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Learn about the life and reign of Rainier III, who ruled Monaco from 1949 to 2005. Find out how he transformed Monaco's economy, married Grace Kelly, and died of a lung infection.
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What happened to Rainier III of Monaco?
When did Prince Rainier become Prince of Monaco?
Who was Prince Rainier III?
Why did Rainier III Exile his father from Monaco?
- He Wasn’T Really That Royal
- His Father Had A Dark Secret
- His Father Didn’T Love His Mother
- His Parents Fought A Lot
- His Father Was Far Away
- He Had No Permanent Home
- He Was A Fighter
- He Could Have Lived The Simple Life
- His Inheritance Was A Pittance
- He Wasn’T Too Legit
Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi (we’re just going to call him Rainier III, or “Rainy” if you’d rather) was born in May of 1923. He was the son of Princess Charlotte of Monaco and her husband, Prince Pierre. While his mother was the one with the royal blood, she was an illegitimate child. It wasn’t until Rainier III’s grandfather named...
Rainier III’s mother wasn’t the only one with a sordid past and something to hide.Prince Pierre, Rainier III’s father, was a French aristocrat before he became the Monegasque prince by way of marriage. And it seems like the marriage was for appearances only. Let’s put it this way: it was nothing short of a miracle that Rainier III was ever even bor...
Rainier III was born into a family—and a palace—built on secrets. And one the biggest secrets was that Prince Pierre didn’t love his wife—because he was a closeted homosexual. It’s not clear if Rainier III knew about his father’s secret life, but he definitely couldn’t ignore the fact that his parents hated each other. Getty Images
It’s always the kids who get caught in the middle of their parents’ feuds. Prince or not, Rainier III was no exception to that rule. Once his father’s secret bubbled to the surface, Rainier III’s parents threw chivalry aside and fought like cats and dogs—or, in this case, “queens” and princesses. It nearly tore Rainier III’s inheritance apart. Gett...
To say that his parents’ divorce caused a rift in the family would be an understatement.According to one magazine, while still on the throne, Rainier III’s grandfather exiled his father from Monaco. In a rage, he vowed that “he would call out the Monégasque army if the prince [Prince Pierre] ever set foot in the principality again.” A simple restra...
Fortunately for our pal, “Rainy” didn’t have to witness his parents’ acrimonious divorce. Though he almost certainly had to read about it in the newspapers. Before things got too rocky in the Prince’s Palace, his parents had shipped him off to school in England, then Switzerland…then France. But there were some fights he couldn’t escape. Getty Imag...
By the time 1944 rolled around—and the tanks were rolling across Europe—Rainier III was no stranger to a good fight. After all, if he had learned anything from his parents, it was the fighting spirit. At the age of 21, Rainier III joined the French in WWII and distinguished himself in action against the forces of the Third Reich. But not long after...
If his grandfather hadn’t legitimized his mother, and if his father hadn’t denied his true self and feelings, then Rainier III might have had a much simpler life. But, as we know, all of that had happened so…bye, bye to the simple life. In 1949, Rainier III’s grandfather passed away and the unassuming 26-year-old assumed the title Sovereign Prince ...
Rainier III inherited what is now one of the crown jewels of Europe: Monaco, known for its lavishness and wealth. But, at the time of his ascendency, the principality was considerably less impressive. Monaco’s famed casino business had gone belly-up after WWII and the royal treasury was pretty much empty. Yet somehow, being broke was the leastof Ra...
Having no money is one type of problem for a reigning monarch. Having no legitimacy is another altogether. Rainier III’s parents’ scandalous marriage and even more outrageous divorce had tarnished the reputation of the principality almost beyond repair. And, to make matters worse, Rainier III’s mother seemed determined to make ruling legitimately i...
Rainier III, prince de Monaco (born May 31, 1923, Monaco—died April 6, 2005, Monaco) was the 31st hereditary ruler of the principality of Monaco (1949–2005). He was the son of Prince Pierre, count de Polignac, and Princess Charlotte de Monaco, daughter of Louis II, prince de Monaco.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Apr 7, 2005 · Rainier III of Monaco, the prince whose storybook romance and marriage to the actress Grace Kelly helped promote the transformation of his tiny fief from a pastel postage-stamp fantasy on the...
Apr 7, 2005 · Prince Rainier III of Monaco, who made Hollywood beauty Grace Kelly his fairy-tale princess and transformed his tiny Riviera realm of casinos and resorts into a powerhouse of international...
Apr 6, 2005 · For all his success in modernising the tiny principality of Monaco, Prince Rainier III, who died on Wednesday at the age of 81, will be best remembered for marrying one of Hollywood's legends,...
May 21, 2018 · Scion of one of Europe's oldest extant monarchies, Prince Rainier III (born 1923) became the thirty-first ruler of Monaco in 1949. In the years since he has maintained the tiny Mediterranean principality as a prosperous slice of a bygone era, attractive to the rich and idle for its sunshine, lavish casino, and absence of income tax.
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