Category Archives: Monaco Royals

Honoré II, Prince of Monaco

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Honoré II, Prince of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

From 1331 – 1612, the rulers of Monaco were styled Lord of Monaco. Honoré II was the first Prince of Monaco. Born in Monaco on December 24, 1597, Honoré II, Prince of Monaco was the only son and the second of the three children of Hercule, Lord of Monaco (1562 – 1604) and Maria Landi (? – 1599), a member of a noble family from Piacenza, now in northern Italy. Honoré II’s paternal grandparents were Honoré I, Lord of Monaco (1522 – 1581) and Isabella Grimaldi (? – 1583). His maternal grandparents were Italian noble Claudio Landi, 3rd Prince of Val di Taro (? – 1589) and Juana Fernández de Córdoba y Milá de Aragón, a descendant of the Royal House of Aragon through her mother.

Honoré had two sisters:

Honoré lost both his parents in childhood. When he was two years old, his mother died on January 19, 1599, due to childbirth complications after the birth of her third child. On November 29, 1604, Honoré’s father Hercule, Lord of Monaco was stabbed to death while walking through the streets of Monaco at night. His body was dumped into the sea by the murderer(s) and was later found washed up on the shore. The cause of his murder remains unclear. A month short of his seventh birthday, Honoré succeeded his father as Lord of Monaco. For their protection, Honoré and his two sisters were hidden until their maternal uncle Feredico Landi, 4th Prince of Val di Taro (? – 1630), arrived to rule as regent, a position he held until 1616. Feredico Landi was a loyal ally of Spain and he allowed the occupation of Monaco by Spanish troops in 1605.

In 1612, Honoré II started using the title of Prince, becoming the first Prince of Monaco. Monaco was recognized as a sovereign principality by King Felipe IV of Spain in 1633 and by King Louis XIII of France in the Treaty of Péronne of 1641. Under the Treaty of Péronne, the Principality of Monaco became a French protectorate and the Spanish troops in Monaco were finally removed. The Princes of Monaco became vassals of the Kings of France while remaining sovereign princes. Many successive Princes of Monaco and their families spent most of their lives in France and intermarried with French and Italian noble families.

Because of the treaty with France, Honoré lost his Spanish lands and their income. To make up for the loss, King Louis XIII gave Honoré the Duchy of Valentinois, the Marquisate of Baux, the County of Carladès, the City of Chabeuil, the Baronies of Calvinet, Buis, and the Lordship of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Although the lands connected to these titles eventually reverted to France, some of these titles have been bestowed upon members of the Princely Family of Monaco over the years. The Marquis of Baux has become the traditional title of the heir apparent to the throne of Monaco. Albert I, Prince of Monaco gave his granddaughter Charlotte the title Duchess of Valentinois in 1919. In 2014, upon the birth of his twins Princess Gabriella and Hereditary Prince Jacques, Albert II, Prince of Monaco created them the Countess of Carladès and the Marquis of Baux. Albert II had also held the title Marquis of Baux while he was the heir apparent.

Honoré’s wife Ippolita Trivulzio, Princess of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

On February 13, 1616, Honoré married Ippolita Trivulzio, the daughter of the Italian nobles Carlo Emanuele Teodoro Trivulzio, Count of Melzo and Caterina Gonzaga. Ippolita’s brother Gian Giacomo Teodoro Trivulzio had married Honoré’s sister Jeanne Marie in 1615. Ippolita predeceased her husband, dying on June 20, 1638, at the age of 37.

Hercule Grimaldi, Marquis of Baux; Credit – Wikipedia

Honoré and Ippolita had one son:

On August 1, 1651, Honoré’s son and heir, twenty-seven-year-old Hercule, Marquis of Baux, visited the Convent of Carnoles in Mentone, then in Monaco, now in France. After the visit, he engaged in recreational shooting with some guards in the convent’s garden. Hercule was interested in how the gun worked and asked one of the guards to show him. The guard mishandled the gun and accidentally shot it toward Hercule and two other guards. All three were wounded. Fatally wounded in the spine, Hercule died the next day. Hercule’s nine-year-old son Louis became heir apparent and succeeded his grandfather Honoré II as Louis I, Prince of Monaco.

The palace of Honoré I, Lord of Monaco, the grandfather of Honoré II (on the left) and the palace of Honoré II with some additions by Louis I, Honoré II’s grandson and successor (on the right)

During his reign, Honoré II did much to extend, rebuild, and transform what was originally the  1191 fortress of his Grimaldi ancestors into what is today’s Prince’s Palace of Monaco. Honoré I, Lord of Monaco, the grandfather of Honoré II, had done some renovations but his palace still had a grim, fortress-like appearance. Over a 30-year period, Honoré II transformed his grandfather’s palace into a palace suitable for a prince. Well-educated and a patron of the arts, Honoré II began collecting artworks by Albrecht Dürer, Michelangelo, Raphael, Peter Paul Rubens, and Titian, the beginnings of the art collection at the palace.

Today’s Prince’s Palace in the right foreground; Credit – By Nathanaël Martel – nat.fam-martel.eu, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6296088

After a reign of fifty-eight years, Honoré II, Prince of Monaco died in Monaco on January 10, 1662, at the age of 64. He was buried at the Church of Saint Nicholas in Monaco. During the late 19th century, a new and larger church, the Cathedral of Monaco, was built on the site of the Church of Saint Nicholas. The original church was demolished in 1874 but the current cathedral was built over the areas of the previous church and the old burial site so that the sovereign princes and consorts originally buried at the Church of Saint Nicholas are now buried in the Cathedral of Monaco.

Entrance to the common vault where the Grimaldi family members originally buried at the Church of St. Nicholas are buried; Credit – www.findagrave.com

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. 2022. Honoré II. (Monaco) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor%C3%A9_II._(Monaco)> [Accessed 3 January 2022].
  • Edwards, Anne, 2017. The Grimaldis of Monaco. Blue Ridge Summit: Lyons Press.
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Honoré II, Prince of Monaco – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor%C3%A9_II,_Prince_of_Monaco> [Accessed 3 January 2022].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Prince’s Palace of Monaco – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince%27s_Palace_of_Monaco> [Accessed 3 January 2022].
  • Flantzer, Susan, 2020. Royal Deaths from Firearms Accidents. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-deaths-from-firearms-accidents/> [Accessed 3 January 2022].
  • Hello Monaco. 2021. Hercule I, Doctor of Law and Father of The First Prince of Monaco. [online] Available at: <https://www.hellomonaco.com/sightseeing/grimaldi-family/hercule-i-doctor-of-law-and-father-of-the-first-prince-of-monaco-en/> [Accessed 3 January 2022].
  • Palais.mc. 2022. Prince’s Palace of Monaco. [online] Available at: <https://www.palais.mc/en/the-institution/the-prince-s-palace-of-monaco-1-16.html> [Accessed 3 January 2022].

