruling leader of Monaco. Six years later, he married South African Olympic swimmer, Charlene Wittstock.
They have two children, twins Jacques and Gabriella. Albert also has another son, Alexandre, with former flight attendant Nicole Coste, and another daughter, Jazmin, with a California woman named Tamara Rotolo.
The existence of his out-of-wedlock children caused a scandal in the early 2000s when they were revealed. That would be one of many press storms for the Prince: in 2021, rumors of marital trouble swirled when his wife, Princess Charlene, left Monaco for South Africa and did not appear in public for ten months. The palace said Charlene was experiencing health issues that did not allow her to leave her home country.
In 2024, an explosive investigative report by Le Monde alleged deep secrets within the royal family’s finances, including that Princess Charlene had a yearly allowance of 1.5 million euros.
Princess Charlene
Born Charlene Wittstock on January 25, 1978 in Zimbabwe, the former Princess of Monaco moved to South Africa when she was 12 years old. A lifelong swimmer, she competed in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. That same year, she went to Monaco for an international swimming meet, where she met Prince Albert. In 2005, they officially began dating—making their first public appearance at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin. They wed in July 2011, with Wittstock wearing an Armani Privé gown.
In 2014, the couple welcomed a pair of twins, Jacques and Gabriella.
Rumors swirled when, in 2021, she flew to South Africa without her family and did not return to Monaco for several months. The palace said this was due to a health condition, however, many speculated about the state of the couple’s marriage. In May 2022, however, she officially returned to royal life.
Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella
The 10-year-old twins and heirs of House Grimaldi. Gabriella was born first in 2014, but due to male primogeniture laws, Jacques was named the heir to the Monaco throne. In addition to the titles of prince and princess, Jacques is also the Marquis of Baux and Gabriella is the Countess of Carladès.
Princess Caroline
Born in 1956, Princess Caroline is the first child and first daughter of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly. For two years, she was the heir to the Monaco throne, until her brother Prince Albert was born.
She studied at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Caroline married banker Phillipe Junot in 1978 during a lavish ceremony with 650 guests, which included Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner. They divorced in 1980.
Three years later, she married Stefano Casiraghi. They have three children: Andrea, Charlotte, and Pierre. Charlotte has modeled for Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and in 2020, became a brand ambassador of Chanel.
Princess Stéphanie
The third child and second daughter of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly. On September 13, 1982—when she was just 17 years old—she and her mother got into a car accident. The crash killed Kelly and injured Stéphanie.
Stéphanie worked at Christian Dior, La Prairie, and appeared on the covers of French Vogue and Vanity Fair. Currently, she is a philanthropist, whose causes include HIV/AIDS as well as the performing arts.
Princess Grace
Born Grace Kelly on November 12, 1929 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In her early twenties, Kelly became one of the most famous actresses in the world—and arguably the 20th century. She won an Academy Award in 1954 for her performance in The Country Girl. Kelly was also a muse of Alfred Hitchcock, starring in Dial M For Murder, Rear Window, and To Catch a Thief.
She met Prince Rainier in 1955 while making an official appearance at the Palace during The Cannes Film Festival. They dated for a year before marrying in 1956. Their wedding, where Kelly wore a long-sleeved lace dress now considered an iconic piece of fashion history, was broadcast by MGM Studios.
They had three children: Caroline, Albert, and Stéphanie. While princess of Monaco, she served as the president of the Monaco Red Cross as well as the Princess Grace Foundation, which gives grants and fellowships to emerging theater performers.
She died tragically after a car crash on September 13, 1982.
Prince Rainier
The Prince of Monaco from 1949 to 2005. Upon his death, he was succeeded by his son, Prince Albert.
Born in 1923 to Princess Charlotte and her husband Count Pierre, he attended the University of Montpellier before joining the Free French Army in 1944. There, he fought in The Battle of Alsace.
In 1949, he became the reigning Prince of Monaco. He worked to financially stabilize Monaco, which was in an extreme economic downturn post WWII, by transforming it into a tax haven for wealthy individuals. He married Grace Kelly in 1956 and had three children: Caroline, Albert, and Stephanie.
He died in April 2005 after being hospitalized for a lung infection. Rainier was 81 years old.
