Caroline, Princess of Hanover
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| Caroline, Princess of Hanover | |
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| Born | January 23, 1957 (age 50) |
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| Spouse | Philippe Junot (1978-1980) Stefano Casiraghi (1983-1990) Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover (1999-) |
| Children | Andrea Casiraghi, Charlotte Casiraghi, Pierre Casiraghi, Princess Alexandra of Hanover |
| Parents | Rainier III of Monaco and Grace Kelly |
Caroline Louise Marguerite, The Princess of Hanover, Hereditary Princess of Monaco (Caroline Louise Marguerite Prinzessin von Hannover, Erbprinzessin von Monaco), formally styled Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover [1], (born 23 January 1957) is the eldest child of Prince Rainier III of Monaco and his wife, the former American film actress Grace Kelly. She has many relatives in the United States where her mother is originally from and when she was a child she would spend time at the home of her maternal grandparents in Philadelphia. She married Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover in 1999.
Born Her Serene Highness Princess Caroline of Monaco and bearing the surname Grimaldi, she is the second wife of Ernst August, Prince of Hanover and, since her father's death on 6 April 2005, is the heir presumptive to the throne of Monaco. She also was heir presumptive in 1957 and 1958, between her own birth and the birth of her brother, Albert, the current Sovereign Prince of Monaco. She also has a younger sister, Stéphanie.
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[edit] Education
The Princess received her French Baccalauréat (high school or A level) degree in 1974 with honors. She continued her studies at the Sorbonne in Paris, where she received a diploma in Philosophy and minors in Psychology and Biology. She is fluent in French, English, Spanish, German and Italian.
[edit] First marriage
Princess Caroline's first husband was Philippe Junot (b. April 19, 1940 ), a Parisian banker. They were married on 28 June 1978 and divorced on 9 October 1980, a period of time that had been predicted by the bride's mother, who disapproved of Junot's age and his reputation as a playboy. In 1992, the Roman Catholic Church granted the princess an annullment.
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[edit] Second marriage
Her second husband was Stefano Casiraghi (September 8, 1960 – October 3, 1990), the sportsman heir to an Italian oil fortune. They were married on 29 December 1983, and had three children:
- Andrea Albert Pierre Casiraghi, born 8 June 1984
- Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi, born 3 August 1986
- Pierre Rainier Stefano Casiraghi, born 5 September 1987
The two younger children are named for their maternal great-grandparents, Princess Charlotte of Monaco and Prince Pierre of Monaco whilst Andrea was named for a childhood friend of his father's. The marriage ended on 3 October 1990 when Stefano Casiraghi was killed in a speed boating accident. He was said to be the love of her life and his death devastated the Princess.
Princess Caroline had a liaison from 1990 until 1995 with French actor Vincent Lindon and was also briefly engaged to Roberto Ingmar Rossellini, son of movie icon Ingrid Bergman, before her second marriage.
[edit] Third marriage
Her third and present husband is Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover[2], the head of the House of Hanover. They married on 23 January 1999 after his divorce from Chantal Hochuli, and have one child, Princess Alexandra of Hanover, who was born six months after their wedding on the 20 July 1999 in Vöcklabruck (Austria). Chantal Hochuli had been a friend of Caroline's but the friendship ended with Caroline and Ernst engaged in an affair.
Her husband's family titles were abolished by the Weimar Republic Germany after World War I, along with all royal and noble German titles, so Hereditary Princess of Monaco is her only undisputed title. Additionally, the Kingdom of Hanover has not existed since being annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia during the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. Her husband is, however, entitled by German law to use "Prince of Hanover" as his surname (i.e. Ernst August Prince of Hanover), so the princess is likewise permitted to call herself "Princess of Hanover" - but as a surname and style, though not as a royal title. Neither she nor her husband have royal rank in modern Germany, the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland as Prince or Princess of Hanover, though Monaco recognizes her German royal title and her style as a Royal Highness.
Ironically, Caroline and Ernest hold high positions in each of their Royal Families, Ernest is the head of the House of Hanover and if the Kingdom still existed he would be known as King Ernest of Hanover. Caroline is second in line to the throne of Monaco and will most likely be the reigning princess if her brother has no legitimate children. Had it been a different time in history they would most likely not been able to marry as they are both directly in line to inherit different thrones.
Nonetheless, on 11 January 1999, shortly before Caroline and Ernst's wedding, his distant cousin Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom issued the following Order-in-Council: "My Lords, I do hereby declare My Consent to a Contract of Matrimony between His Royal Highness Prince Ernst August Albert of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg and Her Serene Highness Princess Caroline Louise Marguerite of Monaco...". Without the Royal Assent, the marriage would have been void in Britain, where the groom's family owns substantial property, because Ernst August is subject to the Royal Marriages Act 1772. Likewise, the Monégasque court officially notified France of Caroline's contemplated marriage to Prince Ernst August and received assurance that there was no objection, in compliance with the 1918 Franco-Monégasque Treaty.
