Great Love Stories: Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III. Great Love Stories: Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III of Monaco Prince Rainier III of Monaco

PARIS, April 6 - RIA Novosti, Andrey Nizamutdinov. The ruler of Monaco, Prince Rainier III, who died on Wednesday (he was the owner of many high-profile titles, including Duke of Valantine, Count of Carlade and Baron du Bui), was born on May 31, 1923 and was named Louis-Henri-Maxens-Bertrand Grimaldi at baptism. His parents were Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Prince Pierre de Polignac, who had been officially given the title of Grimaldi a few years earlier.

The future ruler of the dwarf principality was educated in Great Britain, Switzerland and France, where he graduated, in particular, from the prestigious "Syans Po" - the Higher School of Political Sciences in Paris.

In September 1944, Prince Rainier entered the service of the French army as an officer and took part in the military campaign against Nazi Germany in Alsace.

He ascended the princely throne after his grandfather, Prince Louis II, died on May 9, 1949. Formally, Rainier's mother, Princess Charlotte, was the heir to the title, but she relinquished the reins of power in favor of her son.

In 1956, Prince Rainier married Hollywood movie star Grace Kelly. The couple had three children: Princess Caroline, born in 1957, Crown Prince Albert (1958) and Princess Stephanie (1965).

In 1982, the prince's wife tragically died in a car accident, and Princess Stephanie, who was in the car with her, was seriously injured. As the tabloid press then wrote, it was Stefania who was driving the car and became the culprit of the disaster, but this version was never officially confirmed.

Karolina and Stephanie, whose turbulent personal lives have been the subject of constant attention from paparazzi photographers for many years, are now married, and Stephanie is already the fourth time. The daughters gave the prince seven grandchildren and granddaughters, but Crown Prince Albert, who was entrusted with the functions of regent due to his father’s illness, remains a bachelor at 47 and is considered one of the most enviable suitors in Europe.

The name Rainier III is associated with the economic and tourist prosperity of Monaco. Before him, the main source of income for the dwarf principality was the world-famous casino in Monte Carlo (part of Monaco). It was even rumored that during the Second World War this casino was used by the authorities of Nazi Germany to launder wealth stolen in the occupied territories, and the authorities of Monaco received their percentage from these operations.

In 1966, the ruler of Monaco bought from the Greek multimillionaire Aristotle Onassis his stake in the Sea Bathing Society, which was the official owner of the casino, and became the majority shareholder, thus strengthening his control over the gaming business.

For all that, Monaco has enjoyed a reputation as a "tax haven" for many years. Only relatively recently, the FATF International Financial Action Group removed the Principality from the "black list" of countries that do not cooperate properly in the fight against money laundering, received in a dubious way.

In addition to the casino, the prince paid much attention to the development of transport networks and housing construction. On the Rock, as Monaco is sometimes called, modern multi-storey buildings appeared, where each square meter costs crazy money, a new railway station was built, and a lot of work was done to reconstruct the port. All this activity earned Rainier III the nickname "Prince Builder".

The area of ​​​​the dwarf state is only 200 hectares, and the population today is 32 thousand people, of which only 7.676 are actually Monegasques, that is, subjects of Monaco.

Monaco was admitted to the UN in 1993 and joined the Council of Europe in 2004. This latest international action was more the merit of Crown Prince Albert than of Rainier III himself, who in recent years experienced serious health problems and transferred part of the management of the principality to his son.

Back in the 1990s, the prince underwent coronary artery bypass surgery, in addition, part of his lung was removed. In the past two years, he was repeatedly hospitalized due to respiratory diseases, because of which the prince became much less likely to stay in public.

All this did not prevent the sovereign from maintaining his love for the circus (he even founded an international circus festival in the principality) and football. Until recently, Rainier III personally patronized the Monaco football club. It was allegedly he who, in December 2003, prevented the Russian company Fedkominvest from becoming the main sponsor of this club, considering that the company did not provide adequate financial guarantees.

