75 years ago, on 9th May 1949, Prince Rainier III became the official sovereign of Monaco. He was 25-years-old. 

To mark this major moment in the history of the Principality, the Palais Princier de Monaco has released an enchanting selection of four precious images from its archives.  

The photographs date from 9th May 1974, when the Principality and the Grimaldi family celebrated the 25th anniversary of Prince Rainier’s rule.

 

In one, Prince Rainier and his wife, Princess Grace, are photographed with their three children in the Place du Casino. A 16-year-old Prince Albert can be seen on his father’s left side, while Princess Caroline, who was 17-years-old at the time, walks between her mother and her little sister, the nine-year-old Princess Stéphanie.  

Another depicts Prince Rainier at the top of the double staircase that leads to the Galerie d’Hercule. 

The remaining two pictures show the crowds that gathered on the Rock of Monaco to celebrate Prince Rainier’s 25th anniversary as the ruler of the Principality.  

Prince Rainier ruled for almost 56 years, from 9th May 1949 until his death on 6th April 2005 at the age of 81.

 

Read related:

Prince Albert II and Princess Caroline commemorate four decades of the Princess Grace Rose Garden

 

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Photo credits: Palais Princier de Monaco archives