Charlotte Casiraghi

Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi (born 3 August 1986, Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace in Monte Carlo, Monaco), also known as Charlotte of Monaco, is the second child of HRH Caroline, Princess of Hanover, Hereditary Princess of Monaco, and the late Stefano Casiraghi, an Italian industrialist. Though not titled, she is fourth in line to the throne of Monaco. Her maternal grandmother was Grace Kelly.

She is named after her maternal great-grandmother, Princess Charlotte of Monaco. Casiraghi is of French, Mexican, American, Irish, Italian, German, Monegasque, Spanish, Scottish, English and Dutch heritage.

Early life

Charlotte and her two brothers, Andrea and Pierre, were born in the Mediterranean Principality of Monaco, ruled by their maternal grandfather, Prince Rainier III. When she was four years old, her father was killed in a boating accident. After his death, Princess Caroline moved the family to the Midi village of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in France, with the intention of minimising their exposure to the press.¹

When she turned five, her paternal grandparents, Giancarlo and Fernanda Casiraghi, gave her a small island off Sardinia reportedly valued at US $7-9 million,²,³

In January 1999, Charlotte gained a stepfather and two stepbrothers, (Prince Ernst of Hanover and Prince Christian of Hanover), when her mother married Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover. Six months later, Casiraghi's half-sister, Princess Alexandra of Hanover, was born at a clinic in Voecklabruck, Austria. The family then moved to the Parisian suburb of Fontainebleau.

Casiraghi pursued show jumping, participating in a number of Junior and Amateur class show jumping competitions.

Education

From the ages of two to six, Casiraghi attended the École maternelle, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Aged six, she moved on to the École de la République, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. From 1999 to 2004 she attended the Lycée François Couperin, Fontainebleau, to prepare for the baccalaureate.

She obtained an "excellent" mark on her baccalaureate exam in July 2004. After passing her bac, she enrolled in the hypokhâgne and khâgne two-year course at the Lycée Fénelon, in St-Germain-des-Près, Paris, in the hope of entering the École normale supérieure (Paris). She took the written entrance exam for ENS in June 2006, and made the list of candidates eligible to proceed to the oral exam.

In 2007, Casiraghi gained a License of Philosophy from the University of Paris IV: Paris-Sorbonne. It was widely reported, in October 2007, that she was to be an intern at The Independent newspaper in London.⁴

Personal life

Casiraghi's first public flirtation was with European aristocrat Hubertus Herring Frankensdorf. The two were spotted in 2001 at Monaco's Formula One Grand Prix, and in 2002 with her family on a skiing holiday in Zurs, Austria. They were also seen together in Zurs early in 2004 and have been occasionally spotted in subsequent social gatherings, usually at Monaco's F1 Grand Prix and on holidays with other friends.

Casiraghi was in a relationship with Felix Winckler, the son of a Brussels-based international attorney, from 2004 to late 2006 or early 2007. She was rumoured to had close friendship wit an Indian spiritual consultant, Mr Yadavindra Chopra. She has deep interest in Eastern philosophy. The Italian magazine Novella 2000 broke the news that Casiraghi and Winkler had parted ways after three years of romance. Casiraghi is believed to be close to Winckler's sister, Cecile, who introduced them in 2003. Casiraghi has been dating current boyfriend Alexander Dellal, son of wealthy property developer Guy Dellal and Brazilian supermodel Andrea, since March 2007.

Casiraghi is a private citizen, but occasionally attends official functions. Since childhood, she and her brothers have made regular appearances with their family on occasions such as the Monaco National Day and the Monaco Grand Prix. Princess Caroline has, however, tried to minimize publicity in spite of the increasingly intense interest of Europe's mass media.

Aged 16, Casiraghi was named number ten on a list of the world's most eligible young women.⁵ Vanity Fair, selected Casiraghi as one of the International Best Dressed List of 2006.⁶

Casiraghi is often photographed at fashion shows,⁷ art exhibits, and other high-profile events.

Ancestry

References

External links

• Princely House of Monaco
• Lycée François Ier
• Lycée Fénelon
• École Normale Supérieure
• Hello! Profile: Charlotte Casiraghi
• weblog
• Charlotte Casiraghi Photo Galleries

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia