Prince's Palace of Monaco Prince's Palace of Monaco The Prince's Palace of Monaco is the official residence of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. Built in 1191 as a Genoese fortress, during its long and often dramatic history it has been bombarded and besieged by many foreign powers. Since the end of the 13th century, it has been the stronghold and home of the Grimaldi family who first captured it in 1297. The Grimaldi ruled the area first as feudal lords, and from the 17th century as sovereign princes, but their power was often derived from fragile agreements with their larger and stronger neighbours. Thus
Charlene, Princess of Monaco her marriage, Charlene has been styled as "Her Serene Highness" The Princess of Monaco. The previous holder was her mother-in-law, Grace Kelly, who died in 1982. Charlene, Princess of Monaco Charlene, Princess of Monaco (née Charlene Lynette Wittstock; French: "Charlène"; born 25 January 1978) is a Zimbabwean-South African former Olympic swimmer and wife of Prince Albert II. The Princess was born in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe), the daughter of Michael and Lynette Wittstock, and the family relocated to South Africa in 1989. Charlene represented South Africa at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, with her team finishing fifth in the 4 ×