Prince Albert Monaco’s Eldest Son Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste Is Ready For His Close-Up In First Solo Interview

The public has long had a fascination with everything pertaining to royal life — from the spotlight being brought on Meghan Markle for marrying Great Britain’s Prince Harry to fictional romance.

A European royal is ready to be launched into the public eye after having grown up away from the watchful eye of fans and paparazzi. It is none other than Alexandre Grimaldi, the 20-year-old son of Prince Albert II of Monaco.

Grimaldi was born in Paris to a Togolese mother, working as a flight attendant when she met Prince Albert on a flight. They were together for five years and had to sustain a secret relationship, possibly because of royal customs. Grimaldi is not an heir to the throne, as his parents never married. Still, the 20-year-old is ready to launch a career in the public eye. He says he is prepared to become a global ambassador for Monaco, a small state on the French Riviera known for hosting the Formula 1 Grand Prix and being widely regarded as a tax haven.

“[I aspire to] work in a relationship with my dad and become this — let’s say — a global ambassador for Monaco and to bring business opportunities back to Monaco, which is what I’ve talked about with him,” Grimaldi told Tatler in his very first interview about the business partnership with his father.

He mainly grew up in London, where he has lived outside of the spotlight. 

“It was easy because I wasn’t too much in the public eye. It hasn’t affected me that much,” he said. “Now it’s definitely going to become interesting, being more public and showing my face more and being tied in with my family.”

Grimaldi notes that having mixed heritage has allowed him to explore different parts of his identity.

“I’ve had the pleasure of being brought up in two cultures and having that be part of my identity,” he said, adding that he recently visited his mother’s home country of Togo.

The 20-year-old is getting ready to move to New York City to pursue his studies at either NYU or Fordham. It will be his first time living on his own and he is excited to experience independence as a young adult. Grimaldi also plans on doing charity work and will try “to make an impact on those less privileged than I am” by working with local organizations such as Brooklyn’s Boys and Girls Club.

Although he regularly attends fashion events and refers to A$AP Rocky and the basketball player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as his style icons, Grimaldi has rejected several offers from modeling agencies. 

“I’ve got a good plan, so I’m really happy about that,” he said. I just have to do my job and honor my heritage and my family in a respectable way. But I consider myself to be very respectable and very kind, so I think I will do justice to my name.”