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Princess Stéphanie of Monaco

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Princess Stéphanie Marie Elisabeth of Monaco, Countess of Polignac[citation needed] (born 1 February 1965) is the youngest child of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and American actress Grace Kelly. She is the younger sister of Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and Caroline, Princess of Hanover. Currently 14th in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne, she has been a singer, swimwear designer and fashion model.

Princess Stéphanie of Monaco
Photo of a 48-year-old Stéphanie
Princess Stéphanie in 2013
Born (1965-02-01) 1 February 1965 (age 59)
Prince's Palace, Monte Carlo, Monaco
Spouse
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​
(m. 1995; div. 1996)​
​
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(m. 2003; div. 2004)​
Issue
Names
Stéphanie Marie Elisabeth Grimaldi
HouseGrimaldi
FatherRainier III, Prince of Monaco
MotherGrace Kelly

Early life and education

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Princess Stéphanie walking with her mother in 1969

Stéphanie was born to Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace on 1 February 1965 at Prince's Palace in Monaco. She is the youngest of their three children. She has two older siblings, Caroline and Albert. Her godparents are her maternal uncle John B. Kelly Jr. and paternal first cousin Elisabeth-Anne de Massy.[1] Her mother, who described Stephanie as a "warm, bright, amusing, intelligent and capable girl" and a "good athlete", lovingly called her "wild child" (French: enfant terrible).[2]

On 13 September 1982, while returning home from their farm in Rocagel, France, Stéphanie and her mother had a car accident. Grace died the next day, on 14 September, while Stéphanie sustained a hairline fracture of a neck vertebra.

Although the official report of the incident was that Grace suffered a stroke while driving, rumors began that Stéphanie, who had to miss her mother's funeral due to her recovery, was the one actually driving. Stéphanie herself refused to speak publicly about her mother's death until 1989, when she gave an interview to the author Jeffrey Robinson, insisting that the story was untrue. She said, "There was a lot of pressure on me because everyone was saying that I had been driving the car, that it was all my fault, that I'd killed my mother... It's not easy when you're 17 to live with that."[3]

She did not discuss the subject again until a 2002 interview with the French magazine Paris Match in which she repeated her earlier denial, and discussed the trauma of being beside her mother at the time of the accident. She said, "Not only did I go through the horrible trauma of losing my mother at a very young age, but I was beside her at the moment of the accident. Nobody can imagine how much I've suffered, and still suffer."[4][5]

Princess Stéphanie was educated at the Dames de Saint-Maur in Monaco, and then at the école and collège Dupanloup in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. Stéphanie earned her baccalauréat from the Cours Charles de Foucauld in 1982.[6] During her school years, she studied classical dance and piano, and competed in gymnastics and horse riding. She also attended Camp Oneka, an all-girls' summer camp in the Pocono Mountains, in the United States, where her sister and mother both had previously attended.[7]

Career

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Fashion

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In 1983, after her physical recovery from the accident that killed her mother, Stéphanie started an apprentice programme at Christian Dior under the direction of head designer Marc Bohan.[8] The following year, she debuted as a model on the biannual haute couture special published by Spanish magazine ¡Hola!, a venture that she repeated in 1990. In 1985, Stéphanie appeared on the cover of German Vogue magazine and the American publication Vanity Fair.[9] She also became the spokesman of the Swiss beauty line La Prairie, for which she was photographed by Horst, and she appeared on the cover of French Vogue, photographed by Helmut Newton in September 1986.

 
Dignitaries gather at the National Portrait Gallery in October 1986 for the presentation of a portrait head of Princess Grace of Monaco by her family. Includes (l-r): Stefano Casiraghi, Princess Stephanie, Princess Caroline, Prince Ranier III, First Lady Nancy Reagan and Secretary Robert Adams.

In 1986, Stéphanie launched a swimwear line Pool Position with Alix de la Comble, whom she had met during her internship at Dior. The fashion show to present the line, held at the Sporting Club in Monaco and attended by her father, Prince Rainier, and siblings, Caroline and Albert, was a major event covered by the worldwide media.[10] In 1989, Stéphanie launched her own self-titled perfume.[11]

Stéphanie co-owns Replay cafes and stores in both Monaco and Barcelona. In December 2008, she was guest-editor of Vogue Paris and appeared on the magazine's cover.[12][13]

Musical career

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Stéphanie in 1986

In February 1986, Stéphanie self-produced and released her first single with the French label Carrere, under the production of Yves Roze. The song "Ouragan" and its English version "Irresistible" were both international hits, reportedly selling more than 2 million copies.[citation needed] The full album Besoin, released as Stéphanie in some countries, sold more than 1.5 million,[citation needed] with 100,000 in France.[14] The single "Flash", as well as its English version "One Love to Give," also achieved success throughout Europe. In January 1987, Stéphanie released the single "Young Ones Everywhere" to benefit UNICEF.

