Portrait of a Young Prince

A look at Prince Albert in 1981

The world was his oyster. At 23 years old, he began to flex his independence and to try his new adulting skills on a cynical world. Well, it was 1981—a year that France elected Mitterand and Britain was already in the spell of Thatcherism. Whatever your political views, it must be acknowledged that the baby-faced heir to Monaco’s throne had his work cut out for him learning statecraft in this eat-or-be-eaten world. The new college graduate granted his first solo interview to Paris Match magazine as if he meant to say to world, I am not afraid. In the writeup for the interview, Claudine Vernier-Pallez described him as a little shy but amusing. There was careful hesitation in his answers, but through this prudence, he achieved strong, confident conclusions, and he was unafraid of humor. In short, he was in no danger of taking himself too seriously. But Paris Match wanted to make the most of this interview, to sell the magazine, after all, and so for the cover, they put the prince at the side of his beautiful sisters: “Les Princesses Stéphanie (à gauche) et Caroline présentent leur frère Albert, Prince héritier de Monaco.” {The Princesses Stephanie (left) and Caroline present their brother Albert, Hereditary Prince of Monaco.} But inside the issue, on page 102, there are no more pictures of the paparazzi-hounded princesses. Instead, there’s a black and white image of the reigning prince, Rainier III, and the crown prince, so-called Marquis des Baux, Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi. And the only other photo in the piece, on page 104, is of Albert sitting on his bed in the college dormitory, reading a newspaper. Albert was set to graduate from Amherst (private college in Amherst, Massachusetts) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.

The first question: Why did he choose to study in the United States?

After Caroline talked to him about her rocky experience at the prep school for Sciences Po, he decided that it was not a good idea for him to study in France. He could not find the words exactly, but he said that it might be too politicized. The magazine did not press for details on that; they simply asked if his four years in the USA had been suitably withdrawn from the media gaze. And he said he had found it all very useful, very profitable, in allowing him to savor the American culture and to meet real people. He studied among a very diverse population that included Koreans, Japanese, and Africans. In his first and last years, he had his own room in the dormitories, but in the course of the middle years, he shared an apartment near campus with two friends. The apartment was a large common space with four little rooms adjoining it. It was not “grand,” he said, but it was very comfortable!

His major course of study was political science and then he chose electives in English literature, American literature, German, Geology, Psychology, and Anthropology. He found the study of human society and different cultures to be fascinating. He also hugely enjoyed the history of art. He loves the study of painting, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries. One of his favorite courses was a seminar on Rembrandt. “There were not more than 12 of us in the course,” he said, and they had incredible discussions. History of cinema also made a big impression: he loves movies, whether American or French or Italian.

Films! What a segue into his mother, “Grace Kelly,” who was still alive when he did this interview. Of course! He loves her films too. His favorites? He named Rear Window and High Noon.

What about free time? What did he do with his free time?

He stayed in place, that is on or near campus, on the weekends. There was so much to do all the time, so many organizations and sports…and yes, parties! Plus, there were four other colleges within 15 kilometers of Amherst, he said, so there was plenty of society, plenty of students to hang out with. He was always doing sports too, whether it was swimming, squash, tennis, or soccer. In soccer, he could play three different positions: left or right wing, or full back. They don’t keep score over there, he said, meaning at Amherst. They just play and it is all very “virile.”

Did he get hit (in the game?)

Always! “We always got hit!” He absolutely had to play with shin guards. Sports are his passion. He recalled a time years ago, he passed part of his vacation at a sports camp in New Hampshire. At age 17, he earned certification to teach swimming at the same camp. He taught young boys ages nine and ten how to swim. In Monaco, he had the same dedication—he did some judo in the principality, only a little bit, he said, and not much competition, only because judo requires so much training and he was short of time. His point, I think, was just that he always had to be doing something athletic, something physical. The point was to try. Just do it, like Nike says. Get out there and play! Sometimes you lose, sometimes you get hit, and of course you will not excel in everything.

The magazine wanted to know if in his days in America he was exactly like every other student. “You even happened to take a bus between New York and Amherst….”

“You read this in an American magazine?” he pushed back.

Affirmative.

He laughed. “There is nothing wrong with taking the bus! But for the Americans, when a prince takes a bus, it is a story! So they put it in the magazines!”

The magazine inquired next about where he would go on vacation after the graduation. He hesitated. It was a personal question, and he said so, but he did answer it. He said he would spend the first days of July in the UK with his parents, then Austria, Spain, and Greece; and finally, home to Monaco for the last days of summer vacation.

Knowing that he was in the glee club at Amherst, the magazine wanted to know if he would keep up the singing lessons. He did not take many lessons, he said, but he always loved to sing. He was in a lot of choruses, long before the glee club at Amherst. He sang in the chorus at the cathedral in Monaco, in Austria, in Spain, at Notre Dame de Paris, and Mont Saint Michel. Mont Saint Michel is magnificent, he said!

After the vacation, what then?

More training, of course! Prince lessons? Well, yes, in a manner of speaking. He had to learn something about the economy, business, and diplomacy. For the next two years, his father would guide him in a plan to intimately understand the governance of the principality. And of course he must begin to take on some public duties. Four years ago, he had accompanied his father on what was his first official foreign visit, to Split, Yugoslavia.

The magazine asked him when he would “succeed” his father. He said, in seven or eight years, or whenever he was ready. “I still have a long way to go and it scares me a little to imagine that one day I will [be in charge.]” At 23, he still found the thought of all the responsibilities and the work a bit daunting, and he had to try to not think too much about the scope of it, or he would lose courage. He considered himself a shy person, not fond of public speaking. He still recalled his first public speech, at the university in Paris, when he thought he might die of stage fright. “There were a hundred people in the room and everyone kindly applauded, but I am not used to it yet and I lack some confidence. Even in class, I was nervous giving oral presentations.”

The conversation turned to the idea of the military and the kind of military service that a prince is generally expected to fulfill, and finally, marriage. What about a wife?

He said that he absolutely would not get married before the age of 30! (Something like, many years later, the UK’s Prince William declaring that he would not marry before 28?) The young man, in short, made a case for taking his time to find his life partner. He also thought it might be better to marry at a more mature age. While he enjoyed the company of other 20-somethings, he spent enough time (indeed, much of his time) with adults to appreciate the wisdom and maturity that generally comes with age and experience.

Last question! A fun one! If a fairy appeared before him, offering any wish to be granted, what would his wish be?

He was scared to answer. He had never been asked a question like that. He said he would have to reflect on it….

“No, without thinking,” the interviewer pressed.

“Well then!” He went on to say that he would wish for an uneventful summer. He wished for a relaxing summer (of 1981) with family and friends. “And also the courage to nourish myself intellectually, to read a little more. Usually, I am rather lazy!”

Laziness? His worst fault?

Oh, no, he said (joking) he must have worse ones! (Here is the courage to laugh at himself, to not take himself too seriously!)

But what about his best qualities?

“I am modest and I know how to hold my tongue.”

Bravo!