Royal Profile: Princess Caroline of Hanover, Princess by Birth of Monaco

Princess Caroline Louise Margurite of Hanover, Princess by Birth of Monaco was born 23 January 1957 as the first child of Prince Rainier II and Princess Grace {Source}.
Princess Caroline has two younger siblings, a sister-in-law, and two former brothers-in-law, four nieces, and three nephews, and a future niece-in-law{Source}:

1. Prince Albert II Alexandre Louis Pierre of Monaco (1958)
1. Ms. Tamara Rotolo (brief fling, never married, 1991)
1. Miss Jazmin Grace Grimaldi (1992, Prince Albert with Tamara Rotolo)
2. Miss Nicole Coste (brief relationship from 1997-2003, never married)
1. Master Alexandre Eric Stephane Coste-Grimaldi (2003)
3. Princess Charlene Lynette of Monaco (2011-present)
1. Princess Gabriella Thérèse Marie of Monaco, The Countess of Carladès (2014)
2. Prince Jacques Honoré Rainier, Hereditary Prince of Monaco, Marquis of Baux (2014)
2. Princess Stephanie Marie Elisabeth of Monaco, The Countess of Polginac (1965)
1. Mr. Daniel Ducruet (Stephanie, 1995-1996)
1. Mr. Louis Robert Paul Ducruet (1992)
1. Madame Marie Hoa Chevillier-Ducruet (m. 2019)
2. Miss Pauline Grace Maguy Ducruet (1994)
2. Jean-Raymond Gottlieb (brief relationship in the 1990s, never married)
1. Miss Camille Marie Kelly Gottlieb (1998)
3. Mr. Adans Peres (2004)

Princess Caroline has been married three times, and has four children, a daughter-in-law, and two grandsons. From her relationships she has the following children, daughter-in-law, future son-in-law, and grandchildren{Source}:

1. Mr. Philippe Junot (1940, m. 1978-1980, annulled 1992, no children)
2. Mr. Stefano Casiraghi (1960-1990, m. 1983-1990, his death)
1. Andrea Albert Pierre Casiraghi (1984)
2. Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi (1986)
1. Mr. Gad Elmaleh (never married, broke up in 2016)
1. Master Raphaël Casiraghi-Elmaleh (2013)
2. Mr. Dimitri Rassam (engaged 2018)
1. Master Balthazar Casiraghi-Rassam (2018)
3. Pierre Rainier Stefano Casiraghi (1987)
1. Beatrice -Borromeo-Casiraghi (1985, m. 2015)
1. Master Stefano Carlo Ercole Casiraghi--Borromeo (2016)
2. Master Francesco Carlo Albert Casiraghi--Borromeo (2018)
4. Ernst August, Prince of Hanover (1954, m. 1999, separated 2009)
1. Princess Alexandra of Hanover (1999)

She attended local schools in Monaco, before boarding at St. Mary's, Ascot{Source}. She received her French Baccalaureat (high school or A level) degree in 1974 with honors {Source}. Before attending Sorbonne, she briefly attended Universite Dauphine as a political science major {Source}. She was also granted admissions to Princeton and Sorbonne {Source}. In the fall of 1974, she continued her studies at the Sorbonne in Paris where she received a diploma in Philosophy and minors in Psychology and Biology{Source}. She speaks French, English, German, Spanish, and Italian{Source}.

In her free time she loves to ride horses, swim, snow and water ski{Source}.
During her youth she took ballet lessons at the Marika Besobrasova School of Dance in Monte-Carlo {Source}. She also studied both piano and flute{Source}.


She has had an active role in Monaco's affairs since she was a child. In 1979 Princess Caroline was appointed by her parents to become the President of the Monegasque Committee for the International Year of Children{Source}. Princess Caroline is a founder of the association Jeune J'Ecoute in 1981{Source}. Since April 1983, she has been the Honorary President of the Guides de Monaco, which became the l'Association des Guides et Scouts de Monaco in 1992 {Source}.
Outside of Monaco Princess Caroline has also extended her High Patronage to the 'Peter Le Marchant Trust' located in England, which organizes free barge trips for the handicapped{Source}.
Prince Rainier III appointed Princess Caroline by decree from 1982-1984 to several major organizations {Source}:

1. President of the Garden Club of Monaco
2. President of the Organizing Committee of the Festival of Monte-Carlo Arts and later renamed the Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo (Springtime Arts of Monte-Carlo) in 1984.
3. President of the Princess Grace Foundation (Monaco)

