Even though they are one of the smallest royal families in Europe, the Princely Family of Monaco has had their fair share of drama and time in the news. If you’ve ever been confused about who’s who of the Princely Family of Monaco, we explain in our feature below.
Prince Albert II

By David.Deshayes – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Prince Albert is the second child and only son of the late Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace born on 14 March 1958. As the son of famous American actress Grace Kelly, he was born with dual citizenship of Monaco and the United States. He later renounced his American citizenship on his 21st birthday. Albert was educated in both Monaco and the United States and speaks English with an American accent. He became the Sovereign Prince of Monaco upon the death of his father in 2005. Albert has two children from previous relationships – Jazmin Grimaldi and Alexandre Grimaldi. He married South African Olympian Charlene Wittstock in 2011. Together they have twins Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, born in 2014.
Princess Charlene

Photo: brunifia – Flickr, CC BY 2.0
Charlene Wittstock was born on 25 January 1978 to Michael and Lynette Wittstock in what is now Zimbabwe. She has two brothers and her family moved to South Africa when she was 12. A successful competitive swimmer, Charlene competed in the All-Africa and Commonwealth Games. She planned to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics for South Africa but she did not qualify after being injured for many months. She met Prince Albert at a swimming event in 2000. They announced their engagement in 2010 and married in July 2011. They now have two children – Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella. She suffered a severe ear, nose and throat infection while home in South Africa in 2021. It prevented her from returning to Monaco for most of the year. After a brief return to the small principality, she ended up in Switzerland to recover from fatigue and an undisclosed illness until March 2022. She has now returned to royal duties in Monaco.
Hereditary Prince Jacques
Hereditary Prince Jacques is the younger child of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene. He was born in Monaco on 10 December 2014 – two minutes after his sister, Gabriella. As Monaco practices male preference primogeniture, Jacques is first in line to the throne even though he was born last. Jacques is in elementary school and attends several events with his parents each year.
Princess Gabriella
Princess Gabriella is the elder of the Prince and Princess of Monaco’s two children. Born two minutes before her brother, she is second in line to the throne as Monaco places men before women in the line of succession. She attends several events each year alongside her parents.
Princess Caroline

By Simone.brunozzi, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Princess Caroline was born on 23 January 1957 as the first child of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace. Like her siblings, she spent a significant period in the United States with her maternal family and was educated in Monaco, France and the UK. Caroline has been married three times. Her first marriage only lasted around two years. She was married to Italian Stefano Casiraghi until he died in 1990. With him, she had three children: Andrea, Charlotte and Pierre (none of whom are titled). She married Ernst August, Prince of Hanover in 1999. They have one daughter, Princess Alexandra. It’s been rumoured that she and the Prince of Hanover have separated, but they have never divorced. Caroline, who is third in line to the throne, has seven grandchildren.
Princess Stephanie

By Fight aids Monaco – CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Princess Stephanie is the youngest of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace’s three children. Born on 1 February 1965, she is currently 14th in the line of succession. She and her mother were in a car crash in 1982 as they were returning from France to Monaco. Stephanie was injured with a hairline fracture to her neck while her mother, who suffered a stroke while driving, died the day after the crash. She was educated in Monaco and France, had a short music career and spent time travelling with a circus. She has been married twice – the first time to Daniel Ducret with whom she had two children, Louis and Pauline. They divorced in 1996 and she later married Adans Lopez Peres in 2003. The couple divorced the following year. Stephanie also has a daughter, Camille Gottlieb, from a previous relationship. She became a grandmother in 2023 through her son, Louis and his wife, Marie.
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