Who is Prince Albert of Monaco? Grace Kelly's son who has tested positive for coronavirus

From his Hollywood star mother to his Olympian wife
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Margaret Abrams19 March 2020

News broke that Grace Kelly's son, Prince Albert of Monaco, has been infected with coronavirus.

Prince Albert, 62, is currently the reigning monarch of Monaco after his dad, Prince Rainier III died in 2005.

At the moment, the prince is the only monarch who has been diagnosed.

AFP via Getty Images

So who, exactly, is Prince Albert?

Prince Albert II heads up the ultra-glamorous Monaco monarchy. His parents were Prince Rainier III and the American princess and Hollywood icon Grace Kelly.

The actress met Prince Rainier III in 1955, while she was promoting To Catch A Thief in Cannes.

After a year-long correspondence, they were married in 1956 during an extravagant wedding that became a major press event. About 2,000 journalists and photographers gathered at the cathedral to watch the wedding, which was filmed by MGM and broadcast live in Europe.

Getty Images

Prince Albert II is married to former Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock, who is now Princess Charlene of Monaco.

They met in 2000 when he presided over a swimming contest she competed in.

He married Princess Charlene eight years ago in an elaborate wedding that was said to cost $70 million, including an Armani gown, 3,500 guests and a dinner made by celebrity chef Alain Ducasse. The guest list included Karl Lagerfeld, Renee Fleming, and Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH.

AFP via Getty Images

They have 5-year-old twins, Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques, who are already small style icons.

Charlene often shares photos of the kids on Instagram, where she has 150,000 followers.

He has also two older children from past relationships.

They live in the Palace of Monaco, which was built in 1162 as a fortress, making it an ideal place to quarantine. It's where they celebrate National Day in November, greeting people from the balcony.

Getty Images

Prince Albert is said to be worth an estimated $1 billion, as he owns much of Monaco, as well as his late mother's Philadelphia home, an impressive antique car collection and a stamp collection.

He's also quite philanthropic. He hosts the annual star-studded Monte-Carlo Gala for the Global Ocean. Last year's attendees included Gwen Stefani, Nicole Kidman, Uma Thurman and more. He has raised millions of dollars for ocean preservation.

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