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception (Cathedral of Monaco) in Monaco-Ville, Monaco

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

The Cathedral of Monaco; Credit – By User:Berthold Wernerld Werner – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15613011

The Romanesque Revival style Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, also known as the Cathedral of Monaco, is a Roman Catholic church in Monaco-Ville, Principality of Monaco. Monaco has been ruled by the House of Grimaldi since 1297 when Francesco Grimaldi from the Republic of Genoa, now in Italy, and his men captured the fortress protecting the Rock of Monaco while dressed as Franciscan monks. The modern Grimaldis are not descendants of Francesco. His marriage was childless, and after his death in 1309, he was succeeded by his cousin and stepson Rainier I of Monaco, Lord of Cagnes. The ruler of Monaco was known as Lord of Monaco until 1612 when the Council of Monaco recognized Honoré II as Sovereign Prince of Monaco.

The first parish church in Monaco was dedicated to St. Nicholas of Myra, the patron saint of sailors. Over the years, the Lords and Sovereign Princes of Monaco along with the people of Monaco generously gave funds to decorate and enlarge the Church of Saint Nicholas.

Interior of the Cathedral of Monaco; Credit – By Leandro Neumann Ciuffo – Catedral de Monte-Carlo – 2, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28378642

Prince Charles III (reigned 1856-1889) decided to build a new and larger church on the original site of the Church of Saint Nicholas. The original church was destroyed in 1874 and the first stone of the new church was laid in 1875. The new Cathedral of Monaco was dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception with Saint Nicholas of Myra and Saint Benoît (Saint Benedict of Nursia) as secondary patron saints. Sometimes the cathedral is called St. Nicholas Cathedral after the original church. Although the new building was only two-thirds completed, the first services were held in 1886. The cathedral was inaugurated in 1903 and consecrated in 1911.

Altar of the Cathedral of Monaco; Credit – By Leandro Neumann Ciuffo – Catedral de Monte-Carlo – 3, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28378641

Royal Christenings

The christening of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco

This may not be a complete list.

Royal Weddings

The wedding of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and Grace Kelly

This may not be a complete list.

Royal Funerals

The funeral of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco

This may not be a complete list.

Royal Burials

Grave of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco; Credit – www.findagrave.com

The current cathedral was built over the areas of the previous church and the old cemetery so that the sovereign princes and consorts originally buried at the Church of Saint Nicholas are now buried in the Cathedral of Monaco. All of Monaco’s sovereign princes except Jacques I and Honoré III and many of the consorts are buried at the Cathedral of Monaco.

Entrance to the common vault where the Grimaldi family members originally buried at the Church of St. Nicholas are buried; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Unofficial Royalty: Monaco Royal Burial Sites

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • An Ard Rí and Flantzer, Susan. Unofficial Royalty. 2012. Monaco Royal Burial Sites. [online] Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/royal-burial-sites/monaco-burial-sites/> [Accessed 13 September 2021].
  • En.wikipedia.org. 2021. Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Our_Lady_Immaculate> [Accessed 13 September 2021].
  • Flantzer, Susan. 2019. Monaco Royal Christenings. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/monaco-royal-christenings/> [Accessed 13 September 2021].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. 2021. Cathédrale Notre-Dame-Immaculée de Monaco — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cath%C3%A9drale_Notre-Dame-Immacul%C3%A9e_de_Monaco> [Accessed 13 September 2021].

Ancestors of Prince Albert II of Monaco

compiled by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Albert II, Prince of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

As of the publication of this article in 2021, Prince Albert II of Monaco has the least royal pedigree of all the European monarchs. His maternal great-grandparents were immigrants to the United States from Ireland and Germany. Prince Albert’s mother, the American actress Grace Kelly, can be considered “Hollywood royalty.” She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the drama The Country Girl (1954) with Bing Crosby. Among her other films were the western High Noon (1952) with Gary Cooper, the romance-comedy-musical High Society (1956) with Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, and three Alfred Hitchcock suspense thrillers: Dial M for Murder (1954) with Ray Milland, Rear Window (1954) with James Stewart, and To Catch a Thief (1955) with Cary Grant. Prince Albert’s maternal grandfather John B. Kelly Sr. won three Olympic gold medals for rowing.

Besides members of the princely family of Monaco, the only other royal that appears in Prince Albert’s last five generations is his great-great-great-grandmother Princess Marie Amelie of Baden, daughter of Karl I, Grand Duke of Baden and Stéphanie de Beauharnais. Princess Marie Amelie of Baden married William Hamilton, 11th Duke of Hamilton, the Premier Peer of Scotland, and their daughter Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton married Prince Albert I of Monaco. Princess Marie Amelie was a close friend and confidant of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French and his wife Eugénie de Montijo, Empress of the French.

Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Great-Great-Grandparents, and Great-Great-Great-Grandparents of Albert II, Prince of Monaco (born March 14, 1958)

The links below are from Unofficial Royalty,  Wikipedia, Leo’s Genealogics Website, The Peerage, or Find A Grave.

Parents

Prince Albert’s parents; Credit – Wikipedia

Grandparents

Embed from Getty Images 
At Prince Rainier III’s accession to the throne in 1950, first row from left to right: Rainier’s sister Princess Antoinette, Rainier’s mother Princess Charlotte, Prince Rainier III, and Rainier’s father Pierre de Polignac – Charlotte and Pierre are Albert II’s paternal grandparents

Great-Grandparents

Louis II, Prince of Monaco, great-grandfather; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Grandparents

Lady Mary Victoria Victoria Hamilton and Albert I, Prince of Monaco, great-great-grandparents; Credit – Wikipedia

Great-Great-Great-Grandparents

Princess Marie Amelie of Baden, great-great-great-grandmother; Credit – Wikipedia

Sources:

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Alexandre-Athenase Noghès, 1st Husband of Princess Antoinette of Monaco

by Scott Mehl
© Unofficial Royalty 2021

Alexandre-Athenase Noghès was the lover and first husband of Princess Antoinette of Monaco, with whom he had three children. The couple married three months after their last child was born, but divorced three years later.

Alexandre-Athenase Noghès was born in Monaco on June 15, 1916, the son of Antony Noghès and Marie Markellos-Petsalis. His father, Antony, served in the Monegasque government, responsible for the procurement, manufacturing, and sale of tobacco in the principality. An avid racing fan, he served as Commissioner-General of the Monte Carlo Automobile Club (his own father was the club’s first president), and organized the first Monaco Grand Prix which took place in 1929. He later succeeded his father as President of the club in 1940. Alexandre had one sister and one half-brother from his father’s second marriage:

  • Bathilde Noghès (1913-2002) – married Grégoire Livieratos, had issue
  • Gilles Noghès (born 1947) – married (1); Martine Peyret, no issue, divorced; (2) Florence Leroux, had issue, divorced; (3) Ellen Van Faasen, no issue. Gilles has worked in the Monegasque government since 1979, and in 2006, he became the Principality’s first Ambassador to the United States and served as Ambassador to the United Nations.

Aleco (as he was known) became a tennis player, playing in tournaments around Europe and representing Monaco in the Davis Cup. He later became a lawyer. He was married three times. His first wife was Marie Angèle Bastel, who he married in Monaco.