ALL PHOTOS

The daughters gave the prince seven grandchildren and granddaughters, but Crown Prince Albert, who was entrusted with the functions of regent due to his father’s illness, remains a bachelor at the age of 47 and is considered one of the most enviable suitors in Europe
Le Figaro

Prince Rainier III of Monaco died this morning after a long illness in a hospital in Monaco. Prince Rainier III of the Grimaldi dynasty, 81, was the oldest European monarch. On March 7, he was admitted to the Cardio-Pulmonary Center of Monaco because of an acute bronchopulmonary infection. .

Subsequently, due to a sharp deterioration in the condition and degradation of the basic functions of the body, the patient was transferred to intensive care, where he spent the rest of his life, reports Sky News.

The monarch of Monaco suffered several heart attacks, he underwent coronary artery bypass surgery. Complications of a cardiological nature gradually provoked disturbances in the bronchopulmonary system, and Rainier III underwent a number of operations on the lungs.

Monaco has already declared 7 days of mourning. State flags are flown at half mast throughout the Principality. It is not yet known on what day the funeral of Prince Rainier will take place.

The Council of the Crown of Monaco, stating "the impossibility of Prince Rainier III fulfilling his high duties," a few days ago appointed his son, 47-year-old Crown Prince Albert, as regent. The Crown Prince received his higher education in the United States in the field of political and economic sciences. He is interested in art, philosophy and psychology. He served in the French Navy.

Prince Albert is an excellent athlete, has a black belt in judo, has previously played at the Olympic Games for the national bobsleigh team, and participated in the Paris-Dakar rally. He is a member of the athletics commission of the International Olympic Committee.

Crown Prince Albert, who is entrusted with the functions of regent, at the age of 47 remains a bachelor and is considered one of the most enviable suitors in Europe. In addition to him, the prince has two more daughters - Princesses Caroline and Stephanie - and several grandchildren. The wife of the ruler of Monaco, Hollywood movie star Grace Kelly, died many years ago in a car accident.

The ruler of Monaco, Prince Rainier III, held many high-profile titles, including Duke of Valentine, Count of Carlade and Baron du Bui.

He was born on May 31, 1923 and at baptism was named Louis-Henri-Maxence-Bertrand Grimaldi. His parents were Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Prince Pierre de Polignac, who had been officially given the title of Grimaldi a few years earlier.

The future ruler of the dwarf principality was educated in Great Britain, Switzerland and France, where he graduated, in particular, from the prestigious "Syans Po" - the Higher School of Political Sciences in Paris.

He ascended the princely throne after his grandfather, Prince Louis II, died on May 9, 1949. Formally, Rainier's mother, Princess Charlotte, was the heir to the title, but she renounced the throne in favor of her son.

In 1956, Prince Rainier married Hollywood movie star Grace Kelly. The couple had three children: Princess Caroline, born in 1957, Crown Prince Albert (1958) and Princess Stephanie (1965).

In 1982, the prince's wife tragically died in a car accident, and Princess Stephanie, who was in the car with her, was seriously injured.

As the tabloid press then wrote, it was Stefania who was driving the car and became the culprit of the disaster, but this version was never officially confirmed.

Currently, Carolina and Stefania, whose turbulent personal lives have been the subject of constant attention from paparazzi photographers for many years, are married, and Stefania is already the fourth time.

The daughters gave the prince seven grandchildren and granddaughters, but Crown Prince Albert, who was entrusted with the functions of regent due to his father’s illness, remains a bachelor at 47 and is considered one of the most enviable suitors in Europe.

The name Rainier III is associated with the economic and tourist prosperity of Monaco. Before him, the main source of income for the dwarf principality was the world-famous casino in Monte Carlo (part of Monaco). It was even rumored that during the Second World War this casino was used by the authorities of Nazi Germany to launder wealth stolen in the occupied territories, and the authorities of Monaco received their percentage from these operations, writes RIA Novosti.

In 1966, the ruler of Monaco bought from the Greek multimillionaire Aristotle Onassis his stake in the Sea Bathing Society, which was the official owner of the casino, and became the majority shareholder, thus strengthening his control over the gaming business.

For all that, Monaco has enjoyed a reputation as a "tax haven" for many years. Only relatively recently, the FATF International Financial Action Group removed the Principality from the "black list" of countries that do not cooperate properly in the fight against money laundering, received in a dubious way.