[edit] Defense of privacy
On 24 June 2004 the Princess obtained a judgment [3] from the European Court of Human Rights condemning Germany for non-respect of her right to a private life. The seven judges who examined her request ruled that German jurisdictions should thereafter forbid publication of photographs depicting Caroline in scenes of her daily life.
[edit] Cultural and charitable interests
The Princess was awarded, in 2005, the insignia of Commander of Cultural Merit in recognition of her commitment to the Arts. She founded Les Ballets de Monte Carlo and has been president and chairperson of The Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra ; Monte Carlo Opera ; Prince Pierre Foundation ; The Spring Arts Festival ; The Monte Carlo Garden Club and The Princess Grace Foundation.
She founded the children's charity Jeune J'écoute ; is a patron of Peter Le Marchant Trust and president of Amade Mondiale.
In 2006, the Princess was awarded the UNICEF Children's Champion Award.
[edit] Succession issues
Because her brother Prince Albert remains unmarried and has no legitimate children, it is possible that Caroline will one day become the second Sovereign Princess in Monaco's history. Her ancestor Louise-Hippolyte Grimaldi held that title for a few months in 1731. There is precedent for a Sovereign Prince to adopt his own illegitimate child and thereby place that child at the head of the line of succession to the throne, as was done for Caroline's grandmother, Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois. However, this is no longer a valid option owing to the constitutional changes of 2002.
Although Albert has publicly acknowledged two children born out of wedlock (Eric Alexandre Coste, son of Togolese flight attendant Nicole Coste and Jazmin Grace Rotolo, daughter of Tamara Rotolo of Palm Springs, California), unless Albert were to legitimize his son by marrying the mother, Caroline cannot constitutionally be displaced in the succession order by either child.
Albert's lack of legitimate children prompted Prince Rainier to change the constitution so as to ensure there would be a lawful successor to the throne after him, which strengthened the places of Caroline and her descendants in the line of succession. On 2 April 2002 Monaco passed Princely Law 1.249, which provides that if the Sovereign Prince assumes the throne and then dies without a legitimate direct heir, the throne will pass to his siblings and their descendants under the rule of male-preference primogeniture. The law was then ratified by France, as required by a 1918 Franco-Monégasque treaty, on 4 October 2005. Before this change, the crown of Monaco could pass only to a direct descendant of the reigning prince. Caroline would have become ineligible to inherit the throne upon Albert's accession.
Contrary to usage in most other monarchies, not only is the heir apparent to the Monégasque throne titled Hereditary Prince, but whenever there is no heir apparent the heir presumptive legally bears the title of Hereditary Princess. Therefore, Caroline first became Hereditary Princess of Monaco at birth. From the birth of her only brother until his accession to the throne as Albert II, she was legally Princess Caroline of Monaco, whereupon she resumed the position of heiress presumptive and Hereditary Princess. So long as Prince Albert remains without legitimate, dynastic issue, Princess Caroline remains first in line to succeed him on the throne. However, Albert's firstborn legitimate child would displace her in the line of succession and become Hereditary Prince/ss, either as Albert's heir apparent if male, or as his heir presumptive if female.
In Monaco and other monarchies, Caroline is usually referred to and addressed by the female form of the style attributed by tradition to her husband, i.e. Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover, rather than by her own legal title (Her Serene Highness The Hereditary Princess of Monaco). Historically, styles associated with kingdoms, such as Ernst August's, have been deemed of higher rank and status than those associated with principalities. Should Caroline succeed Albert and become reigning Princess of Monaco, she would become HSH Caroline I, Princess of Monaco. She would retain the attribute of Royal Highness consistent with the tradition that conferred that style, for example, upon descendants of Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg as a result of her 1919 marriage to Felix of Bourbon-Parma, member of a deposed dynasty that once reigned over a kingdom. As reigning Princess, however, Caroline would re-assume her dynastic maiden name of Grimaldi, pursuant to Article I of the principality's 2002 law on the sovereign family[4].
[edit] Main styles & titles from birth to present
- Her Serene Highness The Hereditary Princess of Monaco (1957-1958)
- Her Serene Highness Princess Caroline of Monaco (1958-1999)
- Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover, Princess of Monaco (1999-2005)
- Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover, Hereditary Princess of Monaco (2005-present)
| House of Grimaldi Born: 23 January 1957 |
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| Preceded by first in line |
Line of succession to the Monegasque Throne | Succeeded by Andrea Casiraghi |
| Vacant Title last held by Rainier III |
Hereditary Princess of Monaco 1957-1958 |
Succeeded by Albert II |
| Preceded by Albert II |
Hereditary Princess of Monaco 2005- |
Incumbent |