The couple had one son before divorcing:

  • Lionel Noghès (born 1941) – race car driver for several years until suffering serious injuries in a crash at Le Mans. He has since had several businesses including a home furnishings company and published an autobiography in 2016.

Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness de Massy. photo: AP

In the mid-1940s, he began a relationship with Princess Antoinette of Monaco, the elder sister of Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

The couple had three children together:

  • Elizabeth-Ann de Massy, born January 13, 1947 – married Baron Bernard Alexandre Taubert-Natta, had issue, divorced; (2) Nicolai Vladimir Costello, had issue, divorced. Elizabeth-Ann died on June 10, 2020
  • Christian Louis de Massy, born January 17, 1949 – married (1) María Marta Quintana y del Carril, had issue, divorced; (2) Anne Michelle Lütken, no issue, divorced; (3) Julia Lakschin, no issue, divorced; (4) Cécile Irène Gelabale, had issue, divorced.
  • Christine Alix de Massy, born July 8, 1951 – married (1) Charles Wayne Knecht, had issue; (2) Leon Leroy, no issue. Christine Alix died on February 15, 1989.

As they were illegitimate, the children all had the surname Grimaldi, until October 1951, when Antoinette was created Baroness de Massy, and they began using de Massy as their surnames. On December 4, 1951, Aleco and Antoinette were married in a civil ceremony held at the Monegasque Consulate in Genoa. The marriage legitimated their children and them places in the line of succession at the time. The marriage only lasted three years, and the couple divorced in 1954. Antoinette retained full custody of the children, and limited their contact with their father.

Aleco spent several years living on his yacht in Monaco before moving to the United States. There, he met his third wife Margaret “Margot” James. The couple married in Las Vegas on June 13, 1970, and eventually settled in California. Alexandre Athenase Noghès died in Los Angeles on February 16, 1999, just three months before his 83rd birthday.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

First Cousins: Prince Albert II of Monaco

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Prince Albert II of Monaco (born 1958)

(All photos credits – Wikipedia unless otherwise noted)

Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco was born on March 14, 1958, at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco. He is the only son and the second of three children of Rainier III, Sovereign Prince of Monaco and American actress and Academy Award winner Grace Kelly. Albert’s paternal grandparents were Princess Charlotte of Monaco (illegitimate and adopted daughter of Prince Louis II of Monaco) and Count Pierre de Polignac. His maternal grandparents were John B. Kelly Sr., an American Olympic triple gold medalist in rowing, and Margaret Majer, the first coach of women’s teams at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2005, upon the death of his father, Albert became Sovereign Prince of Monaco. Albert married South African Charlene Wittstock and had twins, a son and a daughter.

Prince Albert had ten first cousins. He shares his first cousins with his siblings Princess Caroline of Monaco, Princess of Hanover and Princess Stéphanie of Monaco.

********************

Paternal Aunt of Prince Albert II: Child of Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Count Pierre de Polignac

********************

Maternal Aunts and Uncle of Prince Albert II: Children of John B. Kelly Sr. and Margaret Majer

  • Margaret Katherine Kelly (1925–1991), married George Davis, had two children
  • John Brendan Kelly, Jr. (1927–1985), married Mary Gray Freeman, had six children
  • Elizabeth Anne Kelly (1933–2009), married Donald LeVine, had two children

********************

PATERNAL FIRST COUSINS

Paternal First Cousins: Children of Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness de Massy and Alexandre-Athenase Noghès

Princess Antoinette had a long-term affair with Alexandre-Athenase Noghès, a tennis player. The couple had three illegitimate children who were later legitimized when their parents married in 1951. The marriage lasted only three years. In 1951, Antoinette was created Baroness de Massy. Her children’s original surname was Grimaldi, the surname of the Princely Family of Monaco. The children changed their surname to de Massy and began to use the titles Baron and Baroness although not entitled to do so. After they were legitimized, Antoinette’s children were in the line of succession to the throne of Monaco until the death of Prince Rainier II in 2005.

Embed from Getty Images 

Elisabeth-Anne de Massy (born 1947)

Elizabeth-Anne was a flower girl at the wedding of Grace Kelly and her uncle Prince Rainier III of Monaco.  She married Baron Bernard Alexandre Taubert-Natta. They had one son before divorcing. Elizabeth-Anne married a second time to choreographer Nicolai Vladimir Costello and they had one daughter:

********************

Embed from Getty Images
Christian de Massy attending his mother’s funeral with his cousins Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie and his niece Melanie de Massy (2011)

Christian de Massy (born 1949)

Christian de Massy was a page at the wedding of Grace Kelly and his uncle Prince Rainier III of Monaco.  He was a professional race driver. Christian has held several diplomatic positions including Economic Attaché to Embassy of Monaco in Washington D.C, Diplomatic Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign, Economic and Financial Affairs and Monaco Chargé d’Affaires for Latin America and the Caribbean.  Christian has been married and divorced four times: (1) María Marta Quintana y del Carril, had one daughter, divorced;  (2) Anne Michelle Lütken, no children, divorced  (3) Julia Lakschin, no children, divorced; (4)  Cécile Irène Gelabale, had two sons

********************

Embed from Getty Images
Princess Antoinette with her two daughters, Elisabeth-Anne de Massy and Christine de Massy (1961)

Christine de Massy (1951 – 1989)

Christine was a flower girl at the wedding of Grace Kelly and her uncle Prince Rainier III of Monaco. She married Charles Wayne Knecht, a first cousin once removed of her aunt by marriage Princess Grace. They had one son before divorcing. Christine then married  Leon Leroy but the marriage was childless. She died a year after her second marriage from leukemia.

********************

MATERNAL FIRST COUSINS

Maternal First Cousins: Children of Margaret “Peggy” Kelly and George Davis

Embed from Getty Images
Peggy Kelly Davis with her two daughters

Margaret Ann “Meg” Davis, (born 1946)

Meg Davis, along with her sister Mary Lee, was a flower girl at the wedding of her aunt Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco. In 1964, she married Richard Roe and they had three sons. The couple divorced and Meg married William Packer, the ex-husband of her cousin Grace LeVine.

********************

Mary Lee Davis (born 1948)

Along with her sister Meg, Mary Lee Davis was a flower girl at the wedding of Prince Rainier of Monaco and her aunt Grace Kelly.  She eloped when she was fifteen-years-old and married eighteen-year-old John Paul Jones Jr., the son of a local architect. Mary Lee had three children with her first husband. She married a second time to Hugh M Kentworthy and the couple had two children.

The Esoteric Curiosa: Wayward Grimaldi Relative Runs Off With Her “Prince Charming” On Board A Bus! Princess Grace’s Fifteen-Year-Old Niece Plays House With Her Boyfriend!