During a press conference in Paris in 1985 Princess Caroline officially announced the creation of the Ballet of Monte-Carlo realizing the wishes of her mother Princess Grace{Source}. Then on March 4, 1988 Prince Rainier III appointed his eldest child by decree as the President of the Board of the "Prince-Pierre Foundation"{Source}. She has also been the President of the Literary Board of the same foundation since 1988{Source}. In 1992 she was appointed the President of the Artistic Board of the Prix International d'Art Contemporain (International Contemporay Art Prize){Source}. In April 1993 Princess Caroline was appointed the President of l'AMADE Mondiale (Association Mondiale des Amis de l'Enfance) or (Worldwide Association of Children's Friends), Princess Grace created this charitable organization in 1963 to protect children from physical and psychological abuse{Source}. On December 2nd, 2003, UNESCO Director General Koïchiro Matsuura has appointed Her Royal Highness the Princess of Hanover as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in recognition of Her personal commitment to the protection of children and the family, and of Her contribution to the promotion of UNESCO's programmes for the education of girls and women{Source}. On 2 December 2003, Kōichirō Matsuura, Director-General of UNESCO, appointed The Princess of Hanover as Goodwill Ambassadress in recognition for Her personal commitment to the protection of children and families and Her contribution to promoting UNESCO programmes for the education of women and girls {Source}. On 10 November 2005, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco conferred the insignia of Commander of Cultural Merit to his elder sister for her contribution to the development of the Arts and Culture in the Principality, her active involvement in the Prince Pierre Foundation, Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, Opéra, Printemps des Arts, all Monegasque cultural entities over which She presides{Source}. On 3 July 2014, Army General Jean-Louis Georgelin, Grand Chancellor of the Légion d'Honneur, conferred the insignia of Commander of the Order of Agricultural Merit upon HRH the Princess of Hanover{Source}. On 20 May 2014, Mrs Aurélie Filippetti, Minister for Culture and Communication, promoted The Princess of Hanover to the rank of Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters{Source}.

She is a godmother to(John Glatt, The Royal House of Monaco: Dynasty of Glamour, Tragedy and Scandal):

• Louis Robert Paul Ducruet (1992)
• Pauline Grace Maguy Ducruet (1994)

As a child, she would bite her brother when her mother wasn't looking until one day Princess Grace noticed random bites on her son's arms, and realized it was her daughter doing it-and Princess Grace gave her daughter the same treatment when she wasn't paying attention one day {Source:
The Royal House of Monaco: Dynasty of Glamour…Gallat, John. P. 48}. When she was young, on a visit to California, she went with one of her mother's friends to a shopping mall, where she threw a Royal Tantrum and the saleswoman commented to Grace's friend that "This cannot be your daughter. I can see that your own daughter is well-behaved. Where did you pick up this child?", and Caroline boldly replied: "I'm Caroline, Princess Caroline. And don't you dare speak to me like that." {Source}. During her summer holidays, the family would visit the Kellys, and she and her siblings would attend Pennsylvania summer camps {Source} During these visits, Caroline would translate English commercials to French {Source}

She is a major donor to the Virlanie Foundation {Source} In the 1960s, her mother told a story how she took a young Caroline to meet The former Queen of Spain, but before leaving, Grace taught Caroline how to curtsy and say "How do you do?" when meeting the Queen. After being taught how to curtsy, she couldn't stop. When she met the Queen, she refused to curtsy, stating that "No, Caroline does not want". A little while later, the young princess gave the former Queen the flowers at the palace {Source: La Véritable Grace de Monaco by Bertrand Meyer-Stabley (page 228-229)}.
At the age of 6, she wrote her own biography {Source: La Véritable Grace de Monaco by Bertrand Meyer-Stabley (page 223)}

When she was a young child, she had a dog that she called Lindy, and also had a parrot and rabbit {Source: La Véritable Grace de Monaco by Bertrand Meyer-Stabley (page 223)}

She received the UNICEF Children’s Champion Award in 2006 {Source}.She is a recipient of the 2011 MIE Award {Video} She served as the ceremonial first lady of Monaco after her mother's untimely death in 1982 until the marriage of her brother in 2011 {Source}


She obtained a judgment from the European Court of Human Rights condemning Germany for not respecting her right to a private life, following publications of photographs depicting the Princess in her daily life (24 June 2004) {Source}.

In 1983, she was engaged to Roberto "Robertino" Rossellini, who is the son of Ingrid Bergman {Source}.

Princess Caroline took some flying lessons in the late 1970s {Source} Princess Caroline was offered to play the leading role of Luchino Visconti film "L'innocente" by Visconti himself in the mid 70's, but Prince Rainier denied his permission, so actress Laura Antonelli was cast for that part{Source}.