Albert
Prince of Monaco
Hereditary Prince Albert, Alexandre, Louis, Pierre, Hereditary Prince of Monaco, Marquis of Baux, was born on March 14, 1958.
Prince Albert's godfather was the late Prince Louis de Polignac, and godmother the late Her Majesty Queen Victoria-Eugenia of Spain.
HSH the Sovereign Prince bestowed upon HSH Hereditary Prince Albert the Grand-Cross of the Grimaldi Order with the enactment of April 18, 1958, and the Grand-Cross of the Saint-Charles Order with the enactment of March 13, 1979.
During his official visit in May 1977, SEM Leopold Sedar Senghor, President of the Republic of Senegal, bestowed upon the Hereditary Prince Albert the dignified title of Grand Officer of the Lion of Senegal National Order.
To commemorate his 21st birthday, the Postal-Stamp Office printed a stamp with his portrait. On January 19, 1984, during an official visit to Monaco by the President of the Republic of France, Francois Mitterand , he received the distinguished title of Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor.
Since June 1989, HSH Hereditary Prince Albert is Knight of the Maltese Order.
The Hereditary Prince Albert went to school at the Lycee Albert I of Monaco, and received his baccalaureate diploma with distinction in 1976. Between 1977-1981, he went to University in the United States, Amherst College in Massachusetts where he studied political science, economics, psychology, English literature, art history, anthropology, geology, philosophy, sociology, German language, and music. On May 30, 1981, he received his Bachelor of Administration in Political Science in the presence of Their Serene Highnesses the Sovereign Prince and Princess of Monaco and HSH Princess Caroline.
Throughout his youth, scholarly studies and University years, the young Prince continues to shine in numerous sports disciplines :
- Athletics : Prince Albert was the best middle distance runner at the Lycee Albert I, and was on the cross-country team between 1972-74.
- During his studies at Amherst, he trained in the javelin
- Soccer : On the Monaco soccer team for four years, he still plays often with the team he created and baptised the 'Barbagiuans'.
- Hand-ball, Judo black-belt, academic champion in swimming, tennis, sailing, skiing, squash, fencing, rowing, are amongst the many sports he enjoys.
- During his summer holidays at Camp Tecumseh (USA), he competed and won two gold medals and one silver, in his swimming category. He won two gold medals in fencing. Twice he was in the finals in the camp championships in 1971-72, and 1973-74.
- Since 1986 he has taken up Bobsleighing, and competed in the Olympic games in Calgary, Albertville and Lillehammer.
- Keen on music, he was part of the University chorus, 'Amherst College Glee Club' with which he toured throughout Europe and the Middle East during the summer of 1979.
From September 1981 to April 1982, Prince Albert engaged in the French Navy as second grade sub-lieutenant, on board the helicopter-carrier 'Jeanne d'Arc', aboard which he traveled around the world. Currently, he is first grade sub-lieutenant.
By Sovereign Order on December 17, 1982, Prince Albert was nominated President of the Monaco Red-Cross. He fulfills this position together with the board of directors to participate in the vast array of international aid programs of the International Federation of the Red-Cross, whiles also actively taking their own aid program initiatives.
In 1982, he is also nominated Vice-President of the Princess Grace-USA Foundation which vocation is to continue the endeavors in which Princess Grace engaged in the artistic world. The foundation grants scholarships to young talented artists in the disciplines of : dance, music, theater....
From January to May 1983, HSH Hereditary Prince Albert does a finance administration internship at the Morgan Guaranty Trust of New-York, complemented by a marketing training at the banks Paris headquarters from January to May 1984.
At the end of 1983, the Prince spent a few months at Moet-Hennessy in Paris gaining a rich experience of the management challenges of a rapidly expanding multinational corporation.
On October 10, 1983, he becomes President of the Monegasque Swimming Federation which activities he follows closely.
On May 15, 1984, he is nominated President of the Monaco Yacht Club, thus reviving his ancestors sea-faring traditions, as did Albert I who in 1906 founded the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco. The Yacht Club's multiple activities range from : Sailing school, international sailing and motorboat races (Monaco-New York Transatlantic of 1985), race gatherings for Maxi-raters, 'Monaco Classic Week'. At the Olympic games of Seoul in 1988, HSH Hereditary Prince Albert was the representative of the International Olympic Committee for the sailing and yacht races which took place in Pusan.
