Prince Albert of Monaco

Albert II (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; 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.

Prince Albert was born in the Prince's Palace of Monaco on 14 March 1958, as the second child of Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace.

At the time of his birth, he was heir apparent to the throne.

He has Irish, German, and Monegasque ancestry.

Albert was a dual citizen of both the Principality of Monaco and the United States of America by birth, before renouncing his American citizenship in his early adulthood.

He was baptized on 20 April 1958, by Monsignor Jean Delay, Archbishop of Marseille, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of Monaco.

His godparents were Prince Louis de Polignac and Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain.

He was a camper, and later a counselor for six summers at Camp Tecumseh, on Lake Winnipesaukee, Moultonborough, New Hampshire, in the 1970s.

Albert graduated with distinction from the Lycée Albert Premier, in 1976.

He spent a year training in princely duties before enrolling at Amherst College, in Massachusetts, in 1977 as Albert Grimaldi.

He joined Chi Psi Fraternity and lived in the Alpha Chi Lodge.

Albert spent mid-1979 touring Europe and the Middle East with the Amherst College Glee Club, and also undertook an exchange program with the University of Bristol, at the Alfred Marshall School of Economics and Management, in 1979.

He graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.

He speaks French, German, Italian, and English.

From September 1981 to April 1982, Albert trained on board the French Navy's helicopter carrier Jeanne d'Arc, attaining the rank of Ship-of-the-Line Ensign (2nd class), and is currently a reserve Lieutenant Commander.

Prince Albert's mother, Princess Grace, died at age 52 as a result of injuries sustained in a car accident in 1982.

From 1983 to 1985, he took training courses with companies J.P. Morgan & Co, Louis Vuitton, Rogers & Wells, and Wells, Rich and Greene in the United States and Europe, studying financial management, communication, and marketing.

He became a judo black belt in 1985.

Albert competed in the bobsleigh at five consecutive Winter Olympics for Monaco, taking part in both the two-man and four-man events.

He also took part in the 1985 Paris–Dakar Rally, but did not complete it.

Albert has been a member of the International Olympic Committee since 1985, and his maternal grandfather, John B. Kelly Sr., and maternal uncle, John B. Kelly Jr., were both Olympic medalists in rowing.

In the two-man bobsleigh Albert finished 25th at the 1988 games in Calgary, 43rd at the 1992 games in Albertville, and 31st at the 1994 games.

Albert was Monaco's flag bearer at the 1988, 1994, and 1998 Winter Olympics.

In the four-man bobsleigh Albert finished 27th in 1992, 26th at the 1994 games in Lillehammer, and 28th at both the 1998 games in Nagano and the 2002 games in Salt Lake City.

Since May 1993, the Prince has led the Monegasque delegation to the General Assembly of the United Nations.

In his youth, he competed in bobsleigh during Winter Olympic finals before retiring in 2002.

In 2004, the Prince presided over the delegation of Monaco in Strasbourg, France, for the official accession of the Principality onto the Council of Europe.

Albert was appointed regent in March 2005 after his father fell ill, and became sovereign prince upon Rainier's death a week later.

On 31 March 2005, following consultation with the Crown Council of Monaco, the Palais Princier announced that Albert would take over the duties of his father as regent since Rainier was no longer able to exercise his princely functions.

On 6 April 2005, Rainier died and Albert succeeded him as Albert II.

The first part of Prince Albert II's enthronement as ruler of the Principality was on 12 July 2005, after the end of the three-month mourning period for his father.

Since his ascension, he has been outspoken in the field of environmentalism and an advocate of ocean conservation, and adoption of renewable energy sources to tackle global climate change, 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.

In July 2011, Prince Albert married South African Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock.

He has four children: Jazmin, Alexandre, Gabriella, and Jacques.

In 2017, the Prince stated during an interview that his mother's death was a traumatic event for him and his family, revealing that his father was "never the same man" after the loss.

Albert was an enthusiastic sportsman, participating in cross country, javelin throwing, handball, judo, swimming, tennis, rowing, sailing, skiing, squash and fencing.

In 2017 Albert gained OLY post-nominal status under his competition name of Albert Grimaldi.