Rainier and After

Written by Riviera Reporter

Even in a half century of such widespread change few places have been so totally transformed as Monaco. When the young Rainier – he was only 25 – took over in 1949 he came into a depressing heritage. Not only was the Principality in dire financial straits but it had emerged from the war in disgrace. Louis II, Rainier’s grandfather and predecessor on the Rock, had been, despite having an English mother, an enthusiastic supporter of the Nazis. He had written to Hitler in 1942, from his officially neutral country, to assure the Führer of his “collaboration with the Reich which is both sincere and without reluctance”. Many ordinary Monegasques were less happy to see SS officers strutting through their streets and Rainier – to his eternal credit – showed disgust at the attitude of the old Prince (whom he disliked, anyway, for restricting his allowance) and went off to join the French army.

“Remarkable business acumen”
Rainier’s conduct certainly helped to put the Principality’s Nazi past behind it but for years after the end of the war it remained financially weak. During this period Rainier showed his mettle by resolving a crisis with France (De Gaulle had deeply resented Monaco’s flirtation with the Germans) and by first making use of and then getting rid of Aristotle Onassis who had taken control of the S.B.M., the company that ran the casino (and later much else). With these successes achieved he turned to the work of economic transformation which is his lasting memorial. When he took over he was in charge of what one American observer called “a broken down gambling saloon”. In the following years he wrought an economic miracle. This has had three essential strands: financial services (already the SS had made creative use of local banks), tourism and latterly especially the convention business and, less often realised, light industry, with small high-tech plants involved in a varied range of activities from canning tuna to making surgical lamps. In 1949 around 95 per cent of Monaco’s national income came from gaming; today this is down to 3.5 per cent. Alongside these changes in the economy the landscape was radically altered as venerable villas and tenements were torn down to make way for high-rise blocks.

“Je suis un chef d’entreprise.”
That’s a familiar quote from the late Prince, and it’s true that he showed remarkable business acumen in his task of economic makeover. But in almost all business activity there is a need for some measure of moral compromise. This is not the place to rehearse the various rumours and sometimes detailed accusations that have circulated about Monaco over the years. For some, there has been extensive involvement in money laundering and in other financial malpractices (as late as Christmas 1999 Rainier issued a decree specifically protecting residents charged with tax offences elsewhere from extradition). Related to such matters has been the continued criticism of the Monegasque regime as at once authoritarian and secretive. One cynical insider said to me recently, “Well, that’s got a lot to do with our success so it would be crazy to change anything.”

“Albert II: nothing like the tabloid image”
While some financial journalists (and a handful of French MPs, mainly socialists) have been preoccupied with economic and political hanky-panky in Monaco, the main media focus has long been on the family life of the Grimaldis. When Rainier married Grace Kelly in 1956 some 2000 journalists were on hand, and from then on there was no let up by the scribblers and snappers. Rainier’s attitude to this was ambivalent: he liked the Principality to be in the limelight and the gossipy stuff diverted attention from murkier themes but he also wanted, as he often said, “Monaco to be taken seriously”. Personally, despite all the coverage, he remained a curiously indistinct figure to the general public. He was notably reserved and foreign residents who claimed intimacy with him were often trying to impress with an empty boast. So what was he like? Hardworking, determined, realistic, tough and ill-tempered – that’s the impression you get from people who were really close to him. And the private man? When, a few years ago, I worked with a UK Channel 4 television team on the two-part documentary The Grimaldi Dynasty, I saw some of the correspondence between the Prince and his American friend and adviser Rupert Allen. A lot of this concerned his children Albert, Caroline and Stephanie. The letters revealed a loving and concerned father who aroused respect and compassion.

And so what of Prince Albert II who succeeded just before dawn on Wednesday the 6th of April? British newspeople I spoke to around that time often voiced the opinion that, to quote one BBC woman, “Albert’s really rather a playboy who’ll find it difficult to fill his father’s shoes”. The first thing to recall is that the young Rainier had a similar reputation. He was notoriously fond of gaming, fast cars and girls and showed no sign of changing until Prince Louis died. But there’s much more to say in Albert’s case. Those who have worked closely with him (and I mean serious people, not sycophants) speak of an intelligent, energetic, hard-working man who is nothing like the tabloid image of a good-timer happy only on a bobsled or with a bimbo on his arm. He had an excellent education (he’s an Amherst graduate) and is fluent in four languages. Two factors have to be remembered: first, Rainier did not delegate willingly and, second, Albert did not wish to push his own agenda while in waiting since this would have exacerbated the internal conflicts within the regime and likely brought embarrassment to his father for whom he had a deep affection. For the moment, any judgement on Albert is wholly premature.

“To be respected ...”
Along with the qualities listed above the new ruler of Monaco will need to be tough like his father but in a rather different way. Paul Dijoud, a former Minister of State who was eased out in 1997 for wanting to lift too many stones, once remarked that “to be respected Monaco needs to be respectable”. Albert recognises the truth of this together with the need for a clean-up to achieve “respectability”. But he is only too aware that there are elements within the Principality, who, for reasons of self-interest, will oppose the measures necessary for this. They will fight their corner hard, doing whatever they can to trip him up, and he will have to do the same. Meanwhile to His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco we offer our condolences and our wish that he may have a long and prosperous reign.

Patrick Middleton discussed the last days and death of Prince Rainier III on BBC World Service, BBC Radio Five Live, BBC World Television News and BBC News 24.