In addition to the casino, the prince paid much attention to the development of transport networks and housing construction. On the Rock, as Monaco is sometimes called, modern high-rise buildings appeared, in which each square meter costs a lot of money, a new station was built, and a lot of work was done to reconstruct the port. All this activity earned Rainier III the nickname "Prince Builder". The area of ​​​​the dwarf state is only 200 hectares, and the population today is 32 thousand people, of which only 7676 are actually Monegasques, that is, subjects of Monaco.

Monaco was admitted to the UN in 1993 and joined the Council of Europe in 2004. This latest international action was more the merit of Crown Prince Albert than Rainier III himself, who in recent years had serious health problems and transferred part of the management of the principality to his son.

Back in the 1990s, the prince underwent coronary artery bypass surgery, in addition, part of his lung was removed. In the past two years, he has been repeatedly hospitalized due to respiratory diseases, which is why the prince has become much less likely to appear in public.

Rainier III(fr. Rainier III, full name - Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; May 31, 1923 - April 6, 2005) - the twelfth Prince of Monaco, who ruled from 1949-2005.

Biography

Before accession to the throne

Born May 31, 1923 and at baptism was named Louis-Henri-Maxens-Bertrand Grimaldi. Parents Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess Valentinois and Prince Pierre de Polignac.

The future ruler of the principality was educated in Great Britain, Switzerland (private school Institut Le Rosey) and France, where he graduated, in particular, from the prestigious Sianz Po, the Higher School of Political Sciences in Paris.

In September 1944, Prince Rainier entered the service of the French army as an officer and took part in the military campaign against Nazi Germany in Alsace.

Reign and family

He ascended the princely throne after his grandfather, Prince Louis II, died on May 9, 1949. Formally, Rainier's mother, Princess Charlotte, was the heir to the title, but she renounced the throne in favor of her son.

In 1956, Prince Rainier married Hollywood actress Grace Kelly. In 1982, the prince's wife died in a car accident.

The couple had three children: Princess Caroline, born in 1957, Crown Prince Albert (1958) and Princess Stephanie (1965).

In 1982, as a result of a car accident, Princess Stephanie, who was in a car with her dead mother, was seriously injured. As the tabloid press then wrote, it was Stefania who was driving and became the culprit of the disaster, but officially this version was never confirmed.

Currently, Carolina and Stefania, whose turbulent personal lives have been the subject of constant attention from paparazzi photographers for many years, are married, and Stefania is already the fourth time. The daughters gave the prince seven grandchildren and granddaughters.

Crown Prince Albert II was previously considered one of the most enviable suitors in Europe. On March 31, 2005, due to his father's illness, he was entrusted with the functions of regent, and on April 6, after the death of Rainier III, he became the ruling prince. On July 1, 2011, Albert married Charlene Lynette Wittstock.

Contribution to philately

Prince Rainier III was a world famous philatelist. During the years of his reign, he was personally involved in various aspects related to the preparation of drawings and the release of the final philatelic products of Monaco. Since 1948, when he assumed the Monegasque throne, the importance of the philatelic issues of this microstate has increased significantly. The prince is considered the author of the statement that postage stamps are "the best ambassador of the country." The philatelic collection of Rainier III formed the basis of the Museum of Postage Stamps and Coins of Monaco ( Musee des Timbres et des Monnaies de Monaco). The portrait of Rainier III has repeatedly appeared on the postage stamps of Monaco.

In 1996, the Prince was awarded the "Grand Prix 1996" by the World Association of Publishers of Philatelic Catalogues, Albums and Magazines (ASCAT). Since November 1997 he has been an honorary member of the European Academy of Philately; he received this title during the International Philatelic Exhibition held in Monaco.

In February 1999, under the auspices of the prince, the Monte Carlo Club was formed ( Club de Monte-Carlo; full title - Club de Monte-Carlo de l'Elite de la Philatelie) is a worldwide philatelic elite club with more than a hundred members.

"Gentlemen prefer ladies" - these words on the cover of Time magazine for May 1954 accompanied a portrait of a dazzling beauty - Hollywood star Grace Kelly. The signature turned out to be prophetic, although it required a little clarification: not just gentlemen, but reigning persons prefer ladies to all other beauties.

