Princess Antoinette of Monaco (1920 to 2011)

Princess Antoinette of Monaco was born the daughter of Princess Charlotte of Monaco and was the older sister of Prince Ranier III of Monaco. In her time, she was good for quite a few scandals. Highly eccentric, she was well beloved by the citizens of Monaco. She took two turns at being its First Lady of Monaco and was president of its animal welfare charity SPA. 

Baroness Antoinette of Massy, Prince Rainier, Princess Grace of Monaco

Monaco: Title Conundrum

The title of the ruler of Monaco today is Prince of Monaco, and the conundrum starts there. The prince also styles himself Duc du Valentinois, just one of many French titles the family lays claim to. There lies the second conundrum. The Prince and other family members are addressed as His (or Her) Serene Highness, and that’s a third conundrum. 

Andrea Casiraghi of Monaco

Monster in the Making

King Henry VIII is often perceived as a monster. The heads of various wives were just a fraction of an epidemic of the people losing their heads during his reign. But to understand why he acted the way he did, you must know where he came from. A new book sheds light on the young Henry. 

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers

The Wedding Document of Princess Theophanu of Byzantium

When Emperor Otto I went looking for a wife for his son, he wanted it to be a political statement. As the first Emperor from German stock, he was looking for acknowledgement by the other half of the Roman Empire. A princess of the house of Byzantium it had to be and nothing less. Once the goal was achieved, the newcomers went out of their way to show how much they appreciated the gesture. 

Empress Theophanu