Grimaldi Family - Biography

[LadyMacAlpine]

Wow, THANKS tbhrc! Your posts this morning made for a very enjoyable read. As I read, I kept thinking how colorful the lives of the ancestors were. So many great stories and movies could be written from their lives. I also noticed the significant roles the women played in fostering the paths Monaco took. These woman were strong, opinionated, and in many instances seemed intellectually and independently far beyond their years. I also found it fascinating how many different nationalities are intertwined in Monaco's royal ancestors.

Question: Does anyone know what became of Princess Antoinette's (born 1920) three children?

Try these links http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f13/christian-demassey-1265.html?highlight=massy http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f13/princess-antoinette-777.html?highlight=massy

 

[tbhrc]

Some more info about Princess Antoinette's children from Answer's.com:

Baron Christian de Massy, eldest son of Princess Antoinette and nephew of Prince Rainer III

(Source:Worldroots)

His children:

• Baron Brice de Massy, eldest son of Baron Christian de Massy
• Baron Antoine de Massy, younger son of Baron Christian de Massy
• Baroness Laetizia de Massy, daughter of Baron Christian de Massy

Baroness Elisabeth-Anne de Massy, daughter of Princess Antoinette and niece of Prince Rainer III

(Source:Worldroots)

Her children:

• Jean-Léonard Taubert Natta, son of Baroness Elisabeth-Anne de Massy
• Mélanie de Lusignan, daughter of Baroness Elisabeth-Anne de Massy
• Keith Sebastian Knecht, son of the late Baroness Christine de Massy

A little more about Elisabeth-Anne:

Elisabeth-Anne, Baroness de Massy was born on 13th January 1947 to Princess Antoinette of Monaco and her lover Aleco Noghes. She is a first cousin of the reigning Prince Albert II and niece of Rainier III. She is the godmother of Princess Stéphanie of Monaco.
She was the eldest of three siblings; the others were Christian Louis (born 1949) and Christine Alix (1951–1989).
She was married to Bernard Taubert-Natta, a Swiss Baron in 1974 and has one son Jean-Leonard Taubert-Natta. Her second marriage to Nicolai de Lusignan produced a daughter Melanie in 1985.
She is well known for her charity work in Monaco.
She lost her place in the line of succession to the Monegasque Throne with the death of Rainier III.

 

[tbhrc]

2 great sites about Monaco's history:

Site 1

Site 2

 

[tbhrc]

Some trivia about Prince Rainier from IMDb:

- Succeeded his grandfather, Prince Louis II. Rainier's mother, Princess Charlotte, renounced her rights to succession so that he could come to the throne. [9 May 1949]

- Had his look-alike puppet in the French show "Guignols de l'info, Les" (1988).

- Monegasque by nationality but is French, Italian, and Scottish by genealogy.

- At the time of his death he was the world's second-longest reigning monarch.

- Drew up Monaco's latest constitution (1962), significantly reducing the power of the sovereign, ending autocratic rule, and placing power with the prince and a National Council of eighteen elected members.

- Served as a Second Lieutenant in the French army. His courage during the German counter-offensive in Alsace earned him the Croix de Guerre, the Bronze Star and the rank of Chevalier in the Legion of Honor. Although his grandfather, Prince Louis II, fought for the French during World War I, he supported the Nazi-installed Vichy government of his old army colleague, Marshall Petain, and did little when Italy invaded and occupied Monaco, setting up a fascist government. Louis's vacillation caused an enormous rift with Rainier.

- Died three days after the death of Pope John Paul II, the ruler of the world's smallest independent nation, the Vatican City. Monaco is the second smallest independent nation in the world.

- Underwent brain surgery after suffering an aneurysm in December 1999.

- Had a tumor removed from his lung on February 2nd 2000.

- Is portrayed by Ian McShane in Grace Kelly (1983) (TV)

 

[tbhrc]

Some trivia about Princess Grace from IMDb:

- Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#5). [1995]

- Ranked #51 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]

- Hoped to return to acting in Alfred Hitchcock's Marnie (1964), but the people of Monaco didn't want their princess playing a thief and romancing Sean Connery.

- Has three children with Prince Rainier of Monaco: Princess Caroline of Monaco (1957), Prince Albert of Monaco (1958) and Princess Stephanie of Monaco (1966).

- Her movies were banned in Monaco by order of Prince Rainier of Monaco.

