For years, Prince Albert of Monaco was renowned as one of Europe’s top playboys. With a history of dating some of the worlds most famous and beautiful women – including Angie Everhart, Brooke Shields and Caludia Schiffer – those within royal circles were forgiven for wondering whether the son of Prince Rainier III and Hollywood star Grace Kelly would ever settle down.
Then, while competing at a Monaco swim meet Albert was attending in 2000, South African beauty and queen of the pool Charlene Wittstock caught the sovereign’s eye. The pair embarked on what was quite a private romance before finally going public with their relationship in 2006.
The royal wedding in 2011 would go on to be one of the most extravagant royal affairs of all time. Yet, despite all the bells and whistles, behind the scenes Prince Albert and Princess of Charlene of Monaco’s relationship was mired in scandal!
Now, as Monaco celebrates 20 years of Prince Albert II’s reign, we take a look back at some of the biggest scandals to rock the sovereign.
RUNAWAY BRIDE
Just days before the wedding, it was reported that Princess Charlene had cold feet and even tried to flee Monaco. According to insiders at the time, her getaway bid failed, and her passport was seized by police at an airport in France. She was then convinced by royal aides to go through with the wedding. Of course, the palace strongly denied the rumours, calling them “ugly lies”.
HER MISERABLE HIGHNESS
During the lavish ceremony, a glum-looking Charlene was also spied with tears streaming down her face. According to The Guardian at the time, Charlene “emerged from the royal chapel where she laid down her bouquet with top lip wobbling and a tear rolling down her cheek. While
she dabbed the tears with a hankie, Prince Albert begged in a whisper, ‘Don’t cry, don’t cry.’” The Princess later insisted in an interview that they were happy tears. “Everything was just so overwhelming and there were all the mixed emotions because of the rumours, and obviously the tension built up and I burst into tears,” she reflected.
PRINCE ALBERT HAS MORE THAN ONE LOVE CHILD
In 2005, before he was enthroned as Prince of Monaco, Albert confirmed he was the biological father of Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste, whose mother was a former Air France flight attendant. A DNA test in 2006 also confirmed he was the father of Jazmin Grace, the result of an affair with American Tamara Rotolo, whom he met while she was on holiday in the South of France.
Speaking to Tatler in 2023, Alexandre opened up about his relationship with his father and their plans to go into business together.
” ‘[I aspire to] work in a relationship with my dad and become this – let’s say – global ambassador for Monaco, and to bring business opportunities back to Monaco, which is what I’ve talked about with him,” he said at the time.
AND MORE HAVE CLAIMED TO BE…
In 2021, an unnamed Brazilian woman filed a lawsuit demanding that the prince undertake a DNA test to prove he is the father of a 15-year-old girl, which she alleged he fathered during a passionate affair which took place in the early 2000s.
The Prince reportedly left the matter in the hands on his lawyer Thierry Lacoste, who said the allegations are “a hoax”.
MONEY MADNESS
Last year, French newspaper Le Monde published claims made by a disgruntled former employee revealing details about Prince Albert and Princess Charlene’s extravagant spending of palace funds.
While Prince Albert has not formally responded to the accusations, the royal family’s lawyers continue to refute former accountant Claude Palmero allegations which he made after he was sacked in 2023 for an alleged ‘breach of confidentiality’ and ‘invasion or privacy.’
According to reports, Palmero kept notebooks from his working for the royal household and in them wrote about Princess Charlene hospitalisation in 2021 and 2022 for ‘deep fatigue’ and her allowance of around $2.3 million a year.
Two years later the speed at which Princess Charlene apparently burned through money so worried the prince’s accountant that he wrote in his notes: ‘It’s crazy! I have no control over the princess’s spending.’ Royal supporters claim Palermo’s public betrayal is an act of revenge after he was dismissed by the Monaco royal family.
SECRET BACHELOR PAD
In his notes, Palermo went on to claim that in 2012, he was asked to set up a secret “bachelor pad” for the sovereign and that Albert had listed him as the tenant. He also alleges that he was given the responsibility of making sure Albert’s love children and their mothers were looked after financially.
“Albert created a trust for which I was the trustee, which means a trusted person,” he explained.
Again, lawyers for the royal family refute these claims.