The same year, Stéphanie moved to Los Angeles to record a new album. However, it took her five years to release it. The album Stéphanie, released in 1991, met with disappointing sales and negative reviews,[15] despite the promotional tour that included a performance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.[16] Stéphanie then ended her music career after recording "In the Closet" with Michael Jackson for his album Dangerous. The song became a worldwide hit and reached the top 10 in the United States but Stéphanie was credited on the single under the alias "Mystery Girl" and her involvement in the song was not revealed until a few years later. She made a brief return to singing in 2006, when she recorded "L'Or de nos vies", a charity single, along with her foundation Fight AIDS.[17]

Philanthropy and patronages

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Stéphanie is the president of several associations, including Monaco Youth Centre and Princess Stéphanie Activity Centre, and is an honorary board member of the Princess Grace Foundation – United States. She has also been the patron of the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo, which she regularly attends,[18] and the World Association of Children's Friends (AMADE), which was founded in 1963 by her mother.[19] Since 1985, Stéphanie has been the president of the Monte-Carlo Magic Grand Prix and the International Festival of Amateur Theatre.[1] She is also the president of the Théâtre Princesse Grace.[20]

In 2003, Stéphanie created her own Women Face the AIDS Association, which became Fight AIDS Monaco in 2004, in order to support people living with HIV and to combat the social stigma attached to the disease. Since 2006, Stéphanie has been a Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) ambassador. The same year, along with the group of singers, she released a charitable single "L'Or de nos vies".[17] On 26 June 2010, Stéphanie inaugurated, in the presence of Prince Albert, the House of Life (French: Maison de Vie) in Carpentras, Vaucluse, France, which offers both psychological and material aid to persons living with either HIV and AIDS and their families.[21] Stéphanie has organised numerous events, such as auction sales, concerts and galas, to support her foundation.[22][23][24]

Personal life

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Royal monogram of Princess Stéphanie

Stéphanie dated Paul Belmondo,[25] Anthony Delon,[26] Rob Lowe, Mario Oliver Jutard, and the late Jean-Yves Le Fur (1964-2024) before she began a relationship with her bodyguard Daniel Ducruet in 1992.[27]

The couple have two children, Louis and Pauline Ducruet, born in 1992 and 1994 respectively at Princess Grace Hospital Centre in Monaco. The children were included in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne when Stéphanie married Ducruet on 1 July 1995 at Monaco town hall.[28] The couple divorced on 4 October 1996.[29][30]

Stéphanie gave birth to her third child, Camille Gottlieb, on 15 July 1998 at Princess Grace Hospital Centre.[31] Although she did not identify the father's name on the birth certificate, many suspected from the start that Camille's father is her Head of Security Jean Raymond Gottlieb[32] and, indeed, Camille herself has acknowledged Gottlieb as her father.[33] As her parents never married, Camille is not included in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne.

 
Stéphanie and her brother Albert (far left) in August 2013

In 2001, Stéphanie began a relationship with married elephant trainer Franco Knie and moved, along with her three children, into Knie's circus caravan. However, that relationship came to an end in 2002, and Stéphanie and her family returned to Monaco.[29] On 12 September 2003, she married Portuguese acrobat Adans Lopez Peres, a member of Knie's circus ensemble.[34] The marriage ended in divorce on 24 November 2004.[35]

Stéphanie is the godmother to Andrea Casiraghi, the eldest son of her sister Princess Caroline, and to Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste.[36]

Discography

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Studio albums

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Year Album Chart
FR GER AUT SWE
1986 Besoin[37]
Released: 1986
Label: Julisa/Carrere 		6 12 59 6
1991 Stéphanie
Released: 1991
Label: WTG/Epic 		48 — — —

Compilation albums

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Year Album Chart
FR GER AUT SWE
2011 Collection Référence 80 – Le meilleur des Années 80
Released: 2011
Label: LM Music 		— — — —

Singles

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Year Single Chart Album
FR SUI GER AUT SWE NOR UK
1986 "Ouragan/Irresistible"[37] 1 11 2 5 — — 84 Besoin
"Flash/One Love to Give"[37] 4 28 10 — 1 — —
1987 "Fleurs du mal" 16 — — — — — —
"Live Your Life" — — — — — 9 —
1991 "Winds of Chance" — — 54 — — — — Stéphanie
"You Don't Die from Love" — — — — — — —

Promotional singles

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Year Single Chart Album
FR SUI GER AUT SWE NOR UK
1987 "Young Ones Everywhere" — — — — — — — Besoin
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Year Single Chart Album
US Hot
Dance 		Hot
R&B 		UK AUS AUT BEL GER FRA ITA NL NOR ESP SWE SUI
1992 "In the Closet" (Michael Jackson featuring Stéphanie) 6 1 1 8 5 23 14 15 9 9 9 10 2 29 25 Dangerous
2006 "L'Or de nos vies" (as part of Fight AIDS) — — — — — — 14 — 5 — — — — — 43 Non-Album single

Honours

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See also: List of honours of the Monegasque princely family by country

