H.S.H. Rainier III,

Reigning Prince of Monaco 1949-2005



1923 – 2005



His Serene Highness

Rainier III Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand,

born in Monaco on 31 May 1923,

son of Princess Charlotte of Monaco,

Duchess of Valentinois

and Prince Pierre of Monaco, Count of Polignac

acceded to the throne on 9 May 1949

married on 18 April 1956 in Monaco

Grace Patrica Kelly (1929-1982)

died in Monaco on 6 April 2005



On the 6th April, in a Monegasque heart clinic, the life of Prince Rainier III came to end. That life has been full of tragedy. But although sadness, disappointments and set-backs play a prominent part in Rainier’s biography, they do not constitute the entire story. During his long reign, Rainier III was able to break any resistance to his grand schemes for his Principality. Under his benign yet determined leadership the wealth and well-being of all the inhabitants of Monaco increased so dramatically, that in the end there were virtually no opponents left. Rainier was an authoritarian monarch with a Mediterranean temper that could sometimes flare up. He was often called ‘Le Patron’, the Boss, in Monaco. But the affectionate manner in which his subjects and family-members used this nickname, made clear that it was hardly the designation for a self-willed ruler but rather for a benevolent father-figure, who merely wanted what was best for his little country and who achieved much for it.

But notwithstanding these political successes, Rainier probably celebrated his greatest triumphs in his private life. A lonely and miserable childhood, mainly caused by the bitter resentment between his parents, made Rainier determined to cherish his own family. His marriage with ravishing Hollywood star Grace Kelly may not have been the spotless fairytale that her former employers wanted to present to the world in technicolor . But there can be no doubt that over the years a very close relationship between the two developed and that Rainier loved his wife dearly. When Princess Grace died after a car-accident in 1982, the Prince appeared to be devastated. And although he kept working tirelessly on behalf of Monaco, he never seemed to be his old self again after her death. His children caused some scandals, worries and grief, but were nevertheless a source of joy. To them he was a wise and loving father, willing to accept and forgive much. His grandchildren also doted on him.



Rainier III bore a large number of noble titles and headed a dynasty – the House of Grimaldi – that has ruled Monaco for over 700 years. But such dynastic longevity requires some ingenuity. Indeed, throughout history various emergency measures have been taken to ensure the survival of the Grimaldi Line. Also by Rainier’s great-grandfather, Prince Albert I. Albert’s son and heir Louis was a bachelor still but had fathered an illegitimate daughter, Charlotte (1898-1977). So by sovereign decree Prince Albert I legitimized Charlotte in 1919 and granted her the title of Duchess of Valentinois. In 1920, she married the French Count Pierre de Polignac, who by sovereign ordinance obtained the family name of Grimaldi and the title of a Prince of Monaco. When her father acceded to the throne in 1922 as Prince Louis II, Charlotte officially became Hereditary Princess of Monaco. Her marriage with Pierre was a disaster and soon ended in a bitter divorce. However, two children were born of it: Princess Antoinette (1920) and Prince Rainier (1923). Little Rainier was educated mainly at boarding schools in Britain and Switzerland and at the Court of his fairly forbidding grandfather, Louis II. He later studied in Montpellier as well as Paris, and in 1944 he enlisted as a foreign volunteer in the Free French Army, fighting against Nazi-Germany. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre for bravery in the face of the enemy. In 1944 Rainier turned 21 and Princess Charlotte relinquished her right of succession in favour of her son, who thereby became Hereditary Prince of Monaco. On the death of his grandfather Louis II on 9 May 1949, he acceded to the throne as Sovereign Prince Rainier III. The new Prince wanted to lift his country up and almost immediately started promoting industry, tourism, sport, scientific research and culture. His marriage to Grace Kelly in 1956 increased Monaco’s international celebrity and appeal. Their children Caroline (1957), Albert (1958) and Stéphanie (1965), by their warmbloodedness and colourful private lives, also contributed to the Principality’s glittering image. But deep down Prince Rainier was hardly a partygoer. He preferred to find relaxation in the bosom of his family or in solitary enjoyment of one his hobbies, such as collecting vintage cars.



Rainier III turned Monaco into a modern state but at the same time maintained princely traditions, upheld time-honoured rules of protocol and was interested in uniforms and decorations. That he was often portrayed as the Ruritanian princeling of an operetta state, annoyed him greatly. For he took both his princely duties and his country very seriously. He transformed Monaco from a playground for the rich into a centre for tourism, financial services and international conferences. In the process objects of architectural splendour were sometimes swept away, but in return the Principality received some highly modern accommodations as well as territorial aggrandizements. Rainier also carried on the scientific, cultural and humanitarian traditions of the House of Grimaldi. He braved all those who disagreed with his vision and ambitions - be they his own National Council, Onassis or De Gaulle. He approached Monaco’s large neighbour France with self-confidence and national pride. Rainier wanted to see an end to any semblance of subordination to the French Republic. In order to underline Monaco’s sovereignty and independence, Rainier made sure these were confirmed internationally. In 1993, for instance, the Principality was admitted to the United Nations.



It is therefore fitting that Monaco and its new Reigning Prince Albert II remember Prince Rainier III as an astute and dedicated patriarch.