Princess Caroline and husbands part II

[Glistening Seas]

it is a nice tribute and a good way to keep a pleasant memory lingering in the minds of the children as well! A small rememberance is always in order; especially, since there is so much written about the present.

[Tosca]

Originally Posted by Glistening Seas

it is a nice tribute and a good way to keep a pleasant memory lingering in the minds of the children as well! A small rememberance is always in order; especially, since there is so much written about the present.

I must remember to buy the "Corriere" on the next 3rd of October, then scan it for you.

[agogo]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaDreamin

When Caroline went to see the late John Paull II to ask him to annul her marriage to Junot-(at the time visibly pregnant by Stefano) even he saw how shallow her behavior was and called her on it(according to one of her biographers) He sent her away and told her to grow up and stop being so self centered, in so many words!

Do you happen to remember which biographer wrote this? I am not aware of too many biographies written about Princess Caroline. These are the bio's that I know of:

Princess Caroline of Monaco by Jill C. Wheeler 1992
Caroline and Stephanie: Lives of the Princesses of Monaco by S.Crimp, P. Burstein, 1990
Caroline de Monaco (french) by Bertrand Meyer-Stabley 1994
Carolina de Monaco (spanish) by Jose Luis Riog, 1993

[ForeverGrace]

I want to respond to some of the posts placed here:

I find it very hard to believe that the late Pope said that...after all he did unnal her marriage to Mr. Junot... unfortunatly after Stefano had died. I really do believe Princess Caroline loved Stefano with all her heart as I believe she does love Prince Ernst August. This marriage would have made Princess Grace very happy! I know(believe me I know) how hard it is to fall in love with someone who is allready in another relationship. We don't all have to agree with the all the choices our beloved Royals make. However we can try to understand and respect them. Princess Caroline has a very special place in my heart as does Stefano. Don't you agree that it must be heartbreaking to not only lose your mother in a tragic accident but also your beloved husband just 8 years on? I think it's wonderfull that the memory of Stefano is kept alive!

[Tosca]

Originally Posted by agogo

Do you happen to remember which biographer wrote this? I am not aware of too many biographies written about Princess Caroline. These are the bio's that I am aware of:

Princess Caroline of Monaco by Jill C. Wheeler 1992
Caroline and Stephanie: Lives of the Princesses of Monaco by S.Crimp, P. Burstein, 1990
Caroline de Monaco (french) by Bertrand Meyer-Stabley 1994
Carolina de Monaco (spanish) by Jose Luis Riog, 1993

Well we Italians aren't particularly fond with the so-called biographies, unless they corcern the great people from the past. So I never heard of those book, but can recall that the catholic magazine "Famiglia Cristiana" had a short article about Caroline and Stefano's wedding day, where Caroline was called a public sinner and Stefano was referred as a concubine.

[Elly C]

I found the following quote from "The Ruling House of Monaco by John Glatt which may be the biography you mean:

"On the way to Washington Caroline had secretly visited Rome to plead her case for an annulment from Philippe Junot so that her baby might be legitimised in the eyes of the Church. After testifying before the Sacra Rota she was granted a personal audience with the Pope, who bluntly told her he was extremely disappointed in her and did not approve of her superficiality.
"Did you ever make a sacrifice to save your marriage?" he asked her, refusing to grant the annulment.
Glatt quotes his source as People magazine 25th June 1984!

Further on he states:
"Her marriage to Stephano Casiraghi - & their 3 children- were finally legitimised in the eyes of the Church after 12 years of campaigning & 2 papal commissions. It was rumoured that the deciding factor in the annulment had been prince Rainier's refusal to pay Monaco's multi-million pound tithe to the Church until it was granted."

IMOP I think there's more truth in the second account rather than the first!

[Tosca]

Originally Posted by Elly C

IMOP I think there's more truth in the second account rather than the first!

What People wrote is obviously no Gospel, so to speak, I'm also more inclined to think the second account may be the truth.
I read the Grimaldis refused to attend the Mass for a long while to protest against the decision to refuse the annulment by the Roman Rota.

[giov]

Originally Posted by Elly C

IMOP I think there's more truth in the second account rather than the first!

I am not sure that is the truth! Many people take that long to have their marriage annuled and it was said that the Church didn't want consider Princess Caroline like a priviliged person, especially in the eyes of all the other Catholics.

[iloveroyals]

I find the choice of Caroline's three husbands interesting. She chose Philippe Junot partly as an act of rebellion against her mother, and he did expand her horizons socially beyond what her mother felt more suitable for her, but he also shared traits of behavior and even values which she wouldn't take at the time from Princess Grace but accepted from him. He was obviously encouraging her to pursue her studies. He felt that decorum was important, once sending her back home to dress more appropriately for a lunch or dinner he had invited her to, not hesitating to call her "fatty" and asking her to lose weight, a certain kind of bullying which was probably much blunter than her mother's but ran parallel to what Princess Grace expected of her. Of course, she espoused his wild side as well, until it turned against her, but showed a real ambivalence, even in her choice of a quite older man, (almost as another parent substitute, just more fun), considering how young she was at the time. It was also a way of counterweighing the adoration she received from everyone at the time, being with a man who was not intimidated by her, her background, her family, and who had been brought up with quite a number a common values (his line of work (?) notwithstanding.)

