August Annotations

Andrea Casiraghi
Monaco’s Prince William

Andrea Albert Pierre Casiraghi was born June 8, 1984. He is the eldest child of HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover (nee Princess of Monaco) and her second husband, Stefano Casiraghi. His maternal grandparents are the late Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace, the Irish-American Oscar winning actress.

Thanks to his grandfather Rainier’s amendment to the constitution in 2002, Andrea will most likely be the reigning Prince of Monaco if his uncle, Prince Albert II, dies without legitimate children. Andrea is currently second in line to the throne after his mother, Caroline.

He has two younger siblings, Charlotte and Pierre, and a younger half-sister, Princess Alexandra of Hanover.

Family Tragedy

One of the greatest tragedies in the Grimaldi Family was the death of Princess Grace, the grandmother Andrea never knew. In September of 1982, Grace, along with her younger daughter Stephanie, were driving home to Monaco from France. Their car went over a cliff, killing Grace and seriously injuring Princess Stephanie. It is widely rumored that Stephanie was driving the car when the accident happened, and has carried much guilt over the death of her mother.

Things began to look up when Princess Caroline married second husband Stefano Casiraghi. They were married on December 29, 1983. Caroline had found the love of her life with Stefano, something that she desparately needed after the death of her mother and her first disasterous marriage to Phillipe Junot. Caroline and Stefano had Andrea in 1984, Charlotte in 1986 and Pierre in 1987.

Caroline and Stefano only had one particular bout of marital discord - his dangerous hobby of speed boat racing. She feared he would be killed or seriously injured, and pleaded with him to end the sport. But Stefano was not afraid. It was what he loved doing, and would continue to race. On October 3, 1990, the Princess’ worst nightmare came true. Stefano was killed in a speed boating accident. Andrea moved with his mother and his siblings to France, and the family remained there for many years recuperating from Stefano’s death.

Another Chapter

After their father’s death, Andrea and his brother and sister grew up far from the spotlight and glamour of Monte Carlo. His sister Charlotte became a notable equestrian, Pierre is said to be keen on the saxophone, and Andrea himself skis and plays guitar. Andrea and Pierre are also big sport fans. This year’s World Cup in Germany has inspired the lads to take it to their own fields in the Luis II Stadium in Monaco. They ran out onto the pitch alongside the other members of the “Star Team For Children”, an effort to raise money for the children’s charity Amade.

In 1999, Andrea gained a stepfather when his mother married Prince Ernst August of Hanover. Caroline’s brood expanded when she gave birth to Princess Alexandra of Hanover in July of that year.
The family all have a good relationship with one another, and the siblings dote on Alexandra.

Andrea met with one final family loss - the death of his grandfather, Prince Rainier in 2005. In his last years, Rainier had several bouts of ill health and been hospitalized on numerous occasions with heart and respiratory problems. It seemed for a time that Rainier was improving a bit, but after a grievously short time at home, he was whisked back to the hospital with a chest infection. He took a turn for the worst in intensive care, and he passed away quietly on April 6, 2005, just four days after the death of Pope John Paul II.

Star Status

Andrea is said to be giving Prince William a run for his money with his tall frame, long blond hair and chiseled cheekbones. He doesn’t try to lay claim to any heartthrob status, and is more shy than glamourous ‘hunk’. Sister Charlotte is considered to be the most beautiful royal in Europe, with her stunning looks being compared to her mother’s. Neither Andrea nor his siblings are styled as ‘prince’ or ‘princess’, but they are certainly dazzling stars on the European royal and social scenes. Hopefully there will be more from Andrea and his stunning siblings in the years to come.

Written by: Mandy
© 2006 MandysRoyalty.org