At the Cannes Film Festival in May 1955, Grace accepts an offer by renowned journalist Pierre Galante to take a series of photographs with Prince Rainier III of Monaco. True, at first this idea seemed to her not so attractive - it was necessary to circle for a long and tedious turn along the winding serpentines of a tiny kingdom. But the photo session promised to be winning - the monarch hosts a Hollywood star.

The sun was setting when a dazzling beauty in a dress with large bright flowers stepped on the reddish earth for the first time. Prince Renier extended a strong hand to her and led her to introduce her to his wards, freely located in the enclosures of a luxurious zoo. With the same strong hand, he fearlessly stroked the huge saber-toothed tiger. Camera flashes illuminated the walk of the heroes until late in the evening.

They said goodbye. And Grace, to all questions about the impression made on her by the prince, answered modestly and carefully: “He is very charming” ...

The next day, she thanked Rainier III in a letter, he immediately answered her. Secret correspondence lasted for about six months, no one suspected that the cold beauty started such an adventure - to fall in love with one of the most prominent European suitors. But she did not start anything, she really liked this heir to the Grimaldi family, not a very prosperous family, and also known for its scandalous reputation.

The prince was already over thirty, and the court needed an heir. Rainier did not avoid women, but he had not yet found a worthy one, Grace seemed to him sweet and, moreover, extremely reliable and decent. And he, like every admirer of her talent, had a sensible thought: "You can live together with this woman until old age." He made up his mind, he crossed the ocean to visit the Kelly family and ask for the hand of Grace.

Christmas was approaching. Just at that time, the actress starred in the film "The Swan", where she played a girl who marries a prince. Iconic story. Grace, like a true Catholic, sensitively perceived the signs of fate and prepared to follow them.

On January 5, 1956, the engagement took place. A marriage contract was signed. Rainier's mother, Princess Charlotte, expressed her desire to become a second mother to Grace.

The last film in which the bride starred was symbolically called "High Light". Grace's partner was our old friend - the inimitable Frank Sinatra. Studio MGM after the end of filming gave the future Princess of Monaco all the outfits in which she starred.

"Wedding of the Century"

The carefully written script of this wedding deserves a special prize from the most captious jury. April 12, 1956. Grace Kelly, accompanied by sixty friends and all members of her family, sets off on an ocean liner

"Constitution" towards your happiness. Happiness meets the long-awaited bride on her own yacht. Rainier carries Grace to his deck, hundreds of guns greet them with a salvo, the plane showers the young and the crowd of enthusiastic spectators with thousands of red and white carnations.

Thirty photographers and cameramen, without being distracted for a minute, record a brilliant ceremony for history.

Exactly a week later, the wedding of Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Hollywood star Grace Kelly took place in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas. The bride clutched a bouquet of immaculate white lilies of the valley in her hands. MGM made a wonderful film as promised, and the ceremony itself was broadcast live in nine European countries.

“When I married Prince Rainier, I married a man, not for what he was or who he was. I fell in love with him without thinking about all this,” Grace wrote many years later in her diary.

The honeymoon trip passed already without annoying cameras. Rainier even let go of the skipper's beard, and Grace again felt like a simple, almost country girl.

Exactly nine months later, the newlyweds had a daughter, Carolina. She bore a striking resemblance to her father. And he, the fearless tamer of saber-toothed tigers, almost burst into tears when he first picked up a tiny envelope with a dark-skinned daughter.

And a year and two months later, an heir, Albert, was born.

Monaco has declared a national holiday.

“The hardest thing for me was to become a normal person again after so many years of acting,” Grace admitted.

As a normal person, she wanted to be a faithful wife and a caring mother, especially since in 1965 another daughter, Stefania, was born. The same Stephanie, who will be next to her mother in her last moments.

In the meantime, Grace, picking up a movie camera, carefully and meticulously captures the moments of their family life. Not festive - the most everyday: winter skiing and summer yachting and swimming. Domestic - with kittens and puppies, and plein air - on the grass and in the shade of trees.

"I don't like looking back."

She really preferred happy memories over regrets about the past. So they lived: Renier ruled the country, and Grace built their little world, without losing touch with the world. They ruled together for 26 years. This is a lot for constant cloudless happiness. A new life has begun in Monaco, raising the tiny principality to the world level. And the Rainier family settled high in a mountainous estate, hidden from annoying paparazzi. The husband also took care of his beloved animals here and taught his little son to master modern technical "tricks". And he affectionately called his wife "coordinator of household chores."

