Christmas celebrations are all around, and it was no different in Monaco as Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco, hosted his traditional Christmas party at the Prince’s Palace of Monaco on 19 December, alongside his nephew, Louis Ducruet.
For this year’s party, Prince Albert and Louis received more than 600 guests, aged between five and 12. They were all entertained by the champion of France 2018, the magician Triton, at the Throne Room. Afterwards, the children were handed presents and treats from both the Prince and his nephew, Louis Ducruet.
Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco was born on 14 March 1958 as the only son and second child of Prince Ranier III and American actress Grace Kelly. From birth, he was the heir to the throne of Monaco, and as such he was styled as the Hereditary Prince of Monaco. His two sisters are Princesses Caroline and Stéphanie.
The Prince’s mother, Princess Grace, tragically died in a car accident in 1982, aged only 52. Albert later said that losing his mother was a very traumatic experience for him. In 2005, after acting as Regent of Monaco for a brief period, Albert succeeded as the Principality of Monaco’s monarch when his father died of lung problems.
Louis Ducruet, born on 26 November 1992, is the eldest child of Princess Stéphanie and her bodyguard, Daniel Ducruet. As his parents didn’t marry until three years after his birth, Louis was considered illegitimate from the time of his birth. However, when his parents married in 1995, he was legitimised and acquired rights of succession to the throne of Monaco, and now he is 14th in line to succeed his uncle, Prince Albert II.
As the son of a Princess, Louis does not hold any titles.
At present, Louis is engaged to his long-term girlfriend, Marie Chevallier. The couple, who have been together for six years now, announced their engagement earlier this year via Instagram and later Princess Stéphanie released an official statement confirming the engagement and that she was “pleased” with the news.
