Monaco · Wedding of the Princely Couple

Albert II has been Prince of Monaco since 2005 and is therefore the head of state of the Principality. He succeeded his father Rainier III. His mother was Grace Kelly, an American actress who became known as Princess Gracia Patricia after her marriage to Rainier. The House of Grimaldi, to which Albert belongs, has ruled Monaco since the Middle Ages, albeit with interruptions.

Charlene Wittstock grew up in South Africa and was a competitive swimmer. She represented South Africa at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Albert and Charlene had already appeared in public together for several years before their engagement was announced in 2010. Upon their marriage, she received the title Princess Charlène of Monaco.

The wedding consisted of a civil and a Catholic ceremony. The civil wedding took place on 1 July 2011 at the Prince's Palace (Fürstenpalast). The following day, the religious ceremony was celebrated in the Court of Honour of the palace. Members of European ruling houses, state representatives and other invited guests attended. Parts of the celebrations were also accessible to the public or broadcast publicly. The wedding was therefore not only a private family event, but also an official act of the Monegasque princely family.

The choice of this occasion for a commemorative coin can be explained by Monaco’s close connection with its ruling family. As head of state, the Prince occupies a central position in the political and public life of the small country. Marriages, changes of monarch and anniversaries of the princely family are therefore often also documented through state coin issues.

Monaco is not part of the European Union. Under a monetary agreement, however, the Principality is permitted to use the euro as its official currency and to mint its own euro coins with a national side. Such issues therefore also serve to make Monegasque state and dynastic occasions visible within the common European coinage system.