- The inscription at her burial site in Monaco's cathedral does not refer to her as a princess. It uses the title "uxor principis" (prince's wife), which is traditional in the House of Grimaldi.

- Interred at the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, Monaco-ville, Monaco.

- Assisted in the pre-production status of Grace Kelly (1983) (TV) starring Cheryl Ladd as Grace Kelly.

- Actress Rita Gam was among her bridesmaids.

- Born at 5:31 AM EST.

- In 1993, the USA and Monaco simultaneously released a commemorative postage stamp honoring her. However, USA federal law forbids postage stamps depicting foreign heads of state, so the USA stamp listed her as "Grace Kelly", while the Monaco stamp listed her as "Princess Grace".

- Part of Prince Rainier of Monaco's attraction to marrying a movie star was to increase tourism in his tiny, cash-poor principality, and the Kelly family was turned off by his demands that a substantial dowry accompany Grace to Monaco. A figure of $2,000,000 was finally agreed upon, which was diverted from Grace's inheritance so that her brother and two sisters wouldn't be shortchanged.

- Kelly's wedding gown was the most expensive garment that MGM designer Helen Rose had ever made. It used twenty-five yards of silk taffeta and one hundred yards of silk net. Its 125-year-old rose point lace was purchased from a museum and thousants of tiny pearls were sewn on the veil.

- Was considered for the role of Maggie the Cat in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) that was eventually played by Elizabeth Taylor.

- The so-called "wealthy" family Grace was born into was actually an immigrant family of bricklayers who had barely a generation of new-found business success. Grace's father and brother were both Olympic gold-medal scullers. Grace's cousin, former US Secy of Navy John Lehman, Jr. now chairs the Princess Grace Foundation, which supports young performing talent.

- Attended and graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, New York.

- The Country Girl (1954), the film that won Kelly an Oscar, was first offered to Jennifer Jones, who had to turn it down due to pregnancy.

- When she left Hollywood, several roles she was slated to play were eventually filled by Lauren Bacall (Designing Woman (1957) and The Cobweb (1955)). Director George Stevensalso wanted her for Giant (1956).

- Niece of playwright George Kelly.

- Measurements: 34-24-35 (1955 pin-up), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

- Irish/German. Father Jack Kelly was the son of Irish immigrants. Mother Margaret Major was German.

- On January 1959 the Austrian government awarded her a medal of merit for aid to Hungarian refugees escaping Russian invasion, given through Monaco's Red Cross.

- She was one of many famous tenants of the Barbizon Hotel for Women when she lived in New York. Other tenants included Candice Bergen, Liza Minnelli, Cloris Leachman, Ali MacGraw, and Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale.

- She was voted the 27th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

- Referenced in the songs "Grace Kelly", by Die Ärzte; "Grace Kelly Blues" by Eels (Mark Everett); and "Grace Kelly with Wings" by Piebald.

- The very first actress to appear on a postage stamp, in 1993.

- Hedda Hopper reported that Judy Garland's loss of the Academy Award to Grace for The Country Girl (1954) was the result of the closest Oscar vote up till that time that didn't end in a tie, with just six votes separating the two. In any event, it was a heartbreak from which Judy Garland never really recovered and which has remained a matter of some controversy ever since.

- Summoned Sydney Guilaroff, the chief hairstylist at MGM Studios, to style her hair for her marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956.

- She was voted the 12th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine.

- Was named #13 Actress on The American Film Institute's 50 Greatest Screen Legends

- The road accident which led to her death was apparently caused by a stroke she suffered while driving.

- Was romantically involved with fashion designer Oleg Cassini.

- Is portrayed by Cheryl Ladd in Grace Kelly (1983) (TV)

- Is one of the many movie stars mentioned in Madonna's song "Vogue"

- Broke off her engagement to Oleg Cassini to marry Prince Rainier of Monaco

- Bought a silver frame as a wedding gift to Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981.

 

[tbhrc]

Some trivia about Princess Caroline from IMDb:

- Daughter of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco.

- Sister of Prince Albert of Monaco and Princess Stephanie of Monaco.

- Children, with Prince Ernst August of Hannover, Princess Alexandra (b. 1999)

- Measurements: 33-25-34 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

- Nickname: La Bouche D'or

- Children with Stefano Casiraghi: Andrea Alberto Pierre (b. 8 June 1984), Charlotte Marie Pomeline (b. 3 August 1986), Pierre Rainer Stefano (b. 5 September 1987).

