by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

 

Princess Stephanie of Monaco (Stephanie Marie Elisabeth) was born on February 1, 1965, at the Prince’s Palace in Monte Carlo. Monaco. She is the youngest child of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco and Academy Award-winning American actress Grace Kelly.

Stephanie was christened on March 13, 1965, at Saint Nicholas Cathedral in Monaco. Her godparents were:

• John B. Kelly Jr., her maternal uncle
• Baroness Elisabeth-Anne de Massy, her paternal first cousin

Princess Stephanie has two older siblings:

• Princess Caroline, Princess of Hanover (born 1957), married  (1) Philippe Junot, no children, marriage annulled  (2) Stefano Casiraghi, had two sons and one daughter  (3) Prince Ernst August of Hanover, had one daughter
• Prince Albert II (born 1958), married Charlene Wittstock, had twin son and daughter; Albert had one illegitimate son and one illegitimate daughter

Princess Stephanie began her education at Dames de Saint-Maur, a private Catholic school in Monaco. She continued her education at Collège Dupanloup in Paris, France and received her French Baccalaureate in 1982. Princess Stephanie is fluent in French, Monegasque, English, and Italian.

During her school years, Princess Stephanie studied classical dance and piano. While at school in Paris, she developed an interest in gymnastics and participated in the sport from 1974 to 1979. Princess Stephanie also enjoys swimming, water skiing, and downhill skiing.

On September 13, 1982, while returning home from their home in Rocagel, France, Stephanie and her mother had a car accident. Princess Grace died the next day and Stephanie was hospitalized with a hairline fracture of a neck vertebra. The official version was that Princess Grace suffered a stroke while driving, however, there were rumors that Stephanie had been the one driving. Stephanie was unable to attend her mother’s funeral because of her injury and for years refused to speak about the accident. In 1989, she gave an interview in which she denied that she had been driving the car.

After she had recovered from her injuries, Princess Stephanie interned at the fashion house of Christian Dior with designer Marc Bohan from 1983 – 1984.  In 1985 – 1987 Stephanie designed a collection of swimsuits and swimwear under the name ‘Pool Position”.

Princess Stephanie also had a singing career. In 1986, she released a single “Ouragan”  in French and in English under the title “Irresistible.” The record sold more than 2 million copies and “Ouragan” is one of the best-selling singles in France of all time.

In 1992, Stephanie began a relationship with her bodyguard Daniel Ducruet.

The couple had two children:

• Louis Robert Paul Ducruet, (born 1992), married Marie Hoa Chevallier, has one daughter
• Pauline Grace Magui Ducruet, (born 1994)

Both children were included in the line of succession to the throne of Monaco after their parents married on July 1, 1995. The couple subsequently divorced on October 4, 1996.

On July 15, 1998, Princess Stephanie gave birth to her third child:

• Camille Marie Kelly Gottlieb (link in French, born 1998)

Stephanie did not identify Camille’s father on the birth certificate but it is assumed that Jean Raymond Gottlieb, her former head of security, is the father. Camille is not in the line of succession because her parents never married.

In 2001, Stephanie began a relationship with Franco Knie, (link in German) a married elephant trainer. Along with her three children, she moved into Knie’s circus caravan and traveled with the Circus Knie.  The relationship lasted only until 2002. On September 10, 2003, Stephanie married acrobat Adans Lopez Peres, a member of the Circus Knie but the marriage ended in divorce in November 2004.

Princess Stephanie is active in several organizations including:

• Monaco Youth Center (President)
• Princess Stephanie Activity Center (President)
• Monte-Carlo Magic Grand Prix (President)
• International Festival of Amateur Theatre (President)
• Princess Grace Foundation – United States (Honorary Board Member)
• International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo (Patron)
• World Association of Children’s Friends (AMADE) (Founded by her mother)
• Fight AIDS Monaco

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