August Annotations

Charlotte Casiraghi: Monte Carlo’s Girl Next Door

She isn’t a royal princess, but Charlotte Casiraghi has proven that she doesn’t need a title to capture the hearts and minds of the public. Charlotte’s looks are exotic and her pedigree is legendary, making her one of the most admired aristocratic women in the world.

The New Grimaldi Generation

Charlotte Casiraghi was born August 3, 1986 to Princess Caroline of Monaco and Stefano Casiraghi. Charlotte is their second child and only daughter, born between elder brother Andrea and younger brother Pierre. Charlotte is currently fourth in line to the throne of Monaco after her mother and brothers. Charlotte’s uncle, Prince Albert, is the current ruler of the principality.

Charlotte and her brothers grew up surrounded by the history of their mother’s Grimaldi roots in Monaco. She was close to her grandfather Prince Rainier, but sadly never knew her grandmother Princess Grace. The “All American Girl” who became a Monegasque royal upon her marriage to Rainier had died in a car accident in 1982, a few years before Charlotte was born.

Charlotte is beloved by fans who fondly remember Grace, whose glamour they say she has inherited. With her father Stefano’s shimmering aqua eyes, Caroline’s pouty lips, and Grace’s finely chiseled features, Charlotte is a photographer’s dream come true.

“She makes me think of Brigitte Bardot,” says Karl Lagerfeld, an old friend of the family.

The Drama Unfolds

Charlotte’s family roots are just as dramatic as her sultry looks.

On January 8, 1297, cunning ancestor Francois Grimaldi disguised himself as a Franciscan monk, sneaking into Monaco’s fortress - now the Prince’s Palace - and overtaking the guards. Grimaldi seized both the fortress and the port of Hercules which was situated right on the Mediterranean. Thus began the 700-year reign of the infamous family in Monaco.

Grimaldi was medieval nobility who boasted both a French and Italian bloodline. For the most part, his family were loyal to their overlords, many of whom the Grimaldis owed their survival. Whenever trouble came rolling through, it was a different matter: the family had no qualms about switching sides when it suited them. They were certainly no strangers to the term “kill or be killed”, and supported whoever was on the winning side of a battle.

Two hundred years after Francois Grimaldi’s takeover, letters patent were written on February 10th, 1512 to establish Monaco’s independence from France. Though Monaco was now independent, the responsibility for its protection bounced between France, Spain, and Italy.

The annexation of the fortress and port by Francois Grimaldi was not the only notorious deed within the dynasty. According to one 13th century legend, Prince Rainier I kidnapped and raped an innocent girl. The girl became a witch in order to exact her revenge upon the Prince, and she cursed him and his family for generations to come: “Never will a Grimaldi find true happiness in marriage”.

It certainly seemed to come true in the eyes of many for Prince Rainier III. He lost Grace in the car accident, and none of his children had or kept a marriage. Princess Stephanie, the youngest, is twice divorced with a history of failed relationships; Princess Caroline, who was already divorced from Phillipe Junot and then lost Stefano; and Prince Albert, who is still unmarried but with two children from former girlfriends.

Happily, Princess Caroline is in fact the current exception. Though she lost her beloved Stefano, her third marriage to HRH Prince Ernst August of Hanover is still going strong. Her marriage to Ernst, a direct descendant of Britain’s King George III, also made Caroline a Royal Highness.

Brilliance and Tragedy

Prince Albert II, the latest princely sovereign in the 700-year old Grimaldi line, lives in the pink “Prince’s Palace”, a far more placid place than in the days of his forebears. Albert’s father, Prince Rainier, left behind him a successful Monaco created with the help of his elegant wife Grace Kelly and eventually his son-in-law Stefano’s business sense.

Along with Princess Grace, the Casiraghis were also the best public relations the dynasty ever had.

Monaco’s national day was a time for the family to be viewed by the people and celebrate their independence. They would gather on the balcony and wave to the people. Stefano would hold Charlotte, and Caroline would hold baby Pierre while a little Andrea would peek through the rails. In every photo of Stefano and his children, he was seen to be gazing lovingly at Charlotte or with immense pride at his sons. The young family brought a cozy yet glamorous aura to the ruling family of Monaco.