- When Grace Kelly was scanning the royal houses of Europe for a suitor for Caroline, her favorite candidate became Prince Ernst August von Hannover, whose impeccable breeding, Grace hoped, would be a stabilizing influence on her headstrong daughter. More than two decades - and two marriages - later, Caroline married him.

- Had a relationship with French actor Vincent Lindon.

- Her official royal title is "Her Royal Highness Princess Caroline, The Princess of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick and Lüneburg, Royal Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, and by birth Princess of Monaco."

- After the death of her father, 'Prince Rainier of Monaco, on 6 April, 2005, her new title is "Her Royal Highness Princess Caroline, The Princess of Hanover, Duchess of Brunswick and Lüneburg, Royal Princess of Great Britain and Ireland, Marquise des Baux, and by birth Her Serene Highness the Hereditary Princess of Monaco." Along with her youngest daughter, HRH Princess Alexandra, she outranks her father, brother, and sister in the ranking of royalty since HRH (His/Her Royal Highness) ranks above HSH (His/Her Serene Highness).

 

[tbhrc]

Some trivia about Prince Albert from IMDb:

- Has his look-alike puppet in the French show "Guignols de l'info, Les" (1988).

- A member of the International Olympic Committee.

- During his stints in the Winter Olympics as Monaco bobsleigh athlete (1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002), Albert lived in the Olympic Village, just like the other athletes. He was the first and still only person to have been both athlete and Olympic committee member at the same time.

- In celebration of his birth, a 101-gun salute was fired, the day after (15 March 1958) was declared a national holiday, and his father, Prince Rainier, pardoned all six prisoners in Monaco's jail. Albert's birth ensured that control of Monaco would not pass to France after Rainier's death, as per the treaty the two countries signed in 1918.

- Was born with the title Marquis le Baux ("Marcher Lord of The Beams"). Les Baux ("The Beams") is a village in France once held by the Grimaldis. Although the French Revolution abolished the privileges, the now-honorary title is carried successively by Princes Héréditaires of the Principality of Monaco.

- Holds a brown belt in judo.

- Son of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco.

- Brother of Princess Caroline of Monaco and Princess Stephanie of Monaco.

- Ascended the throne of Monaco on April 6, 2005, upon the death of his father, Prince Rainier of Monaco. He is now known as Prince Albert II of Monaco, 32nd ruler of Monaco. Official coronation date July 12, 2005.

- He is the 32nd ruler of Monaco, following the death of his father. [2005]

- Speaks French, Italian, English, German and Spanish.

- Confirmed via his lawyer he has a son with a former Air France stewardess, Éric Alexandre Stéphane Coste, born on 24 August 2003 in Paris. Monaco's constitution specifies that only "direct and legitimate" descendants can assume the throne. Éric could be legitimated via legislation or if Albert marries the boy's mother. (6 July 2005)

 

[tbhrc]

Some trivia about Princess Stephanie from IMDb:

- Measurements: 34B-23-32 1/2 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

- A restless soul, the Princess has pursued short-lived careers as a model, pop singer and fashion designer.

- Children, with Ducruet: Louis (b. 26 November 1992) and Pauline Grace (b. 4 May 1994)

- Daughter Camille Marie Kelly (b. 15 July 1998) by Jean Raymond Gottlieb, a royal bodyguard.

- Her children, Louis and Pauline Ducruet are in line to the throne of Monaco because they were legitimated when she married their father, and Monegasque law recognises such children as dynastic. However, unless she marries Jean Raymond Gottlieb or their daughter, Camille, is legitimated by legislation, she is not recognised as dynastic and has no claim to the throne.

- Sister of Princess Caroline of Monaco and Prince Albert of Monaco.

- Daughter of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco.

- She got a quick divorce from her husband, Daniel Ducruet, after the publication of explicit photographs showing him with another woman. [October 1996]

- Her song "Irresistible" reached #2 in Germany`s Top 100 single charts (1986).

 

[Suonymona]

The articles about Albert, Caroline and Eric Alexandre have changes in them.

Ann

 

[tbhrc]

The articles about Albert, Caroline and Eric Alexandre have changes in them.

Ann

Thanks for the info Suonymona, I have updated those articles.