********************

Maternal First Cousins: Children of John B. Kelly Jr. and Mary Gray Freeman

Embed from Getty Images
(L-R) John B. Kelly III President of the Prince Albert of Monaco USA Foundation, his cousin Prince Albert II of Monaco and Miles White Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Field Museum

John B. Kelly III

John B. Kelly III received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Harvard University. He married Karen Spencer, an attorney, and they had one daughter and one son. John is a banker and serves on the boards of the Fairmount Park Conservancy and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation – USA.

In September 2016, Prince Albert II of Monaco purchased his mother’s childhood home, a 17-room house on Henry Avenue in East Falls, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with the intention to restore it. His cousin John B. Kelly III supervised the work on the house. Several other of Prince Albert’s cousins, including artist Susan Kelly von Medicus and her son William von Medicus, also helped out with the project. The home will serve as regional offices for the Princess Grace Foundation, as well as an exchange program with the Princess Grace Irish Library in Monaco. Tours of the house will benefit the Princess Grace Foundation and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

Embed from Getty Images
(L-R) William von Medicus (Susan Kelly von Medicus’s son) with baby Nora, Christopher LeVine, Susan Kelly von Medicus, Meg Davis Packer, Prince Albert II of Monaco, John B. Kelly III, Margaret Kelly, Nick Kelly (John B. Kelly III’s son), Megan von Medicus (William’s wife), and Karen Spencer Kelly stand in front of the newly renovated Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco’s Childhood Home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 9, 2018

********************

Embed from Getty Images
Susan Kelly von Medicus (in blue)

Susan Kelly von Medicus

Susan married Richard von Medicus and they had three sons. Susan is an art instructor at Villanova University in Pennsylvania and an artist specializing in iconography. Check out her artwork at her website: https://www.susanvonmedicus.com/

********************

Elizabeth “ Liz” Kelly (1959 – 2006)

Elizabeth Kelly earned a dual degree in 1981 in English and archaeology from Harvard University, where she was on the swim team and ran a catering service. She opened Brickworks in 1988 at 119 South 19th Street in Philadelphia. It was a bakery and lunch cafe named after the bricklaying industry in which her grandfather John B. Kelly Sr. made his fortune. Elizabeth died of cancer.

********************

No information on these cousins, all daughters of John B. Kelly, Jr.

  • Ann Kelly Ogle
  • Maura Kelly Casey (1957 – 2010) married Kevin Casey.
  • Margaret Christina “Buttons” Kelly

********************

Maternal First Cousins: Children of Elizabeth Anne “Lizanne” Kelly and Donald LeVine

Grace LeVine (1956 – 1999)

Grace was born in the year of the wedding of her aunt Princess Grace and was named after her. She attended the University of Pennsylvania. In 1978, she was a witness for her cousin Princess Caroline at her first wedding to Philippe Junot. Grace married William Packer. The couple had no children and divorced. Grace owned Sweetwater Farm, a bed-and-breakfast in Glen Mills in Chester County, Pennsylvania. She died of cancer in 1999. An annual award for young people in the arts, given by the Princess Grace Foundation, is named the Grace LeVine Award. Grace left Sweetwater Farm to her brother Christopher who renamed it The Inn at Grace Winery in honor of his sister.

********************

Embed from Getty Images
Christopher LeVine with his cousins Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie

Christopher LeVine (born 1958)

Christopher LeVine married Mary Victoria McNeil. The couple had two daughters and one son. Their daughter Ginna LeVine is an actress. Christopher was best man at Prince Albert’s wedding and is the godfather of Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Prince Albert’s son. Christopher and his wife run the bed and breakfast, mentioned above, that Christopher’s sister left him after her death.

********************

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Lundy, D. (2019). Main Page. [online] Thepeerage.com. Available at: http://www.thepeerage.com/. (for genealogy information)
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2019). Unofficial Royalty. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com. (for biographical and genealogy information)
  • Wikipedia. (2019). Main Page. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/.  (for biographical and genealogy information)

Monaco Royal Christenings

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

The Roman Catholic Monaco Cathedral (also called the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate and Saint Nicholas Cathedral) has been the site of baptisms, weddings, funerals, and burials of the Princely Family of Monaco. It was built on the site of the first church in Monaco, built in 1252, which was dedicated to Saint Nicholas. After the first church burned in a fire in 1874, the cathedral was built from 1875–1903 and consecrated in 1911.

********************

Princess Caroline of Monaco

Embed from Getty Images 
Princess Caroline with her mother

********************

Prince Albert II of Monaco

Embed from Getty Images
Prince Albert with his parents and sister

********************

Princess Stéphanie of Monaco

Embed from Getty Images

********************

Princess Gabriella of Monaco, Countess of Carladès

Embed from Getty Images
Princess Gabriella and her father

********************

Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Marquis of Baux

Embed from Getty Images
Hereditary Prince Jacques with his mother
  • Unofficial Royalty: Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Marquis of Baux
  • Parents: Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene, born Charlene Wittstock
  • Born: December 10, 2014, two minutes after his twin sister at The Princess Grace Hospital Centre in Monaco
  • Christened: May 10, 2015, at the Monaco Cathedral (also called the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate and Saint Nicholas Cathedral)
  • Names: Jacques Honoré Rainier
  • Godparents:
    • Christopher Le Vine Jr., maternal first cousin of his father
    • Diane de Polignac Nigra, paternal first cousin once removed of his father, the niece of Prince Louis de Polignac who was her father’s godfather

********************

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Marquis of Baux

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

2023

Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Marquis of Baux is the younger of the twin children of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife Princess Charlene (born Charlene Wittstock). Jacques was born on December 10, 2014, two minutes after his twin sister Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès at The Princess Grace Hospital Centre in Monaco. Jacques is first in the line of succession to the throne of Monaco. Because the succession to the throne is male-preference cognatic primogeniture, Jacques is ahead of his sister Gabriella in the line of succession even though she was born first.

 

Jacques has an elder half-sister and an elder half-brother from Prince Albert’s previous relationships. Prince Albert said his two children born out of wedlock would not be in line to the Monegasque throne but would be taken care of financially.

 

Jacques was baptized along with his twin sister Gabriella at the Cathedral of Monaco in Monaco by Bernard Barsi, Archbishop of Monaco on May 10, 2015. He was given the names Jacques Honoré Rainier:

  • Jacques: in honor of Prince Jacques I of Monaco and it is a common name in Princess Charlene’s homeland Zimbabwe
  • Honoré: the name of five Sovereign Princes of Monaco
  • Rainier: in honor of his paternal grandfather Prince Rainier III of Monaco

Jacques’ godparents were Christopher Le Vine Jr., a maternal first cousin of Prince Albert and Diane de Polignac Nigra, a paternal first cousin once removed of Prince Albert. Jacques and Gabriella wore Baby Dior cotton christening gowns embellished with Calais lace, floral embroidery, pleated detailing, and each baby’s own monogram.

In 2018, Prince Jacques and his twin sister Princess Gabriella began to attend La Petite Ecole, a private preschool in Port Hercule, Monaco. From 2019 – 2021, they attended Stella School, a public school in the district of Condamine in Monaco. In the fall of 2021, they began to attend L’Institution François d’Assise-Nicolas Barré (link in French) a private Catholic school.