The sea attracted the Grimaldi family. They spent all family vacations on yachts named after their children. They behaved on yachts like ordinary sailors, all on an equal footing. “In the morning, everyone makes his bed. The first one to get up prepares breakfast for everyone” - these were the laws of the family yachting routine. There were also quiet joys in this house. Children together with their mother loved to create collages of flowers. Grace even got the nickname "Queens of Flowers". This queen spoke confidentially with her wordless "subjects", could not part with them for a long time and dried flowers between the pages of telephone directories. Flowers and poetry were the two passions of Rainier's childhood. She guessed them, she herself gave herself to these two passions all her life.

Grace created comfort around herself and was not at all interested in politics. And the economy did just fine without it. Only charity occasionally required close attention and control.

The Monegasques were in love with their princess. She also arranged home-palace tea parties with elderly subjects and visited orphanages. And she did not need to visit prisons - the last prisoner was graciously released on the eve of their marriage.

Grace's personality attracted more and more fans of her talent to the small principality, as well as just curious people from all over the world. Luxurious loud balls reigned in Monaco. Ella Fitzgerald, Maurice Chevalier, Harry Belafonte, Charles Aznavour - the names of these guests were increasingly heard in the princely halls.

In honor of Grace's fortieth birthday in 1969, one of the most luxurious balls was given - the Scorpions Ball. The guests of honor were family friends Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The magnificent outfits of the guests, and above all the elegant hostess, were exquisite works of art. It is no coincidence that even many years later, these outfits are exhibited at exhibitions and invariably arouse admiration.

When just regular balls no longer aroused interest, Grace invented themed masquerades. Guests had to arrive in pre-announced costumes and act out impromptu performances. She still remained an actress - this little princess, as another of our old acquaintances affectionately called her - "The Snow Queen" Greta Garbo. Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev often shone in these "home" performances. Once, dressed as simple fishermen, they were not recognized either by the guests or even by the guards. As a result, they were simply not allowed into the palace, so Grace herself, who happened to be nearby, had to intervene.

The guests felt very at ease here in the palace. No strangers, no paparazzi. All the photos that we can only see now were taken by the spouses themselves - Grace and Rainier. And they were kept in family albums behind seven small elegant locks.
Special albums were kept for posterity and congratulations from friends. Off-the-record, playful and intimate. Bright pictures, cheerful dedications - as in every house, as in every family, if it were not for the signatures of world famous celebrities: Marc Chagall, Mstislav Rostropovich, Frank Sinatra.

Grace had a particularly touching friendship with Maria Callas. At the time of her passionate romance with Aristotle Onassis, they often rested with their spouses on the famous yacht Christina. The photos preserved the serenely happy face of the singer. Several years passed, and already on the wreckage of this novel, only Grace continued to be friends with Mary, and only she, of all high-ranking persons, saw her off on her last journey.
Grace was repeatedly asked to return to the cinema, to take part in new films. She refused, but nevertheless voiced a commentary on the film about the ballet "Children from Theater Street", nominated for an Oscar. She enthusiastically records records for children, takes part in the Edinburgh Festival. And, finally, in the Vatican, Princess Grace reads a text about Christmas - this was her last public appearance.

"I don't like fights..."

“I don’t like quarrels, I don’t know how to argue, it’s easier for me to avoid strife,” she liked to repeat, and it was true.

As you might guess, Prince Rainier did not have an angelic character. In addition, over the years, he became jealous of his wife for world and national fame, but especially for popularity. And even more - to love. Over the years, something strange happened in this family - he was getting old, she was not. She still remained young and beautiful, despite the approaching years. Grace didn't want to look too far ahead. "It's better not to talk about the future - that's the surest way to ruin it," she often said, laughing.

The children grew up and became less and less like angels. Although the older Carolina and Albert inherited the best and most non-conflict features of both parents. But the youngest - Stephanie grew up wayward and unbridled. She often fell in love, and in the most notorious ladies' man. Mother tried to reason with her, but more and more often they ran into each other - two beautiful women in completely ugly quarrels and grievances.

