Prince Albert

Prince Albert, 47, succeeds Prince Rainier III as Monaco's ruler Prince Rainier died April 6, 2005. In early July 2005, the bachelor prince admitted to having an illegitimate son, born almost two years ago. The prince was forced to acknowledge his son after a French magazine published photos of him with the boy. Prince Albert hinted that he might have fathered even more children.

Prince Rainier III of Monaco and Princess Grace, holding Princess Stephanie, pose with their children on the palace steps in Monaco, France in April 1966. At left, foreground is Prince Albert, the second oldest, and at center is Princess Caroline. The Prince and Princess of Monaco celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary that April 18.

Princess Grace of Monaco, the former Grace Kelly of Philadelphia, waves from the doorway of the plane as she arrives in Boston, Mass., with her daughter, Stephanie, and son, Albert, on Sept. 8, 1966. They were en route to her hometown.

Princess Caroline and Prince Albert escort their father, Prince Rainier, Sept. 18, 1982, as he follows the funeral procession of their mother, Princess Grace, to the cathedral in Monte Carlo. Princess Grace was fatally injured in a car accident five days earlier.

Prince Albert of Monaco, right, speaks with model Claudia Schiffer at a reception in New York May 17, 1995, for the 1995 World Music Awards. His full name is Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi. A shy but passionate sportsman, Albert has never been married. Fear that he won't produce an heir led to changes in Monaco's constitution so the throne could pass through his sisters' families.

Prince Albert of Monaco, left, takes a seat in the sled of German bobber Wolfgang Hoppe, right, in Oberhof, Germany, March 13, 1998.

Prince Albert, left, speaks with the Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Brasilia Nov. 11, 1998.

Prince Albert, second from left, chats with his father, Prince Rainier, right, while his sister, Princess Caroline of Hanover, and her husband, Prince Ernst August of Hanover, left, look on during Monaco National Day ceremonies at the Monaco palace Nov. 19, 2000.

Prince Albert, center, poses for a photograph with Alicia Warlick, left, and his sister, Princess Caroline, at the start of the 20th Anniversary Princess Grace Awards in New York Oct. 22, 2002.

Prince Albert shares a laugh with ex-race car driver and vice chairman of Octagon Motorsports Murray Smith as he sits in a 1950 Ferrari 166 SL, in New York, April 28, 2003. The prince was in town to launch "Monaco Takes New York," a weeklong series of events organized by the Consulate General of Monaco.

Prince Albert arrives with two French actresses, Blandine Bury, left, and Alexandra Lacoste, for the screening of the film "Fanfan La Tulipe" by French director Gerard Krawczyk at the opening of the 56th Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 14, 2003.

Prince Rainier III of Monaco, left and his son, Prince Albert, are seen in this Aug. 8, 2003, file photo.

Prince Albert presents a Diamond Award to singer Mariah Carey for over 150 million albums sold during her career, during the 2003 World Music Awards ceremony in Monaco, Oct. 12, 2003.

Prince Albert flips his racket while playing a tennis doubles during the ATP Senior Tour of Champions, the "Tamoil Legends of Monte Carlo" Pro-Celebrity tennis tournament, in Monaco, Nov. 22, 2003.

Princess Stephanie and Prince Albert attend the closing ceremony of the 28th Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival in Monaco Jan. 20, 2004.

The Monegasque family arrives at the 56th Red Cross Ball at the Salles des Etoiles of the Monaco Sporting Club Aug. 6, 2004. From left, Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Prince Rainier, Prince Albert, singer Lionel Ritchie and Princess Stephanie.

Prince Albert and Sharon Stone attend the 2004 Princess Grace Awards Gala, held at Cipriani 42nd Street, Oct. 27, 2004, in New York.

Prince Albert observes a moment of silence at the balcony of the Monaco palace Jan. 5, 2005, as people throughout Europe hold a silent tribute to the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami.

Prince Albert, left, holds a check for $455,000 with Canadian singer Corneille, right, during the NRJ music awards ceremony in Cannes, southern France, Jan. 22, 2005. The check benefited Amade, a Monaco-based humanitarian aid program for children.

Prince Albert exits the Monaco Cardiothoracic in a car where his father Prince Rainier III of Monaco had been moved to the intensive care unit March 23, 2005, just two weeks before his death.