Gabriella and Jacques with their parents, 2022

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Principality of Monaco Resources at Unofficial Royalty

Works Cited

  • Beauty, H., Film, T., Kate, W. and Beauty, H. (2017). Princess Charlene and Prince Albert’s twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques are baptised. [online] HOLA. Available at: http://us.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2015051025113/princess-charlene-prince-albert-twins-baptism/ [Accessed 27 Jul. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques,_Hereditary_Prince_of_Monaco [Accessed 27 Jul. 2017].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2017). Jacques de Monaco. [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_de_Monaco [Accessed 27 Jul. 2017].
  • Orderofsplendor.blogspot.com. (2017). Royal Fashion Awards: Monaco’s Twin Christening. [online] Available at: http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2015/05/royal-fashion-awards-monacos-twin.html [Accessed 27 Jul. 2017].

Princess Gabriella of Monaco, Countess of Carladès

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

2023

Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès is the elder of the twin children of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife Princess Charlene (born Charlene Wittstock). Gabriella was born on December 10, 2014, two minutes before her twin brother Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco, Marquis of Baux at The Princess Grace Hospital Centre in Monaco. Gabriella is second in the line of succession to the throne of Monaco. Because the succession to the throne is male-preference cognatic primogeniture, Gabriella’s brother Jacques is ahead of her in the line of succession even though she was born first.

 

Gabriella has an elder half-sister and an elder half-brother from Prince Albert’s previous relationships. Prince Albert said his two children born out of wedlock would not be in line to the Monegasque throne, but that they would be taken care of financially.

 

Gabriella was baptized along with her twin brother Jacques at the Cathedral of Monaco in Monaco by Bernard Barsi, Archbishop of Monaco on May 10, 2015. She was given the names Gabriella Thérèse Marie:

Gabriella’s godparents were Gareth Wittstock, her maternal uncle, and Nerine Pienaar, the wife of retired South African rugby player Francois Pienaar, a longtime friend of Princess Charlene. Gabriella and Jacques wore Baby Dior cotton christening gowns embellished with Calais lace, floral embroidery, pleated detailing, and each baby’s own monogram.

Gabriella and Jacques with their parents, 2022

In 2018, Princess Gabriella and her twin brother began to attend La Petite Ecole, a private preschool institution in Port Hercule, Monaco. From 2019 – 2021, they attended Stella School, a public school in the district of Condamine in Monaco. In the fall of 2021, they began to attend L’Institution François d’Assise-Nicolas Barré (link in French) a private Catholic school.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • Beauty, H., Film, T., Kate, W. and Beauty, H. (2017). Princess Charlene and Prince Albert’s twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques are baptised. [online] HOLA. Available at: http://us.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2015051025113/princess-charlene-prince-albert-twins-baptism/ [Accessed 27 Jul. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Gabriella,_Countess_of_Carlad%C3%A8s [Accessed 27 Jul. 2017].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2017). Gabriella de Monaco. [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriella_de_Monaco [Accessed 27 Jul. 2017].
  • Orderofsplendor.blogspot.com. (2017). Royal Fashion Awards: Monaco’s Twin Christening. [online] Available at: http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2015/05/royal-fashion-awards-monacos-twin.html [Accessed 27 Jul. 2017].

Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness de Massy

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness de Massy; Photo Credit – AFP

Born on December 28, 1920, in Paris, France, Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness de Massy (Antoinette Louise Alberte Suzanne), was the elder of the two children of Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois and Count Pierre de Polignac.  Antoinette had one younger brother:

 

Antoinette’s mother Charlotte was the illegitimate daughter of the future Prince Louis II of Monaco and his mistress Marie Juliette Louvet. Her parents had met the previous year in Paris, where Marie worked as a hostess in a nightclub. Because Louis was unmarried and without an heir, the Monegasque throne was likely to pass to a distant cousin, the German Duke of Urach. To avoid this, Louis’ father Prince Albert I of Monaco had a law passed recognizing Charlotte as Louis’ heir and part of the princely family. Her grandfather created her HSH Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Duchess of Valentinois. Upon Louis’ accession in 1922, Charlotte became the Hereditary Princess of Monaco. Charlotte and her husband Pierre divorced in 1933. Having been born illegitimate, and now divorced, Charlotte knew that she would never be fully accepted by the very Catholic Monaco, so she renounced her rights to the Monegasque throne in May 1944 in favor of her son Rainer.

Antoinette married three times:

(1) Princess Antoinette had a long-term affair with Alexandre-Athenase Noghès, a tennis player. The couple had three illegitimate children, later legitimized when their parents married in 1951. The couple divorced three years later. In 1951, Antoinette was created Baroness de Massy. Her children’s original surname was Grimaldi, the surname of the Princely Family of Monaco. The children changed their surname to de Massy and began to use the titles Baron and Baroness although not entitled to do so. After they were legitimized, Antoinette’s children were in the line of succession to the throne of Monaco until the death of Prince Rainier II in 2005.

  • Baroness Elisabeth-Anne de Massy (1947 – 2020), married  (1) Baron Bernard Alexandre Taubert-Natta, had one son, divorced (2) Nicolai Vladimir Costello, had one daughter
  • Baron Christian Louis de Massy (born 1949), married  (1) María Marta Quintana y del Carril, had one daughter, divorced  (2)  Anne Michelle Lütken, no children  (3)  Julia Lakschin, no children, divorced  (4)  Cécile Irène Gelabale, had two sons
  • Baroness Christine Alix de Massy (1951 – 1989), married  (1) Charles Wayne Knecht, had one son, divorced  (2)  Leon Leroy, no children

(2) Princess Antoinette married Dr. Jean-Charles Rey, President of the Conseil National, Monaco’s legislature, in 1961. Before they married, Antoinette and Rey had a long-term affair. During the 1950s, Antoinette and Rey sought to obtain the throne of Monaco for Antoinette’s son Christian. They spread malicious rumors that Prince Rainier’s fiancée, actress Gisèle Pascal, was unable to have children. This resulted in the cancellation of Rainier and Gisèle’s engagement and Antoinette’s estrangement from the princely family for years.  She did not fully reconcile with her family until after the death of Princess Grace in 1982. Antoinette and Rey had no children and divorced in 1974.

(3) In 1983, Princess Antoinette married a former British ballet dancer John Gilpin. Gilpin died from a heart attack six weeks after marrying Antoinette.

After her estrangement from her family, Antoinette lived in her villa Le Bout de Monde in Èze-sur-Mer on the French Riviera with her many dogs and cats. She was the president of Monaco’s Society for the Protection of Animals.

