Civil status and distinctions
His Serene Highness Prince Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre, Prince of Monaco, Marquis of Baux, was born on March 14th, 1958.
His Highness is the son of Prince Rainier III, Louis Henri-Maxence-Bertrand, (Monaco May 31st, 1923 - April 6th, 2005) and the Late Princess Grace Patricia Kelly, (Philadelphia U.S.A. November 12th, 1929 - Monaco September 14th, 1982).
His Godfather was the late Prince Louis de Polignac, and his Godmother was the late Queen Victoria-Eugénia of Spain.
H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince is :
Grand Cross of the Order of Grimaldi, April 18th , 1958 ;
Grand Cross of the Order of Saint-Charles, March 13th, 1979 ;
Colonel of the Carabineers, November 11th, 1986.
Prince Albert II of Monaco married Ms Charlene Wittstock on 1 & 2 July 2011, she became Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco.
On decembre 10th, 2014 were born a son, Jacques Honoré Rainier and a daughter, Gabriella Thérèse Marie.
Missions and responsabilities
On Thursday the 31st of March 2005, in accordance with the Statutes of the Sovereign Family and after informing H.S.H. Crown Prince Albert - the Secretary of State convoked the Council of the Crown. The Council of the Crown determined that His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III was not able to carry out his functions of State and declared that H.S.H. Crown Prince Albert would act as Regent from that point on.
On the 6th of April 2005, H.S.H. Prince Albert II succeeded his father, the Prince Rainier III who died on this day following a series of afflictions to his heart, lung and kidneys which had required his hospitalization since the 7th of March.
Since 1984, H.S.H. Prince Albert, work alongside with His Father in the management of State affairs.
In other respects, The Prince is responsible for activities in various sectors :
Monte-Carlo Television Festival and Imagina :
H.S.H. Prince Albert was named, by Sovereign Order on June 1st, 1988, Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the Monte-Carlo International Television Festival. In this respect, His Highness supervises the preparation and direction of this annual event as well as "Imagina": a festival of computer generated images.
Environment :
In the environmental sector, His Highness closely follows the Principality's Environmental Groups and Associations in their battle against different kinds of pollution, with such actions as the annual Electric Vehicle Show, "Méditerranée Propre" (Clean Mediterranean), etc.
Within the framework of Environment Day on July 30th, 1991, and in introduction to the United Nations' Environment Committee meeting which took place just before the 1992 Rio Summit, His Highness underlined the responsibility of one and all with regard to problems linked to the environment.
Sport :
Practicing numerous sporting disciplines from a very young age, the Prince now assumes the chairmanship of various Federations and Organizations :
He has been Chairman of the Monegasque Swimming Federation (Fédération Monegasque de Natation) since October 10th, 1983.
His Highness personally follows the activities of this federation which organizes an International Swimming Meeting every year.
He has been Chairman of the Monaco Yacht Club since May 15th, 1984. His Highness takes a close interest in the club's multiple activities : its sailing school, international sailing and motorboat races, including the Monaco-New York "Transat" race in 1985, but also the yearly maxi-yacht meeting, "Monaco Classic Week", which traditionally takes place in September.
He has chaired the Monegasque Athletics Federation since July 17th, 1984.
His Highness supervises the organization of the annual "Grand Prix IAAF - Herculis" Meeting, which takes place in August in the Louis II Stadium.
In 1986, the Prince was named Honorary President of IAF (International Athletic Foundation).
In 1987, the Prince was Honorary Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the 2nd "Small European States" Games.
On April 10th, 1987, under the impetus of Prince Albert, the Monegasque Bobsleigh, Toboggan and Skeleton Federation was formed.
H.S.H. Prince Albert was Honorary Chairman of the 101st Session of the International Olympic Committee which took place in Monaco in September 1993, during which the city of Sydney was chosen to host the Year 2000 Summer Olympics Games.
The Prince has chaired the Monegasque Olympic Committee since April 1994.
In 1997, Prince Albert II was named Honorary President of UIPM (International Modern Pentathlon Union).
He has chaired the Monegasque Federation of Modern Pentathlon since December 1999.
On November 30th 2004, His Serene Highness was named Honorary President of World Beach Volleyball, by the International Volleyball Federation.
