Prince Albert II of Monaco’s title is His Royal Highness — but life inside his pink palace on a rock overlooking the Mediterranean has proven anything but this summer.
In fact, Monaco’s government has come under fire from within as Albert faces a barrage of corruption allegations hurled by websites such as Wikileaks, while at the same time fighting to prove that his marriage to Princess Charlene is still alive, despite widespread reports that he lives in exile in Switzerland and sees her only “by appointment.”
Twin extraordinary crises threaten the future of the 65-year-old prince, and the Grimaldi family’s nearly eight-century rule over the world’s second-smallest state; only the Vatican is smaller.
Charlene and Albert share 8-year-old twins, Gabriella and Jacques. Jacques, the eldest twin, is the heir to the Grimaldis throne. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
When claims that she lives in ‘exile’ and sees Albert only by appointment emerge, Charlene takes part in an awkward show of solidarity in Corsica. Monaco’s doubts were not convinced by the pictures.MEGA
Monaco’s 39,050 residents – just under 7,000 are citizens – live in the richest three-quarters of a square mile in the world, look out over a sea filled with superyachts, pay no income tax and can spend their leisure time in a number of places. the most expensive shops and restaurants in the world.
But inside the Grimaldis’ ancient castle located on what the locals call “Le Rocher,” (The Rock), the mood is grim.
For nearly two years, a mysterious online website called “Les Dossies du Rocher” — the Rock Files — has been revealing what it claims are the corruption secrets of Albert’s inner circle.
The website has accused Albert’s powerful and long-time personal wealth manager, Claude Palmero; his chief of staff Laurent Anselmi; his lawyer and childhood friend Thierry Lacoste; and the president of the Supreme Court of Monaco, Didier Linotte, on fraud, cronyism, and corruption and undue influence on Monaco’s wealthy property and real estate market.
“Les Dossies” name Claude Palmero (left), manager of Albert’s personal wealth for more than 22 years as one of those involved in corruption. Didier Linotte (right), president of the Supreme Court, among others named.
The claims of the transaction itself have involved large sums of cash.
The “Dossier” claims that in one case alone Lacoste was paid $640,00 for “legal advice” in a case where the developer won a $163 million court decision.
The judgment was made by Lacoste’s close friend — and Albert — Linotte at the Supreme Court.
Chief of staff Albert Laurent Anselmi, left, and his lawyer and childhood friend, Thierry Lacoste, round out what French media have dubbed the “G-4.”
The “G-4,” or “Club of 4,” as the four are called by the French media, denied the corruption allegations. But after police reportedly searched each of their homes in July and seized many of Palmero’s documents and his cell phone, Palmero and Anselmi resigned.
Lacoste is reportedly no longer acting as the prince’s lawyer.
There was concern among Albert that some or all of the four could turn on the prince.
Palermo had already sued him, while Lacoste’s knowledge of the family secret was decades old; her father was Grace Kelly’s press secretary when she became Princess Grace.
The Kingdom of Monaco is located between France and Italy. Smaller than Central Park in New York, it is dominated by “The Rock”, whose pink palace is home to the Grimaldi royal family. Shutterstock
A data dump involving hacked information about Albert’s inner circle was released in the fall of 2021. It’s called the “Dossies du Rocher” but its Wikileaks-style fallout has plunged his court into crisis.
Worryingly for all concerned, the French police got involved, raiding the home the four owned outside Monaco.
Monaco has long operated its own code of secrecy, leading to the old joke that it is a sunny place for shady people.
The mysterious leak has started a guessing game about who could be behind them.
Some in the government think the “Dossies du Rocher” may implicate Monaco property billionaire Patrice Pastor, 49, whose father is the kingdom’s biggest developer but has often clashed with Albert and his inner circle over real estate deals.
Young Albert with his father, Prince Rainier, mother Grace Kelly, and sisters Caroline and Stephanie. SSPL via Getty Images
Albert, meanwhile, was forced into a public trial to win back trust.
“When trust is broken and there are no clear answers to the questions asked, a decision has to be made,” Albert told Le Figaro in July.
The “Dossier” has revealed, via the internet, certain activities of people who work with me. As I said: if that trust is broken, it’s impossible to continue working together.”
Robert Eringer, who worked for Albert as an intelligence adviser from 2002 to 2007, told The Post that the king had tried to convince the public that he did not know about the corruption, but said that in fact, Albert had been warned.