Princess Antoinette and her third husband John Gilpin

 

Princess Antoinette died at The Princess Grace Hospital Centre on March 18, 2011, at age 90. She was buried at the Chapelle de la Paix in Monaco beside her parents, her daughter Christine who died in 1989, and her last husband John Gilpin. Stefano Casiraghi, second husband of her niece Princess Caroline, who died in a boating accident in 1990, and Princess Antoinette’s daughter Elisabeth who died in 2020 are also buried at the Chapelle de la Paix.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

  • De.wikipedia.org. (2017). Antoinette Grimaldi. [online] Available at: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoinette_Grimaldi [Accessed 27 Jul. 2017].
  • En.wikipedia.org. (2017). Princess Antoinette, Baroness of Massy. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Antoinette,_Baroness_of_Massy [Accessed 27 Jul. 2017].
  • Fr.wikipedia.org. (2017). Antoinette de Monaco. [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoinette_de_Monaco [Accessed 27 Jul. 2017].
  • Unofficial Royalty. (2017). Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois. [online] Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/september-30-1898-birth-of-princess-charlotte-of-monaco-duchess-of-valentinois/ [Accessed 27 Jul. 2017].

Wedding of Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Prince Albert II of Monaco married Charlene Wittstock in a civil ceremony on July 1, 2011, in the Throne Room of the Prince’s Palace in Monaco-Ville, Monaco, and on July 2, 2011, in a religious ceremony in the Main Courtyard of the Prince’s Palace.

The Family of Prince Albert II

 

His Serene Highness Prince Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre was born on March 14, 1958, at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco. His parents were Prince Rainier III, Sovereign Prince of Monaco, and Grace Kelly, the American Academy Award-winning actress. Prince Albert has an older sister Princess Caroline (born in 1957) and a younger sister Princess Stephanie (born in 1965).

Prince Rainier’s mother Charlotte was the illegitimate child of Prince Louis II but was later legitimized, adopted, and recognized as her father’s heir. Princess Charlotte renounced her claim to the throne the day before Rainier’s twenty-first birthday. Prince Rainier succeeded his grandfather Prince Louis II in 1949. Grace Kelly’s grandparents immigrated to the United States from Ireland and Germany. Her father Jack Kelly was a self-made millionaire in the bricklaying business, a winner of three Olympic gold medals for rowing, and active in Philadelphia politics.

Prince Albert is a graduate of Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. While at college he toured Europe and the Middle East with the Amherst Glee Club and joined the Chi Psi fraternity. Prince Albert has always enjoyed participating in sports and represented Monaco in bobsled at the Winter Olympics of 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, and 2002. He is a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Prince Albert has confirmed that he has two illegitimate children: Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, born on March 4, 1992, in Palm Springs, California in the United States and Alexandre Éric Stéphane Coste, born on August 24, 2003, in Paris, France. Neither of these children has succession rights.

Prince Albert became the Sovereign Prince of Monaco on April 6, 2005, upon the death of his father Prince Rainier III.

 

The Family of Charlene Wittstock

Albert_charlene_parents

Charlene and her parents

Charlene Lynette Wittstock was born on January 25, 1978, in Bulawayo, Rhodesia, the former name of the country of Zimbabwe. She is the daughter of Michael Wittstock, a computer business operator, and Lynette Humberstone Wittstock, a former competitive diver and swimming coach. Charlene has two brothers, Gareth (born 1979) and Sean (born 1983). The family moved to South Africa when Charlene was ten years old and she attended the Tom Newby Primary School in Benoni, South Africa.

The grandparents of Charlene’s father, Gottlieb and Louise Wittstock, were German immigrants from Zerrenthin, Mecklenburg-Pomerania, Germany. Along with Gottlieb’s parents and his eight siblings, they arrived in South Africa in 1861. When they arrived in South Africa, the family worked as handymen and unsuccessfully mined for diamonds.

Charlene competed for the South African national swimming team. In the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, she competed in the 4 X 100-meter medley and the team came in fifth place. She planned to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing but could not due to a shoulder injury.

 

Engagement

albert_engagement

Official Engagement Photo, photo source: Prince’s Palace

Prince Albert first noticed Charlene Wittstock at the Monaco International Swim Meet in 2000 where she won the 200-meter backstroke. For the next five years, the couple periodically dated privately. At the Opening Ceremonies for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, their relationship went public. After that, the couple was seen together at several events including the Monaco Grand Prix, the Rose Ball held annually in Monaco, the Princess Grace Foundation Awards Gala, and most notably at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling in Stockholm on June 19, 2010. On June 23, 2010, four days after the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Albert II of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock became engaged.

The Engagement Ring

 

Charlene Wittstock’s engagement ring was created by Parisian jeweler Maison Repossi and is called the “Tethys” design. Made out of gray gold, the ring features a three-carat pear-shaped diamond surrounded by round diamond brilliants. The value of the ring is estimated at $100,000.

Wedding Guests

The following is a list of some notable guests at the religious ceremony.

Prince Albert’s Family

  • HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover
  • Mr. Andrea Casiraghi
  • Mr. Pierre Casiraghi
  • Ms. Charlotte Casiraghi
  • HRH Princess Alexandra of Hanover
  • HSH Princess Stéphanie of Monaco
  • Mr. Louis Ducruet
  • Ms. Pauline Ducruet
  • Ms. Camille Gottlieb

Royalty

  • TM King Carl XVI Gustaf & Queen Silvia of Sweden
  • TM King Albert II & Queen Paola of the Belgians
  • HM King Letsie III of Lesotho
  • TRH Grand Duke Henri & Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
  • HIM Empress Farah of Iran
  • TRH Crown Prince Frederik & Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
  • TRH Crown Princess Victoria & Prince Daniel of Sweden
  • TRH Prince Willem-Alexander & Princess Máxima of the Netherlands
  • TRH Crown Prince Haakon & Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
  • TRH Prince Philippe & Princess Mathilde of Belgium
  • HRH Crown Prince Salman of Bahrain
  • HRH Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg
  • HSH Hereditary Prince Alois & HRH Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein
  • TRH Crown Prince Aleksandar & Crown Princess Katarina of Serbia
  • TRH Crown Prince Vittorio Emanuele & Crown Princess Marina of Italy
  • TRH Crown Princess Margareta & Prince Radu of Romania
  • HIRH Prince Georg Friedrich of Germany and Prussia & HSH Princess Sophie von Isenburg
  • HIH Grand Duchess Mariya Vladimirovna of Russia
  • TRH Duarte Pio & Isabel of Portugal, Duke & Duchess of Braganza
  • TRH Prince Henri & Princess Micaela of France, Count & Countess of Paris
  • HRH Margrave Maximilian & HIRH Margravine Valerie of Baden
  • TIRH Princess Astrid & Prince Lorenz of Belgium
  • HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand
  • TRH the Earl & Countess of Wessex
  • TRH Prince & Princess Michael of Kent
  • TRH Prince Joachim & Princess Marie of Denmark
  • HRH Prince Carl Philip of Sweden
  • HRH Princess Madeleine of Sweden
  • TRH Prince Laurent & Princess Claire of Belgium
  • TRH Prince Faysal & Princess Sarah of Jordan
  • HRH Princess Maryam of Morocco
  • Lalla Soukaïna Filali (daughter of HRH Princess Maryam of Morocco)
  • HIH Grand Duke Georgiy Mihailovich of Russia
  • TRH Prince Emanuele Filiberto & Princess Clotilde of Savoy
  • HRH Prince Ernst August Jr. of Hanover
  • TRH Prince Bernhard & Princess Stephanie of Baden
  • TRH Prince Carlo & Princess Camilla of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
  • HRH Prince Christian of Hanover
  • TRH Prince Leopold & Princess Ursula of Bavaria
  • HH Prince Karīm, Aga Khan IV
  • HSH Princess Virginia zu Fürstenberg
  • Don Luis Alfonso and Doña María Margarita de Borbón y Martínez-Bordiú