I don't know much about Stefano because articles, etc, were not accessible to me to the same extent while she was married to him. She appeared to have become quite a different person by then, but still imitating her mother in another way by making marriage and motherhood come first and behaving in an impeccable manner, with, from what I gather, an impeccable man.

It is interesting that she did not marry Vincent Lindon. There may be a million reasons for that and I cannot speculate. But when she chose to marry Prince Ernst, she again reverted to her mother's values, (if it is true that social standing was very important for Princess Grace), placing the principality on top of the social tier in the Gotha, assuming Princess Grace's role as First lady with an absolutely legitimate title to go with it, giving birth to a royal princess, almost becoming Princess Grace in her public role , while still keeping motherhood on the forefront. Yet the same time, (and it is the pictures of Caroline dancing at the Harley Davidson event that triggered these musings), she has chosen a man who seems very ambivalent about his social position, and while bringing out the Royal Princess in her, has also brought out a more detached, looser, more individualized woman in her. She has managed to reconcile two personas and two personalities, the flawless princess her mother was, and the more rebellious younger princess she once was, a la Stephanie.

[ChantalC]

You made an interesting points about Princess Caroline's three husbands, iloveroyals.

When you mentioned that you don't know much about Stefano Casiraghi. From what I read, Caroline married Stefano because she loved him and wanted to have children with him. You are right that she appeared to have become different person when she married to Stefano. She became more mature and have grown up.

I think Caroline did not marry Vincent Lindon because Vincent wanted to have children and Caroline didn't at the time. They broke up and Caroline went on to date and marry Ernst and had a child together. I think Ernst wanted to have a daughter and got his wish when his daughter, Alexandra was born.

Lastly, Caroline married Philippe Junot because she wanted to stay away from home and wanted to be independent. I think she chose Philippe because of his more experience with life and he gave her the freedom that
she've never had before. I understand her parents, Grace and Rainier wanted to protect their children and wanted the best for them. And, I remember reading that Philippe called Caroline "fatty". When they left a party, he called her that. It was kind of bully. But Caroline lost 10 pounds, to make him happy, I think.

[CasiraghiTrio]

Yeah, Caroline was a different person with Stefano than the person she was before. With Stefano, suddenly, it seemed that she learned to be all about her family life. I know she and Stefano led an active social life too, but it seemed like the secondary rather than primary focus of their life together.
Poor Stefano, though, he seemed to have a restless spirit, and maybe Caroline wished he didn't feel it necessary to prove himself in business or sports.

[marilena]

with stefano at film festival venice september 1985

http://i40.tinypic.com/28ahpgj.jpg

[ulisse]

Everytime i see a picture of stefano and caroline i feel sadness, i loved them. I think that if stefano was lived the grimaldi today would be a family much more united. He was nice, intelligent, brilliant and handsome. He was close with prince rainier, albert and also stephanie.

[marilena]

together, london november 1988...

http://i42.tinypic.com/292u49c.jpg

monaco, golf 1987

http://i41.tinypic.com/2ueqo2e.jpg

[ulisse]

Thank you, Marilena, I remember those pictures, they made a handsome couple !

[ChantalC]

Thank you for these pics, Marilena. I've seen these pics before. Please keep posting. They made a stunning couple!

[lazuli]

I must admit, with Sefano's death, the world lost some of it's beauty. I remember i was so stupified when i heard the news about is death, that i refuse myself to believe them for days, and only a few days later the news hit me hard with all their terrible meaning and i remember the only idea that crossed my mind were the children. I felt so strongly sorry for them, for that young and quiet man and for his beautiful fairy tale princess that i burst into tears for weeks. I felt deeply touched and sad. Since then i couldn't do anything else but to consider Caroline a heroin and an example of courage and strenght

[ulisse]

I agree with you, Lazuli . I heard the new on RMC by a famous speaker ,Luisella Berrino, who was on Stefano's helicopter, they were friends. I was shocked for many days. Stefano was a quiet man but with a strong personality and he was only 30 years old, for Princess Caroline an enormous lost.

[marilena]

paris 1989
http://i42.tinypic.com/316n8rd.jpg

1988
http://i43.tinypic.com/2j1oh1z.jpg

[ChantalC]

People magazine dated July 3rd, 1978.

http://i43.tinypic.com/24qkg1u.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/1449naw.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2n2b90.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/24c87wz.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/2dhbo0m.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/124in0m.jpg