Stefano was tall, blond, and often referred to as Caroline’s “Prince Charming”. He was said to be devoted to her and their children, never straying from the marriage nor bringing scandal to the family. He helped Rainier with his vision of the principality being a key location for tourists and an avenue of wealth through legitimate casinos and hotels. Up to that point its reputation was infamous for being “a sunny place for shady people”.* Monaco, though only the size of Central Park in New York, became the glamour capital of Europe.

The happy family of Casiraghi and Grimaldi alike was shattered when Stefano, an avid speed-boat racer, perished in an accident. This dangerous sport was Stefano’s favorite, and he had already experienced several narrow escapes that had set Caroline’s teeth on edge. She begged him to end his racing and to consider the children if something were to happen to him. It was reported that this particular race in October 1990 would lead into his retirement, but instead it cost him his life. Princess Caroline was devastated. The accident perpetuated the myth that the Grimaldis were doomed to never find or keep true love.

“What am I going to do?” cried Caroline. “What am I going to do?”

The Princess leaned on her father to get her through these difficult times. When she regained her bearings, Caroline moved Charlotte and her brothers to a quiet village in France away from the spotlight of Monte Carlo and the press. There, the little family struggled to come to terms with Stefano’s death. Charlotte was only four years old.

Moving Ahead

Charlotte’s characteristic earthiness was instilled in her by her mother. Princess Caroline wanted her children to have a more normal life by giving them their father’s surname rather than a title. Caroline was much like Britain’s Princess Anne in this sense. She was a private person when it came to her family, and wanted her children left alone as much as possible.

Then, they moved to Remy Saint Provence to escape paparazzi and other prying eyes after Stefano’s death. It was in this quaint enclave in France that Charlotte grew up and formed her solidly commonsense personality.

It has been said that Charlotte’s biggest fear was that she would end up being seen as a socialite with no real interests. So, Charlotte studied hard and also began to take up equestrian sports. She excelled in her competitions, determined to be taken seriously as a keen sportswoman right from the start. Her skill and energy in show-jumping placed Charlotte right up in the professional ranks with her contemporaries Zara Phillips and Athina Onassis de Miranda.

Horses are not the only area of expertise for Charlotte Casiraghi; the beautiful Monegasque inherited a lot of her father’s sporty genes and is a regular on the wintry slopes with her skis or snowboard. She can often be seen in the Alps with her family, zipping down the mountains like a pro.

Charlotte is also very serious about her schoolwork, passing her baccalaureate exam with “excellent” marks and studying philosophy. She is also multi-lingual with French, Italian, English, and German under her belt. Any fears she had about being perceived as a “spoiled little rich girl” have certainly be laid to rest.

Charlotte is never one to dress or behave lavishly, either. You could never mistake her for a bed-hopping socialite so often seen in these times. Her level-headed cool manifested itself in her wardrobe as well as on the show-jumping circuit. She was always casual yet quality, sexy yet refined. She is a truly down-to-earth European girl that females everywhere sought to emulate and whom males adored, even when Charlotte was still only in her teens.

Breaking The Curse?

Nearly a decade after Stefano’s passing, Charlotte obtained a father-figure in her mother’s third husband, Prince Ernst August of Hanover. Charlotte was now related by marriage to the British Royal Family.

Caroline gave birth to her youngest child Alexandra shortly after her marriage to Ernst. Charlotte, Pierre, and Andrea all get along well with their stepfather and their step brothers, and all three of Caroline’s children love their little sister Alexandra to pieces.

It seems that this branch of the Grimaldi family is finally successful in the world of matrimony, and with such a firm head on her shoulders, the royal watchers of the world wait with baited breath to see who Charlotte will choose as a husband. We will wait in anticipation as the newest Grimaldi generation asserts itself and steers the legendary family into the 21st century.

Thanks to:
http://www.style.com/beauty/icon/041207
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlotte_Casiraghi
http://www.riviera-magazine.com/tourisme/monaco/MonacoGrimaldi-us.html
http://www.heraldica.org/topics/national/monaco.htm

* This quote is attributed to Somerset Maugham.