Monte Carlo's freshest new face shares his insider's guide to the principality
Words: Luciana Bellini
He's been labelled “the fresh face of Monaco” by the global media, and Alexandre Grimaldi certainly fits the bill. The 23-year-old son of Prince Albert II of Monaco and his former girlfriend, Nicole Coste – and the grandson of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly – combines regal charm and Hollywood good looks with more than a dash of cool. This enviable mix makes him the perfect ambassador for Monaco, a place that's very close to his heart.
“I love the calmness and beauty of it,” says Alexandre. “It's a very special place. It's so small but there are a lot of wonderful things to take from it. Even amid the controlled chaos of events such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix, there are still pockets of tranquillity you can submerge yourself in – for a place that's only 2.08 square kilometres, that's pretty impressive.
“Its beauty is something I am always in awe of. Driving up Avenue de la Quarantaine, which is the road to go up to the Rocher from Place d'Armes, I always catch myself saying ‘wow' as I look at the view of Port Hercules and the rest of Monaco's eastern side. Every day I am so grateful I get to wake up in that environment.”
Born in Paris in 2003 and raised by his mother, Nicole, a Togo-born former flight attendant for Air France, Alexandre's childhood was spent between the south of France, New York and Geneva, before he settled in London around the age of seven.
He spent his formative years in Knightsbridge, attending a prestigious private school in the capital before studying at Royal Holloway, University of London. Naturally, he also spent plenty of time in Mayfair and sees a lot of synergies with Monaco.
“The obvious thing to mention would be the glitz and glamour of them both, but behind that I think their respective traditional architectures make them very beautiful places,” he says.
“They're actually both quite quiet, but can turn up the noise when necessary, which is always good to have a balance of. I believe they've both been able to embrace modernity quite well too, in their own ways.”
Turning up the noise is certainly something Alexandre knows how to do. You'll often find him dancing with the great and the good at Monaco hotspot Jimmy'z, which he says is the best place to party in all of Monte Carlo. “I think Jimmy'z is the best nightclub in the world, especially when a good artist is performing, whether that's a DJ or a singer or rapper.
“One of my favourite nights was during this year's Formula 1 Grand Prix, when American hip-hop group Rae Sremmurd and legendary hip-hop producer Mike Will Made It put on a performance there. I had never seen Jimmy'z like that – it was simply one of the best nights I've had in Monaco. Magical.”
Alexandre is looking forward to the Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival in November and, of course, the Monaco Yacht Show. “The yacht show is always a special occasion – it draws a very different crowd from the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and the Grand Prix,” he says.
“It's a much more international group of people that animate the city and the sea in a more intricate way during a calmer period of the year. I'm also starting to be a boat enthusiast and going to the show these past years has grown my interest even more.”
Alexandre's main focus for the year ahead is building his new company, EO Ventures, which fosters long-term relationships between MonĂŠgasque entities and international companies. “It's been an exciting first year with projects in collaboration with Brabus in the automobile world and then Hauser & Wirth and Paulin, Paulin, Paulin in the art world during the Grand Prix.
“Promoting and evolving Monaco's cultural landscape is our goal and having Monte Carlo be a cultural hub is definitely what I strive for – to continue growing it is a dream in itself. I'm so proud to be able to do this and very privileged to get the chance to do what I love as a job.”