References

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  1. ^ a b "H.S.H. Princess Stéphanie". Prince's Palace of Monaco. Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  2. ^ Hauptfuhrer, Fred (5 April 1982). "Aging Gracefully". People. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  3. ^ "Princess Grace's Fatal Crash: Her Daughter's Account". Chicago Tribune. 23 October 1989. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Princess Stephanie breaks her silence on the accident that killed her mother". Hello. 11 October 2002. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  5. ^ "Stephanie: 'I was not at wheel when Grace was killed'". The Guardian. 11 October 2002. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  6. ^ Englund, Steven (1984). Grace of Monaco: An Interpretive Biography. USA: Doubleday. ISBN 0385188129. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  7. ^ "The youngest Grimaldi girl". Hello. 1 February 2005. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  8. ^ Diliberto, Gioia (19 November 1984). "High Intrigue and Haute Couture: the Tainted Troubled Times of Monaco's Princess Stephanie". People. Archived from the original on 20 November 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  9. ^ "Princess Stephanie: Her Model's Portfolio". People. 15 April 1985. Archived from the original on 20 November 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  10. ^ "Thanks to a Curious 'Family Friend,' Princess Stephanie's in the Swim—and Daddy's in Deep Water". People. 30 September 1985. Archived from the original on 20 November 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  11. ^ "Latest news and profile of Princess Stephanie of Monaco". Hello. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  12. ^ Wass, Andy (5 December 2008). "Mag Hag: Princess Stephanie of Monaco for Vogue Paris". fashionindie.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  13. ^ "Royalty as Cover Models: Princess Stephanie of Monaco Does Vogue". trendhunter.com. December 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  14. ^ "French album certifications – Stephanie" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 12 June 2022. Select STEPHANIE and click OK. 
  15. ^ Hiltbrand, David (9 September 1991). "Picks and Pans Review: Stephanie". People. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  16. ^ "Monaco's Princess Stephanie". The Oprah Winfrey Show. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  17. ^ a b "UNAIDS Special Representative HSH Princess Stephanie of Monaco leads creative AIDS fundraising activities". Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. 7 December 2006. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  18. ^ "Estefanía de Mónaco y su hija Pauline Ducruet se reúnen con la gran familia del circo". ¡Hola! (in Spanish). 18 January 2012. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  19. ^ "Estefanía de Mónaco y Charlene Wittstock, dos mujeres unidas por una misma causa". ¡Hola! (in Spanish). 18 July 2009. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  20. ^ "Théâtre Princesse Grace". Gouvernement Princier: Principaute de Monaco. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  21. ^ "HSH Princess Stephanie, Chairperson of Fight Aids Monaco (FAM), lays the cornerstone of La Maison de Vie in Carpentras". Prince's Palace of Monaco. 15 May 2009. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  22. ^ "World Aids Day – Auction Sale on behalf of Fight Aids Monaco (F.A.M.)". Prince's Palace of Monaco. 1 December 2007. Archived from the original on 21 October 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  23. ^ "Fight Aids Monaco (F.A.M.) Summer Gala featuring Christophe Maé in concert". Prince's Palace of Monaco. 25 June 2008. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  24. ^ "Jungle Fight celebrated its second anniversary". Prince's Palace of Monaco. 14 April 2011. Archived from the original on 1 January 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  25. ^ Diliberto, Gioia (7 February 1983). "After Tragedy, a Healing Love". People. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  26. ^ "Stephanie Wards Off the Autumn Chill with a Batch of Beaus". People. 12 November 1984. Archived from the original on 20 November 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  27. ^ Green, Michelle (15 June 1992). "A Princess Reborn". People. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  28. ^ Barron, James (3 July 1995). "Chronicle". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  29. ^ a b "The Princess Who Married Her Bodyguard and Joined the Circus: Stéphanie of Monaco's 5 Most Memorable Moments". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  30. ^ "His Cheatin' Heart". people.com. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  31. ^ "Princess Stephanie's pretty daughter Pauline takes centre stage at circus fest". Hello. 15 January 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  32. ^ "Mum's the Word". People. 13 April 1998. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  33. ^ "Camilloush on Instagram: "Joyeux anniversaire a la plus belle personne dans ma vie! Au plus beau, au plus gentil, intelligent, musclé, généreux, fou, et surtout au plus drôle des papas du monde entier! #TelPereTelleFille 💚💋🎉🌟 I'm sorry but my heart belongs to daddy ❤"".
  34. ^ "Prinses Stéphanie van Monaco opnieuw getrouwd". Gazet van Antwerpen (in Dutch). 16 September 2003. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  35. ^ "The turbulent love life and marriages of Albert's sisters". Hello. 14 June 2011. Archived from the original on 30 August 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  36. ^ Diliberto, Gioia (25 June 1984). "A New Beginning for Monaco's Princess". People. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  37. ^ a b c Pearl, Diana. "Princess Stephanie of Monaco". People (US). Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  38. ^ Palais Princier de Monaco. "Prince's Palace of Monaco". Palais.mc. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  39. ^ "Photographic image" (JPG). 4.pictures.gi.zimbio.com. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  40. ^ "Photographic image" (JPG). 1.pictures.gi.zimbio.com. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  41. ^ "Photographic image" (JPG). 2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  42. ^ "Distribution des colis de la Croix-Rouge Monégasque". Palais.mc. 17 November 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
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Princess Stéphanie of Monaco
Born: 1 February 1965
Lines of succession
Preceded by Line of succession to the Monegasque throne
14th position 		Succeeded by
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