Albert and his wife, Princess Charlene, share an awkward hug after the prince flew to see her in South Africa in August 2021. Instagram/Princess Charlene
“He knew all along,” said Eringer, who later clashed with Albert after his dismissal from the castle and has blogged about it ever since. “He knows because I was there and investigated (some) of these men and I told him.
“I said, ‘It doesn’t make sense what’s happening here. You can’t let your old friends from when you were little rule here. They will destroy this country, your heritage will be badly damaged.’ And that’s exactly what happened. He didn’t stop him.”
A resident of Monaco for 40 years told The Post that Albert was “genuine” in wanting to improve Monaco’s reputation for corruption when he succeeded his father Prince Rainier to the throne in 2005 but added: “Reality soon set in and of course, his personal behavior has affected him badly.”
Robert Eringer served as Albert’s intelligence adviser from 2002 to 2007 and said he warned him about corruption in his inner circle.
The residents also refer to the long-held belief that the power of corrupt groups is too great to be contained. “Just look at what happened to his brother-in-law.” Princess Caroline’s husband of 30 years, Stefano Casiraghi, was killed in a speedboat accident in Monaco in 1990 that at the time was considered suspicious by many.
One crisis is enough for any monarchy, but Albert has had to launch a second public relations campaign in recent days to convince the world that his 12-year marriage to Princess Charlene, former Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock, 45, is not over.
Charlene is reported by the French outlet Voici to have moved out of the palace, and lives in Switzerland and only sees her husband by appointment.
Then her Instagram account, which had 464,000 followers and 96 posts was deactivated, only fueling the belief that they had split.
Princess Charlene at a memorial service for her friend King Muhibah Zwelithini in South Africa in 2021.POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Princess Charlene shaves part of her head ahead of this Christmas event in Monaco in 2020.POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Albert’s wedding has been the subject of rumors since Charlene reportedly fled the palace before their wedding in 2011 – only to return and cry through the wedding.
Gossip is ramping up in 2021 when Charlene goes to South Africa to stay for months; Albert said Charlene’s long stay in South Africa was purely for medical reasons.
“He is not leaving Monaco in a hurry! He didn’t go because he was mad at me or at anyone else… he didn’t go into exile. It’s really just a medical problem that needs to be treated,” he said.
However, when Charlene returned to Monaco, she lasted only a few days before Albert said she was “not feeling well” and she left for treatment at a Swiss facility. His returns since then have been sporadic.
Albert married former Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock in July 2011 at his palace in Monaco: a civil ceremony in the throne room, followed by a religious ceremony in the courtyard. Charlene cried over part of her wedding.Getty Images
Charlene and Albert have long faced questions about the nature of their marriage. Corbis via Getty Images
After claims that he was living in self-imposed exile, the couple were photographed on the beach in Corsica last month.
If it is to prove they are still a couple, it does not convince the doubters.
Charlene wore a bathing suit on the beach despite the heat, sitting awkwardly in a beach chair next to her husband, while their 8-year-old twins Jacques and Gabriella played.
It has long been speculated that some of Charlene’s issues stem from Albert’s slanderous past.
He has two children out of wedlock. Jazmin Grimaldi, 31, was the result of a brief cheating relationship with Tamara Rotolo. Alexandre Coste, 20, was born after his affair with Nicole Coste, a former Air France flight attendant from Tonga.
Last week Albert celebrated his son’s birthday with his mother and younger sister.
Albert, his one-time girlfriend Nicole Coste (right), daughter Jazmin Grimaldi (second from left), and son Alexandre Coste (third from right) celebrated Alexandre’s 20th birthday last month. Instagram
A major public test of Albert’s marriage to Charlene will be held in a few days.
The two are scheduled to travel to Sun City in their native South Africa on September 13 to launch a water bike race, modeled on a similar event held in Monaco, to raise funds for water safety.
What happened next with Albert’s marriage and the struggle to save his reputation is unclear. The media office at Monaco Palace did not return emails from The Post.
“All bets are off with her (Princess Charlene),” an insider who has lived in the kingdom for 30 years and remembers sailing with a cigarette-smoking Wittstock in Monaco when she was engaged to Albert told The Post.
Albert and his daughter Jazmin who turns 31 in 2020.WireImage
“He is a difficult person to read. No one really knows what happened to him. He may hate Monaco but he can still cut a deal and go live in Paris and see his kids. Everyone thought there was something more going on.”
No one, including Eringer, thought Albert would abdicate rather than rule Monaco and few thought a divorce was actually in the cards for him and Princess Charlene.
A Monaco resident told The Post that he thought the couple would “just be lame. Monaco is a machine that no one will shut down.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