FROM On a sunny September day in 1982, Grace, along with her youngest daughter, drove out of the gates of Roque-Agel Castle. Why the princess herself got behind the wheel, releasing the driver, one can only guess. She must have wanted to talk to Stephanie in private. The car rushed along the mountain road at breakneck speed and fatally missed the sharp turn. A second - and the car collapsed into the abyss.

Stefania survived, she got out of the car on her own and unsuccessfully tried to rescue her mother. But, alas, fatal inevitability - no one could help Grace. She was taken to the hospital, but despite the efforts of the best doctors, she did not regain consciousness.

A few days later, Rainier ordered not to prolong her torment, and all medical equipment that artificially supported the smoldering life was turned off.

The principality beloved by the princess, the friends beloved by the princess, the family beloved by the princess, were suddenly orphaned.
Prince Rainier III died in April 2005 at the age of 81. He ruled the principality for 56 years. And without his princess, he lived alone for a long 23 years.

Their life together was surrounded by numerous rumors, fictions and conjectures. No one ever found out the whole truth about the princess and the stern prince.

“Fairy tales are fictional stories. I am a living person. I exist. If someone tells the story of my life like the story of a real woman, people will finally understand who I really am,” Grace hoped very much.

Death of Rainier III

On April 6, 2005, the European aristocracy, the inhabitants of Monaco and the whole world learned that the oldest monarch of Europe, a representative of one of the oldest monarchical dynasties, Prince Rainier III of Monaco, Duke of Valentinois, Marquis Beau Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand died. Flags were lowered in the country, concerts and film premieres were canceled, the streets were empty - Monaco plunged into mourning.

The principality was ready for the death of its ruler - in the last years of his life, Rainier III could not boast of good health. In March 2005, Rainier Grimaldi's condition became so severe that the prince was admitted to a cardiopulmonary center with a diagnosis of acute bronchopulmonary infection. Two weeks before his death, the situation became critical - the prince was transferred to intensive care. The Council of the Crown of Monaco stated "the impossibility of the performance of Rainier III of his high duties" and appointed his son, 47-year-old Prince Albert, as regent.

On April 6, despite the efforts of doctors and the prayers of Pope John Paul II, who shortly before his own death conveyed his blessing to the prince, Rainier III passed away. His children - Prince Albert, 47, Princess Caroline, 48, and Princess Stephanie, 40 - set a date for the funeral and began to prepare for the funeral ceremony.

Representatives of almost all European monarchies arrived to say goodbye to Rainier III: Spanish King Juan Carlos, King Albert II of Belgium, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Sonya of Norway, British Prince Andrew, Danish Prince Joachim, Dutch Crown Prince Willem Alexander. Irish President Mary McAleese and French President Jacques Chirac also came to honor the memory of Rainier III. In addition to officials, many rich people gathered in Monaco, frequenters of the casino in Monte Carlo. The army of the principality was not enough to protect so many VIPs - Monaco, apparently, is the only state in the world where the size of the regular army is less than the size of the military band (85 people). To ensure the safety of distinguished guests, the Grimaldi family turned to J. Chirac, who kindly provided the ruling house with two thousand policemen, 560 special forces, 100 motorcyclists, three groups of dog handlers with dogs, as well as several military helicopters and fighter jets. Under the cover of police and special forces, ten Monegasque guards carried the coffin with the body of Rainier III to the cathedral. More than three thousand Monegasques gathered on the square in front of the cathedral, who came to say goodbye to their beloved ruler. Prince Rainier III, who participated in the liberation of Alsace as part of the troops of the anti-fascist coalition, was given military honors - an artillery salute of 36 volleys thundered. After that, the coffin with the body of Rainier III was placed in the Grimaldi family crypt, in which the body of the prince's wife, Hollywood actress Grace Kelly, rests. Only relatives and closest friends of Rainier III were invited to the burial ceremony.

With the departure of Rainier III Grimaldi, more than half a century of his reign was a thing of the past. The death of Europe's oldest monarch, following the death of John Paul II, was another reminder: the world has said goodbye to an entire era forever. Now the son of the late monarch has become the only sovereign monarch in Europe - until recently the prince, and today Prince Albert II (full name Albert Alexander Louis Pierre).