Pierre Casiraghi has given an interview to Boat International magazine discussing sailing, but he also found time to share his opinions on Prince William and Prince Harry, and how they deserve their privacy.
In the interview, journalist Stewart Campbell notes that Casiraghi is reticent to discuss his royal connections – his mother is Princess Caroline; his uncle Prince Albert II of Monaco; his grandparents Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace (Hollywood actress Grace Kelly).
“When our conversation veers too closely to what it’s like being royal in a principality whose population barely touches 40,000, he withdraws a little, disappearing behind a half smile and narrowed eyes. His answers come slower, after a pause,” Campbell writes.
When the pair discuss sailing, the conversation flows smoother.
Casiraghi talked about the need for privacy, saying that “Everyone deserves their privacy.
“I understand people are curious [about our family], but that’s not privacy. Privacy is something that touches you and your immediate circle. It’s a question of respect.”
With regards to his counterpart in the United Kingdom, Casiraghi says, “Poor William and Harry! I mean, listen, it’s very difficult to compare us. Great Britain is a very big place with a lot of people; we come from a very small place with different traditions. But they also deserve their privacy.”
Casiraghi also spoke about sailing as a release for him, and how it affords him the privacy he craves.
“As a kid, I was always reading books about adventure, about being outside. It was always something I wanted to do, and the first time I went sailing on my own or went out with a friend, it was just freedom. No one could come and tell me, ‘Go there,’ or ‘Do this.’ It felt like a mini adventure just for me.”
Talking about his upbringing with older siblings Andrea and Charlotte, he says that “We were like any other kids. You go to school every morning, come home in the evening, do your homework. We were conscious that our situation wasn’t exactly the same as everyone else’s, but I don’t think it affected us.”
He studied law and economics at university and works with a helicopter firm called Monacair, and the construction company his late father Stefano founded, called Engeco.
Speaking of Prince Albert, he says that his uncle has done a lot to encourage sporting in the principality.
“Prince Albert has definitely set Monaco on a sports path, and I think that’s amazing. So many sportspeople live here, and it’s not just for tax reasons. If you go to the stadium, you have every sport from fencing, swimming, diving, boxing, you name it. All the track and field.”
Casiraghi doesn’t really compete any more, taking a behind the scenes role when it comes to sailing, mainly because of his family with wife, Beatrice Borromeo, which includes sons, Stefano and Francesco.
“I miss some parts of it. I miss some of those feelings when you share an extreme moment…with the team.”
