Caroline, Princess of Hanover

Caroline, Princess of Hanover (German: Caroline Prinzessin von Hannover), Caroline Louise Marguerite von Hannover, styled Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover, formerly Mme Stefano Casiraghi, formerly MmePhillippe Junot and née Grimaldi, born 23 January 1957) is the eldest child of Prince Rainier III of Monaco and his American film star wife, Grace Kelly. She is the second wife of Prince Ernst August of Hanover and, since her father's death on April 6, 2005, has been again heir presumptive to the throne of Monaco (she was in 1957 and 1958 between her own birth and the birth of her younger brother), bearing the title Her Serene Highness The Hereditary Princess of Monaco.

Succession issues

Because her brother Prince Albert remains unmarried and has no legitimate children, it is possible that Caroline will one day become the second Sovereign Princess in Monaco's history. Her ancestor Louise-Hippolyte Grimaldi held that title for a few months in 1731. There is precedent, however, for a Sovereign Prince to adopt an illegitimate child and thereby place that child in the line of succession, as was done with Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois.

Related Topics:
Prince Albert - Legitimate - 1731 - Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois

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Although Albert has publicly acknowledged at least one child born out of wedlock (Alexandre Coste, son of Togolese flight attendant Nicole Coste), an illegitimate child has no right to succeed under the Constitution of Monaco.

Related Topics:
Alexandre Coste - Togolese - Nicole Coste - Constitution of Monaco

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Albert's lack of legitimate children prompted a constitutional change to try to ensure a successor, which had the consequence of strengthening the place of Caroline and her descendants in the line of succession. On April 2, 2002, Monaco passed Princely Law 1.249 which provided that if the Sovereign Prince assumes the throne and then dies without a legitimate direct heir, the throne would pass to his siblings and their descendants under the rule of male-preference primogeniture. Before this change, the crown of Monaco could only pass to a direct descendant of the reigning prince, and Caroline would have become ineligible to inherit the throne upon Albert's ascension.

Related Topics:
April 2 - 2002 - Primogeniture

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Unlike most other countries, not only the heir-apparent to the Monegasque throne is Hereditary Prince/ss, the heir-presumptive would also be the Hereditary Prince/ss. Thus, Princess Caroline is the Hereditary Princess.

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