On July 17, 1984, Prince Albert is nominated President of the Monegasque Athletic Federation. He takes a very active role in the organization of the annual meeting of the 'Grand Prix IAAF-Herculis'.
He is also Honorary President of the Monaco Sports Associations' (ASM) volley-ball division.
In July 1984, he assists the Los Angeles Olympic games as a private person accompanying the Monegasque Olympic Delegation.
In the winter of 1985, Prince Albert goes to New York for an internship at the international law firm Rogers & Wells.
A multi-disciplined sportsman, in 1985 the Prince part-takes in the Paris-Dakar Race. During his participation in the race, the Prince is struck by the misery and poverty of the regions crossed, and decided to do something for the inhabitants. With support from the Monegasque - Monaco Aid and Presence Association (MAP) of which he is founder and Honorary President, in May 1988 he arranged for the construction of a free health center in Agades, Nigeria which bares his name. Recently a maternity ward was added. Other similar projects are in the makings in war-ridden countries such as in ex-Yugoslavia, and in developing countries such as Sri-Lanka, Brazil, Rumania....
In June 1985, he was co-opted as a fellow member of the International Olympic Committee during the organizations' 90th session held in Berlin.
On September 3, 1986, he is nominated Honorary Member of the International Human Rights Institute which headquarters are located in Geneva.
By Sovereign Order of November 11, 1986, Prince Albert is elevated to the rank of Colonel of the Police Forces by the Sovereign Prince.
In 1987, HSH Hereditary Prince Albert receives the 1986 Sports Academy Award, "Prix Claude Foussier", decorated by M. Claude Foussier, President of the Academy in Paris.
HSH Hereditary Prince Albert participated, along with the members of the Monegasque Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federations (which he created), in the winter Olympics of Calgary in February 1988, Albertville in February 1992 and Lillehammer in February 1994.
By Sovereign Order on June 1, 1988, the Hereditary Prince Albert is nominated President of the Organizing Committee of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, an international annual event which draws hundreds to the Principality during the month of February. The festival is a television movie market complemented by Imagina, the synthetic image market organized in conjunction with the INA.
In December 1988, HSH Hereditary Prince Albert is nominated Vice-President of the Athletic commission of the International Olympic Committee by Mr. Juan Antonio Samaranche. In 1990, he is also nominated member of the coordinating commission for the 1996 Atlanta Olympiad.
In March 1990, HSH Hereditary Prince Albert agrees to part-take in the support committee of the WWF France.
In March 1992, he agrees to be patron of the 'Outward Bound, France' Association which is dedicated to the concept of 'learning by doing' in its training of young people.
HSH Hereditary Prince Albert agreed to being patron of the French Patrols for the year 1993.
On May 28, 1993 when the Principality of Monaco was accorded full membership to the United Nations Organization, the Sovereign Prince designated the Hereditary Prince Albert as President of the Monegasque Delegation to the General Assembly of the UN. He thus participated in the opening of the 48th session in New York in September 1993.
In the same year, as Honorary President of the 101st session of the International Olympic Committee, HSH Hereditary Prince Albert organized for the session to take place in Monaco in September 1993. It was during this important reunion that the city of Sydney was chosen to be host city for the summer Olympic games of the year 2000.
In November 1993, HSH Hereditary Prince Albert is nominated President of the Monegasque Olympic Committee.
In November 1993, HSH Hereditary Prince Albert accepts to be Honorary President of the Friends of Opera Association in Monaco.
By Sovereign Order on August 29, 1995, HSH Hereditary Prince Albert is nominated President of the committee in charge of research and organizing the events commemorating in 1997 the "700th Anniversary of Grimaldi reign in Monaco".
In October 1995, in his position as President of he Monegasque Delegation, HSH Hereditary Prince Albert was, with HSH Princess Caroline alongside HSH the Sovereign Prince, present at the commemorative ceremonies for the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations in New York.
On a daily basis, the Hereditary Prince Albert consults with HSH the Sovereign Prince on State affairs. He is interested in the management and administration of governmental affairs and participates in numerous social and official functions of the Principality.