Posted on 04/10/2005 7:00:11 AM PDT by COUNTrecount
MONACO, April 8 - While the television here plays vintage clips of the late Prince Rainier's storybook marriage to the American actress Grace Kelly, the unspoken question hanging in this tiny principality's crisp Mediterranean air is who the next princess will be.
Prince Rainier's enigmatic son, Albert, who assumed Monaco's throne upon his father's death on Wednesday, is unmarried and has shown no public inclination to produce a royal heir. Choosing a bride to replace his mother, who died in a car crash 23 years ago, is an almost insurmountable task, people in the principality say.
"People will be very happy when Albert gets married," said Jean des Cars, a historian of the royal family, "but everyone will compare his choice to Princess Grace."
Prince Albert's uncertain marriage plans, an echo of succession questions in Britain and many of the world's other modern monarchies, are just one of the ways in which his ascension to the throne is making people uneasy. His father was a fighter who stood up to President Charles de Gaulle of France and the Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis in defense of his tiny principality's independence.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Is he a confirmed batchelor?
Flamboyant too?
Who cares!
Is he a confirmed batchelor?
I was told years ago that if there is not a male heir to the throne (is it a throne? my mother told me the Grimaldis are not royal, that they are "serene highnesses") Monaco will revert to France. Does anyone know if this is true? It is not addressed in the article.
I can't say for a fact, but this was discussed in a different thread last week, and I believe that Monaco's constitution was amended to allow succession to other than a male heir.
Maybe you could find something more specific on Google.
* More precisely, old post, as it's gone two years unsullied by replies.
Prince Albert, 47, who has succeeded his father, shows no sign of marrying or producing an heir. This would previously have led to Monaco becoming part of France once again, but the constitution was changed to allow his sisters, his aunt and their descendants to succeed.
Excuse me, but have you had Prince Albert in the can?
Is he a confirmed bachelor?
in response to which I post this from dighton's neglected post:
Albert likes his Grand Prix, his tennis tournaments, supermodels and luxury-goods launch parties.
"...but the constitution was changed to allow his sisters, his aunt and their descendants to succeed."
Ah, good, that wasn't clear in the article. Don't let France get nothing, that's my American motto these days!
And, who knows, maybe Albert will see things differently now that he's the boss. In any event, you know the women will be chasing him with renewed fervour. I have a theory that no man should get married until he's 40 anyway, so Albert is not past his prime by my reckoning, he's my exact age in fact (but then again, so is Michael Jackson!).
Perhaps we need an "ignored posting" ping list.
(How's the "Simpson's in Scotland" thread going?)
"Who cares".
Your right.
Is that anything like a Monaco Lewinski?
Words that just look wrong.
Or hairs...
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