Turbulent family life of jet-set prince

PRINCE Rainier III, whose glittering marriage to Irish-American film star Grace Kelly endowed a reign that spanned more than a half-century with elegance and glamour, guided Monaco’s transformation from a sleepy retreat for the wealthy into a centre of finance and tourism.

Prince Rainier, who assumed the throne on May 9, 1949, also suffered the tragedy of his famous wife’s death and the relentless scandals - including international criticism of the principality’s tax laws - that plagued the final two decades of his rule.

The leader of one of Europe’s longest-ruling royal families, the Grimaldis, Prince Rainier suffered recurring health problems in recent years. Most recently, he was admitted to Monaco’s Cardio-Thoracic Centre on March 7 with a chest infection.