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Here's a look at the life of His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II. He was formally inaugurated as ruler of Monaco on July 12, 2005, following the death of his father, Prince Rainier.
Birthdate: March 14, 1958
place of birth: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Birth name: Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi, His Serene Highness, Crown Prince of Monaco, Marquis of Baux
Father: Prince Rainier III
Mother: Princess Grace, formerly actress Grace Kelly
Marriage: Charlene Wittstock (July 1, 2011-present)
Children: with Charlene Wittstock: Princess Gabriella Thérèse Marie and Prince Jacques Honoré Rainier; with Nicole Coste: Eric Alexandre Stéphane; with Tamara Rotolo: Jazmín Grace Rotolo.
Education: Amherst University, B.A., 1981
Military service: French Navy
He is interested in environmental issues, alternative energy and hybrid vehicles.
An avid athlete, he has competed in five Winter Olympics (1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002) in the sport of luge, but has not won a medal.
He has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1985.
His two oldest children are not in line for the throne because they were born out of wedlock.
March 31, 2005 – The Crown Council of Monaco transfers regency of the small kingdom to Prince Albert, heir to the throne, stating that Prince Rainier can no longer perform his duties as monarch.
April 6, 2005 – Prince Rainier III dies of organ failure and Prince Albert becomes Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco.
July 6, 2005 – He publicly acknowledges the paternity of his son, Alexandre, born to Nicole Coste, a flight attendant from Togo.
July 12, 2005 – The first part of the formal investiture as ruler of Monaco is the Mass in St. Nicholas Cathedral, which marks the end of the period of mourning for Prince Rainier.
November 17, 2005 – The second part of the formal investiture is the enthronement ceremony at St. Nicholas Cathedral.
April 16, 2006 – Travel to the North Pole by dog sled to raise awareness about global warming.
June 1, 2006 – He acknowledges the paternity of his daughter, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, born to a former American waitress, Tamara Rotolo.
March 2, 2007 – He presides over the opening ceremony in Paris of the International Polar Year, a research program focused on the polar regions in which 50,000 scientists from 63 countries participate.
January 28, 2008 – He is named one of the “Champions of the Earth” of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
April 22, 2008 – Receives the UNEP award that recognizes people who show extraordinary leadership on environmental issues.
January 5 to 14, 2009 – Complete an expedition to the South Pole, assessing the climate impact on Antarctica along the way. He is the only head of state who has visited both poles.
June 23, 2010 – The palace announces Prince Albert's engagement to Charlene Wittstock, 32, a former Olympic swimmer and schoolteacher from South Africa.
July 1, 2011 – Prince Albert marries Charlene Wittstock in a civil ceremony in the throne room of the Palace of Monaco.
July 2, 2011 – A second wedding, a religious ceremony that includes mass, takes place in the main courtyard of the Monaco Palace. The ceremony is broadcast to the 3,500 guests who could not fit inside the palace.
October 2013 – Loaning pieces from his private collection of Olympic torches for the Russian Olympic torch exhibition.
October 7, 2013 – He is one of the first torchbearers for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics.
December 14, 2015 – Prince Albert receives the 2015 Global Advocate Award from United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his work in climate change research and environmental conservation efforts.
October 2016 – He buys his mother's childhood home in Philadelphia, with the idea of turning it into a museum or offices for foundation work.
February 29, 2024 – A Bloomberg Businessweek investigation alleges that Prince Albert repeatedly awarded his nephews, Andrea and Pierre Casiraghi, state contracts worth millions over the past 15 years. The prince and his nephews denied any wrongdoing in a statement to Businessweek.
Monaco is a sovereign principality, meaning it is ruled by a prince.
It is the second smallest country in the world, after the Vatican. At 2.02 square kilometers (77 square miles), Monaco is about half the size of New York's Central Park.
It is located on the French Riviera and borders France on three sides. It is a popular tourist destination, famous for its casino and luxury hotels.
Monaco is also the capital of the principality. The official language is French. The other main languages spoken are English and Italian.
Monegasque is also spoken there, a mixture of the French Provençal and Ligurian Italian dialects.
