Albert II (Monaco)

Albert II 1958-, prince of Monaco (2005-), grad. Amherst College (B.A., 1981). A member of the long-ruling Grimaldi family, he is the son of Prince Rainier III , upon whose death he succeeded to the throne, and Princess Grace , the former Grace Kelly. The prince, who trained in financial administration in an American investment bank and a French luxury-goods company, is also an avid sportsman who is expert in soccer, judo, and autoracing, a five-time Olympic bobsledder, and the head (1994-) of Monaco's Olympic Committee.

Monaco One of the world's smallest states of 1.95 km² (less than a square mile), the principality has been ruled by the Grimaldi family since 1454. It entered a customs union with France in 1865, which was complemented by a currency union in 1922. It obtained its first constitution under Prince Albert I (r. 1889–1922) in 1911. In 1918 an agreement was concluded with France whereby Monaco would become a French protectorate in the event of the Grimaldi family producing no successors. During World War II, it was occupied by Italy in 1941, and by Germany in 1943. From 1949 it was ruled by Prince Rainier III (b. 1923), who succeeded his grandfather, Louis II. His marriage to the actress Grace Kelly (renamed Princess Gracia Patricia) in 1956 attracted the attention of the world's tabloid newspapers and journals, and epitomized Monaco's position as a focal point for the international jet set. Despite a democratization in the constitutional amendment of 1962, the Prince continued to wield considerable legislative powers. The Minister of State is responsible to the Prince, not to the National Council elected by a general suffrage. At the same time, the French state has exerted a crucial influence over the government and administration of the principality. Thus, the Prince selects the Minister of State from a list of three candidates presented by France.