Albert II, Prince of Monaco
| Albert II | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Albert II in 2019 | |||||
| Prince of Monaco | |||||
| Reign | 6 April 2005 – present | ||||
| Predecessor | Rainier III | ||||
| Heir apparent | Jacques | ||||
| Ministers of state | See list
| ||||
| Regent of Monaco | |||||
| Tenure | 31 March – 6 April 2005[1] | ||||
| Monarch | Rainier III | ||||
| Born | 14 March 1958 Prince's Palace of Monaco, Monaco | ||||
| Spouse |
Charlene Wittstock (m. 2011) | ||||
| Issue | Jazmin Grace Grimaldi (illegitimate) Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste (illegitimate) Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco | ||||
| |||||
| House | Grimaldi-Polignac | ||||
| Father | Rainier III, Prince of Monaco | ||||
| Mother | Grace Kelly | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
| Signature | |||||
| Military career | |||||
| Allegiance | Monaco | ||||
| Branch | Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince | ||||
| Years of service | 1986–2005 (end of active service) | ||||
| Rank | Commander-in-chief | ||||
Albert II (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi;[2] born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, reigning since 2005.
Born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, Albert is the second child and only son of Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace. He attended the Lycée Albert Premier before studying political science at Amherst College. In his youth, he competed in bobsleigh during Winter Olympic finals before retiring in 2002. Albert was appointed regent in March 2005 after his father fell ill, and became sovereign prince upon the latter's death a week later. Since his accession, he has been outspoken in the field of environmentalism, and an advocate of ocean conservation[3] and adoption of renewable energy sources to tackle global climate change,[4][5] and founded the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation in 2006, to directly raise funds and initiate action for such causes and greater ecological preservation.
With assets valued in 2010 at US$1 billion, Albert owns shares in the Société des Bains de Mer, which operates Monaco's casino and other entertainment properties in the Principality.[6] In July 2011, Prince Albert married South African Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock.[7] He has four children, two of them illegitimate, the other two legitimate: Jazmin, Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste, Gabriella, and Jacques.
- ^ Monaco, Principauté de. "Sommaire du Journal No. 7698 du 8 avril 2005". journaldemonaco.gouv.mc (in French). Retrieved 5 February 2023..
- ^ Albert II, prince of Monaco at the Encyclopædia Britannica
- ^ "Monaco's Prince Albert II: Oceans are a 'family heritage,' with little time to save them". Los Angeles Times. 13 February 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ Bryer, Tania; Revesz, Rachael (8 July 2019). "Prince Albert II: The monarch talks climate change and his legacy". CNBC. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ "Press Conference on Climate Change by Prince Albert II of Monaco | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases" (Press release). United Nations. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ "In Pictures: The World's Richest Royals – Prince Albert II, Monaco". Forbes. 7 July 2010.
- ^ "Prince Albert of Monaco – Fast Facts". CNN. 20 March 2014.