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Monaco's Rainier III dies

Prince Rainier III of Monaco, third from left, stands in this file photo with his children, from left, Princess Caroline, Princess Stephanie and Prince Albert during ceremonies held in Monaco on Jan. 8, 1997, for the 700th anniversary of the Grimaldi family's reign. PHOTO: AP

Prince Rainier III of Monaco, whose marriage to the American film star Grace Kelly brought elegance and glamor to one of Europe's oldest dynasties, died yesterday at the hospital treating him for heart, kidney and breathing problems. He was 81.

His royal palace announced Rainier's death nearly a month after he was first admitted to the hospital with a lung infection.

Rainier died at 6:35am at the Cardio-Thoracic Center. Prince Albert, his son and heir, was at his side. Rainier's doctors called Albert just before 6am to tell him the end was near, the palace said.

A palace statement said Rainier died "as a result of the broncho-pulmonary, heart and kidney conditions that caused his hospitalization."

Flags, already lowered out of respect for Pope John Paul II, remained at half-staff. The two Monaco-based TV networks immediately interrupted programming with documentaries on Rainier's life and reactions to his death.

"Each of us feels like an orphan because the principality has been marked by his imprint over the 56 years" Rainier ruled, said Patrick Leclercq, Monaco's head of government. While alive, Rainier was Europe's longest-serving monarch.

Rainier had suffered recurring health problems in recent years. The silver-haired, portly prince underwent heart surgery in 1999. In 2000, he had two operations, including having a nodule removed from a lung, and was hospitalized in 2002 for fatigue and bronchitis.

Recurrent chest infections put him in the hospital on numerous occasions thereafter.

Rainier, hailing from one of Europe's longest-ruling families, the Grimaldis, was a 26-year-old bachelor when he took the throne of the Mediterranean country nestled between Italy and the French Riviera in 1949.

His romance with Grace Kelly captivated the world. She was a 25-year-old movie star when they met in 1955 at the Cannes Film Festival, and their marriage in 1956 put Monaco on the world stage.

Princess Caroline was born 10 months later, followed by Albert and Princess Stephanie.
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