Sports Personalities

  • Gerhard Berger (former Formula One racing driver)
  • Jonas Björkman (former World Number 4 professional tennis player)
  • Sergey Bubka (retired pole vaulter)
  • Nadia Comăneci (gymnast)
  • Charmaine Crooks (athlete)
  • Bob Ctvrtlik (volleyball player)
  • Sophie Edington (backstroke and freestyle swimmer)
  • Patrice Evra (international footballer)
  • Frankie Fredericks (former athlete)
  • Graham Hill (swimming coach and former competitive swimmer)
  • Jacky Ickx (former racing driver) and Khadja Nin[34]
  • Branislav Ivkovic (swimming coach, who trained Charlene Wittstock ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics)
  • Byron Kelleher (rugby union half-back)
  • Henri Leconte (former professional tennis player)
  • Axel Lund Svindal (World Cup alpine ski racer)
  • Julia Mancuso (alpine ski racer)
  • Ian McIntosh (rugby union coach)
  • Elana Meyer (former long-distance runner)
  • Ilie Năstase (former professional tennis player)
  • Ryk Neethling (swimmer)[35]
  • Terence Parkin (deaf swimmer)
  • François Pienaar (former rugby player)
  • Nicola Pietrangeli (former tennis player)
  • Sarah Poewe (professional swimmer)
  • Wayne Riddin (swimming coach and former competitive swimmer)
  • Count Jacques Rogge (President of the International Olympic Committee)
  • Roland Schoeman (swimmer)
  • Sir Jackie Stewart (former racing driver and team owner)
  • Jean Todt (President of the FIA) and Michelle Yeoh
  • Franziska Van Almsick (swimmer)
  • Pernilla Wiberg (alpine ski racer, IOC member)

Fashion Industry

  • Giorgio Armani
  • Terrence Bray
  • Naomi Campbell
  • Roberto Cavalli
  • Inès de La Fressange
  • Sébastien Jondeau
  • Isabell Kristensen
  • Karolína Kurková
  • Tereza Maxová
  • Karl Lagerfeld

Celebrities and Others

  • Bernard Arnault and Hélène Mercier-Arnault
  • Dame Shirley Bassey
  • Andrea Bocelli (tenor, multi-instrumentalist, and classical crossover artist)
  • Gerard Butler (actor)
  • Bernadette Chirac
  • Bernice Coppieters (ballet artist and member of the Les Ballets de Monte Carlo)
  • Donna D’Cruz (DJ and model)
  • Renée Fleming
  • Francisco Flores Pérez (President of El Salvador between 1999 and 2004)
  • Juan Diego Flórez (opera tenor)
  • Mel Gibson
  • Jean-Christophe Maillot (dancer and choreographer)
  • Pumeza Matshikiza (lyric soprano)
  • Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher
  • Sir Roger Moore and Lady Moore
  • Guy Laliberté (Canadian entrepreneur, philanthropist, poker player, space tourist, and CEO of Cirque du Soleil)
  • Yves Piaget (Swiss watch-maker and President of Piaget SA)
  • Eric Peugeot (French marketing engineer)
  • Bertrand Piccard
  • Johann Rupert (South African businessman and chairman of Richemont, VenFin and Remgro)
  • Eric Sempe (French guitarist)
  • Sonu Shivdasani (Chairman and CEO of the Six Senses group)
  • Victoria Silvstedt (celebrity, model, actress, singer, and television personality)
  • Sir Michael Smurfit
  • Umberto Tozzi (pop/rock singer and composer)

Government and Diplomacy

  • George Abela (President of Malta)
  • Salma Ahmed (Ambassador of Kenya to Monaco and France)
  • Angelino Alfano (Minister of Justice of Italy
  • Maria Luisa Berti (shared Captain Regent of San Marino)
  • Constantin Chalastanis (Ambassador of Greece to Monaco and France)
  • Mirko Galic (Ambassador of Croatia to Monaco and France)
  • Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (President of Iceland)
  • Kornelios Korneliou (Ambassador of Cyprus to Monaco and France)
  • Ulrich Lehner (Ambassador of Switzerland to Monaco and France)
  • Marc Lortie (Ambassador of Canada to Monaco and France)
  • Lejeune Mbella Mbella (Ambassador of Cameroon to Monaco and France)
  • Mary McAleese (President of Ireland)
  • Thomasz Orlowski (Ambassador of Poland to Monaco and France)
  • Jeff Radebe (Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development of South Africa)
  • Charles Rivkin (Ambassador of the United States to Monaco and France)
  • Nicolas Sarkozy (President of the French Republic)
  • Missoum Sbih (Ambassador of Algeria to Monaco and France)
  • Marthinus Van Schalkwyk (Minister of Tourism of South Africa)
  • Pál Schmitt (President of Hungary)
  • Veronika Stabej (Ambassador of Slovenia to Monaco and France)
  • Michel Suleiman (President of Lebanon)
  • Filippo Tamagnini (shared Captain Regent of San Marino)
  • Dr. Karlheinz Töchterle (Minister for Science and Research of Austria)
  • Viraphand Vacharathit (Ambassador of Thailand to Monaco and France)
  • Christian Wulff (Federal President of Germany)

Wedding Attendants

Best Man: Chris LeVine, Prince Albert’s cousin and the son of Princess Grace’s sister Lizanne LeVine

Matron of Honor: Donatella Knecht de Massy, the wife of Sebastien de Massy, Prince Albert’s first cousin once removed and grandson of Princess Antoinette of Monaco

albert_civilceremomy_witness

Civil Ceremony: Chris LeVine behind and to the left of Prince Albert, Donatella Knecht de Massy in between Prince Albert and Princess Charlene

Albert_civil_witness2

Donatella Knecht de Massy and Chris LeVine joined the newlyweds on the balcony after the civil ceremony

 

Seven girls, all about seven years old, were selected as maids of honor for the religious ceremony. One was from Monaco and the six others were from the neighboring French communes.