Activities within the International Olympic Committee :
In June 1985, His Highness was co-opted into the International Olympic Committee during its 90th Session in Berlin.
In 1988, Prince Albert II was chosen to be the International Olympic Committee observer to sailing events at Pusan, for the Seoul Olympics.
In December 1988, His Highness was named as Vice-President of the Athletes Commission of the International Olympic Committee by its President, Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch.
In 1990, he became a member of the Coordination Commission for the 1996 Atlanta Games.
In December 1999, Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranch again called upon the Prince, naming him as representative for Athletes within the Commission of Admission of the I.O.C.
I.O.C. Athletes Commission representative on the Marketing Commission.
Prince Albert is member of the Nomination Commission and member of Turin 2006 Olympic Games Coordination Commission.
In the Cultural Field :
H.S.H. Prince Albert II has assumed :
The Deputy-Chairmanship of the Princess Grace Foundation of Monaco. This institution, founded by Princess Grace in 1964, has a triple vocation :
a) On a cultural level, the Foundation supports the Princess Grace Classical Dance Academy, both directly and through scholarships awarded to young talented dancers as well as to students of the Prince Rainier III Academy of Music.
In 1984, the Foundation was responsible for the establishment of the « Princess Grace Irish Library », whose collections are open to students and those researching literature and Irish History.
b) On a secondary level, the Foundation supports local artisans through two shops : one located in the Old Town (le Rocher), the other located in the district of Monte-Carlo.
c) Finally, the Foundation undertakes benevolent activities, principally in favour of infants, on both a local and an international level. Its main thrust is that of aiding the families of children handicapped through illness. This takes the form of intervention "in situ" (theatre workshops, fitting-out of premises) and the support of medical research via a special open-end investment trust.
The Deputy Chairmanship of the "Princess Grace Foundation - U.S.A. », since 1982.
The Foundation was founded to perpetuate the memory and the engagement of Princess Grace in the artistic domain. Each year, during a Gala event in New York, the Foundation awards scholarships to talented young people in different artistic fields : those of dance, music, theatre and cinema.
The Honorary Chairmanship of the "Friends of the Monte-Carlo Opera" Association, since November 1993.
The Honorary Chairmanship of the National Monegasque's Committee of the UNESCO International Plastics Arts Association since 31st August 1999.
In the Economic Field
As well as following the activities undertaken by the Government and various economic agencies of the Principality, His Highness takes a very close interest in the initiatives of local associations.
Prince Albert is Honorary Chairman of Monaco's "Jeune Chambre Economique" (Junior Chamber of Commerce). This association, founded in 1963, aims to contribute to the economic, social and cultural progress of the community, following the principles of freedom, respect for the individual and tolerance.
In the Field of Humanitarian Action :
H.S.H. Prince Albert II was named, by Sovereign Order, on December 17th, 1982, Chairman of the Monegasque Red Cross.
His Highness has participated in, and followed:
- multiple international aid programs,
- activities on a national level,
- ad hoc emergency aid programs.
Since 1982, Prince Albert has been Honorary Chairman of the association "Monaco Aide et Présence" (M.A.P.), founded in 1979 under the auspices of Princess Grace.
Following the participation by the Prince in the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1985 and 1986, M.A.P. built, at Agadès in Nigeria, a dispensary inaugurated in April 1988, which carries his name.
Since then, the establishment has been added to, with the construction of a maternity ward and a pathology laboratory, and has become the most important health care center in Northern Nigeria.
Other humanitarian activities have been carried-out in Brazil, Madagascar, former Yugoslavia, Romania, Sri Lanka, India and at the doorstep of Monaco on an ad hoc basis.
The Prince has, on many occasions, taken it upon to make field visits. In the first day of March 2005, He visited "Princess Grace Orphanage" in Sri Lanka and some areas hits by the tsunamis in December 2004.
His Highness is also :
- Honorary Member of the International Institute for Human Rights since September 3rd, 1986.
- Member of the Support Committee for W.W.F. France since March 1990.
- Patron of the association "Outward Bound France" since March 1992. This association aims to train young people according to the concept of « learning through actions ».
His Serene Highness is also Patron of the association "Outward Bound Monaco" since its creation in October 2004.
