Princess Stephanie’s Christmas Presents
December 24, 2007
Princess Stephanie and Prince Albert gave Christmas presents to Monaco children
at the palace.
For a report and photographs visit:
http://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2007/12/20/monaco-xmas-gifts/
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A strong streak of individuality and independence always manages to provide
some tongue wagging among society, and Princess Stephanie of Monaco's so-called
'wild streak' has offered not only Monaco, but the world at large, a glimpse
into the life of one member of the world's most popular royal families.
Born to actress Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III on February 1 1965, Princess
Stephanie was the third and last child delivered to the world famous couple
before the tragic car accident that unexpectedly claimed the life of Princess
Grace.
Princess Stephanie was a passenger in the car accident that claimed her mother's
life in 1982, and though she escaped dire physical harm, the emotional scars
of such a tragic event followed the 17-year-old into adulthood. Perhaps it is
no wonder that Stephanie, as a survivor of such an ordeal, decided that she
was destined to live her life with gusto, with little regard to the boundaries
and restrictions that her brother and sister, Prince Albert and Princess Caroline,
seemed to follow without too much trouble.
Princess Stephanie studied dance and piano in school, and then discovered gymnastics
in Paris, a sport at which she became quite proficient in the 1970s. Later that
decade, she became the patron of the Grand Prix de Gymnastique de la Ville,
in Paris. A consummate sportswoman, Princess Stephanie also enjoyed downhill
skiing, water skiing and swimming, like her brother, Prince Albert. Following
the accident in 1982, Stephanie spent some time interning at Haute Couture,
Christian Dior's firm, and in the mid 1980s designed a collection of swimwear.
As Princess Stephanie blossomed into adulthood, her liaisons and relationships
raised eyebrows the world over, but the precocious 'black sheep' of Monaco's
royalty shrugged off the gossip and sought to find her place in the world. In
1995, Princess Stephanie married former bodyguard Daniel Ducret after she bore
two of his children, though the relationship didn't last long and they parted
company a year later.
In 1998, Stephanie bore a third child, though she declined to name the father
to the curious. She was then seen in the company of an elephant trainer and
leader of Circus Knie, and she and the children spent some time traveling with
the circus, a child's dream come true for many, until she married circus acrobat
Adans Peres in 2003. Unfortunately, that relationship also failed and they separated
a year later.
Following her mother's fatal accident, her life's goals changed and Stephanie
suddenly found her life adrift, without the stabilizing anchor her mother's
existence provided. She took a walk on the 'wild side,' acquired some tattoos
and sought personal identity amidst the expectations and demands of royalty.
Princess Stephanie has managed to blend her zest for life with more mundane,
though no less important tasks as performing official duties, when required,
but royal watchers may more often find Princess Stephanie doing the things she
loves most: pop singing, modelling and refocusing her attention on fashion design,
her first love. As Princess Stephanie tells the world, "Though I may be
a princess, above all, I'm a human being." Touché, Princess.
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