  • Monaco: Laura Le Maux-Gramaglia
  • Beausoleil: Charlène Morreale
  • Cap d’Ail: Anaïs Cuvelliez
  • La Turbie: Stella Roulot
  • Peille: Léa Barelli
  • Roquebrune Cap Martin: Elina Marty
  • Menton: Chloé Mine
albert_maidsofhonor

The Seven Maids of Honor

The Civil Ceremony

Albert_Place du Palais_Monaco

Place du Palais, the square in front of the palace in Monaco where the citizens of Monaco watched the two ceremonies on giant screens

The wedding was originally scheduled for July 8-9, 2011. However, the civil ceremony was rescheduled for Friday, July 1, 2011, and the religious ceremony was rescheduled for Saturday, July 2, 2011. Because the original dates conflicted with the July 5-9, 2011 meeting of the International Olympic Committee in Durban, South Africa, it was necessary to reschedule the wedding. Prince Albert is a member of the International Olympic Committee. As former Olympians, the couple wanted members of the Olympic community at their wedding. Prince Albert and his new bride went to South Africa, Charlene’s homeland, for the meeting. The Prince wanted the new Princess’ first trip abroad to be to her homeland.

albert_civil ceremony

The Civil Ceremony

As required by the law of Monaco, a civil ceremony was held on Friday, July 1, 2011, at 5 PM in the Throne Room of the Prince’s Palace. The civil ceremony was conducted by Philippe Narmino, Director of the Judicial Services and President of the Council of State. The Place du Palais, the square in front of the Palace had giant screens on which the civil ceremony could be viewed. 80 family members, friends, and dignitaries attended the 20-minute ceremony including Prince Albert’s sisters, Caroline, Princess of Hanover and Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, and the best man and matron of honor, Christopher LeVine and Donatella Knecht de Massy, who acted as witnesses. The newlyweds signed the marriage register with a specially created pen of gold and precious stones and adorned with their monogram made by Montblanc, a German manufacturer of writing instruments, watches, and accessories. Princess Charlene wore a silken blue jacket with ankle-length pants by Chanel and Prince Albert wore a dark suit and light grey tie.

Albert_Charlene_civilceremony attire

After the ceremony, the couple appeared on the palace balcony. At 6 PM, the couple joined the citizens of Monaco in the square for a buffet supper of Mediterranean and South African dishes. At 8 PM, the citizens of Monaco were invited to a reception in Port Hercules, followed by a special sound and light show at 10 PM.

albert_balcony

The newlywed couple greeting the citizens of Monaco after the civil ceremony

The Religious Ceremony

albert_main courtyard

The Main Courtyard of the Palace

albert_main courtyard transformed

The Main Courtyard transformed into an outdoor cathedral

Around 800 guests attended the wedding mass on Saturday, July 2, 2011, at 5 PM in the Main Courtyard of the Palace. The main celebrant of the mass was Monsignor Bernard Barsi, Archbishop of Monaco, Head Chaplain of the Prince’s Palace. The concelebrants were Monsignor André Dupuy, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Principality of Monaco; Monsignor Alberto Maria Careggio, Bishop of Ventimiglia – San Remo; Bishop Rene Giuliano, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Monaco, and the whole clergy of Monaco.

The Main Courtyard was transformed into an outdoor cathedral. It took around 300 technicians, carpenters, painters, sculptors, locksmiths, upholsterers, electricians, TV teams, etc., one month and over 100,000 working hours to achieve the transformation. A temporary roof was constructed. The posts supporting the roof were painted using the trompe-l’œil technique to faithfully reflect the Renaissance frescoes in the Palace. The chancel floor of this “Church” was consecrated and ornaments and accessories from the Palace Chapel, the Cathedral, and the Chapelle de la Visitation were used.

The religious wedding ceremony occurred in the middle of the mass after the Credo and before the Offertory. Princess Alexandra of Hanover, daughter of Princess Caroline and Prince Ernst of Hanover, carried the 18-carat rings in white gold and platinum by the House of Cartier, tied to a pillow, to the bride and groom. After the exchange of vows and rings, South African singer Pumeza Matshikiza sang “The Click Song, a traditional South African song sung at weddings to bring good fortune to the newlyweds. Princess Alexandra of Hanover also read one of the General Intercession prayers along with Camille Gottlieb, daughter of Princess Stéphanie; and Christine Knecht, and Alexia Knecht, great-granddaughters of the late Princess Antoinette, Prince Albert’s paternal aunt. Earlier in the mass, Charlotte Casiraghi, daughter of Princess Caroline and the late Stefano Casiraghi, did a reading from the Epistle of St. John.

albert_ceremony_ring_2

albert_charlene_religious ceremony

Music throughout the mass was performed by the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, Monte-Carlo Opera Choir, Monaco Cathedral Choir, and The Petits Chanteurs de Monaco. The program included music by classical composers and a classical composition by former Beatle Paul McCartney.

Music Program

From 4.30 pm to 4.55 pm: Two Sinfonias from Cantata No. 35 – Johann Sebastian Bach,
Orchestra: “Royal Fireworks Music” – George Frideric Handel

4.55 pm Entrance of H.S.H. the Prince: “Celebration” from “Standing Stone” – Paul McCartney

5.00 pm Entrance of Miss Wittstock: “Celebration” from “Standing Stone” – Paul McCartney

  • Gloria: Gloria from “Coronation” Mass KV. 317 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  • Responsorial Psalm 102: “Bénis le Seigneur, l’Eternel” – Chanoine Henri Carol
  • Alleluia: Alleluia from “The Jubilee” – Jean-Paul Lecot
  • Thanksgiving Song after the wedding vow: “Click Song” (South African song), Soloist: Pumeza Matshikiza
  • Offertory: “Laudate Dominum” KV 339 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Soloist: Renée Fleming
  • Sanctus: Sanctus from “Coronation” Mass KV.317 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    Agnus Dei: Agnus Dei from “Coronation” Mass KV.317 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  • During Communion: Poco Adagio from Symphony No. 3 – Camille Saint-Saens
  • After Communion: “A l’image de ton amour” – Jean-Paul Lecot
  • Prayer to the Virgin Mary: “Ave Maria” – Franz Schubert, Soloist: Andrea Bocelli
  • Signing of the Marriage Certificate: Rejoice Greatly from “The Messiah” – George Frideric Handel, Soloist: Juan Diego Florez
  • Recessional Hymn: Extracts from the Symphony No. 3 – Camille Saint-Saens

Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra – Monte-Carlo Opera Choir
Quartet of Soloists: Lisa Larsson, soprano – Wiebke Lehmkuhl, alto –Kenneth Tarver, tenor – Alexander Vinogradov, bass
Organ: Olivier Vernet – Choir Master: Stefano Visconti
Conductor: Lawrence Foster

Monaco Cathedral Choir and The Petits Chanteurs de Monaco
Organ: Jean-Cyrille Gandillet
Conductor: Pierre Debat

albert_st devote chapel

Sainte Dévote Church

After the ceremony, the couple left the Palace for the Sainte Dévote Church where Princess Charlene left her bouquet. Saint Dévote is the patron saint of Monaco and it is the tradition that the bride of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco lays her bridal bouquet at the chapel after the wedding ceremony. Inside the church, a mother and her daughter — soprano Marie-Clothilde Wurz De Baets and 11-year-old Juliette — sang a simple song in honor of the Virgin Mary. The princess then burst into tears as the mother and daughter sang.

albert_Charlene cries

Princess Charlene wipes away tears as she leaves Sainte Dévote Church

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.