MONACO IN MOURNING

Today at 06.35 local time His Serene Highness Prince Rainier of Monaco died after his health rapidly deteriorated. He had in the past decade gone through two heart bypass operations and now suffering from a lung infection he was under intensive care since two weeks at the Principality's Cardio-Thoracic Unit. At his side this morning was his son Prince Albert.

Prince Rainier had three children from his marriage with the late Princess Grace; Princess Caroline, Prince Albert and Princess Stephanie.

The Prince was a keen yachtsman and have visited many of the yachts we see on these pages. During the years he also owned several yachts, among the first was a Baglietto and in the 90:s he had a Perini Navi 25 m sloop, called Malizia after a forefather in the Grimaldi dynasty. There is a lot more to tell about the importance Prince Rainier played for the development and general interest in yachting, but today we rather share the grief with his family, friends and all of the Monaco residents.

Prince Rainier III, the Sovereign Prince of Monaco since 1949, was born on May 31, 1923 in Monaco.

It was announced on March 31 that Prince Albert of Monaco assumed the regency in the Principality as Monaco's Constitution states when the sovereign was no longer able to carry out his role.