Princess Caroline Louise Marguerite of Monaco (January 23, 1957) is the eldest child of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and Grace Kelly. She bears the title Princess of Hanover by marriage to Prince Ernst August. She is the elder sister of Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and Princess Stéphanie.
She married Philippe Junot, a Parisian banker, in 1978 and divorced, childless, in 1980. Her second husband was Stefano Casiraghi, the sportsman heir to an Italian industrial fortune. They were married in 1983 and had three children: Andrea, Charlotte and Pierre. Stefano Casiraghi was killed in a speed-boating accident in 1990. Caroline's third and current husband is Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick, head of the House of Hanover which lost its throne in 1866. The couple married in 1999 and had one daughter: Princess Alexandra.
Following her mother's death in 1982, Caroline served as de facto first lady of Monaco until her brother married Charlene Wittstock in 2011. She regularly attends important social events in Monaco related to the Monégasque Princely Family, such as the National Day celebrations, the annual Rose Ball, the Red Cross Ball and the Formula One competition Monaco Grand Prix. Due to her commitment to philanthropy and arts, Caroline was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador on 2 December 2003. The UNICEF honoured her with Children's Champion Award on 20 May 2006. In December 2011, the World Association of Children's Friends honoured her for "tireless endeavours in continuing the organisation's legacy". Caroline had also previously been given the Grand Cross of the Order of St. Charles, and had been appointed as the Commander of the Order of Cultural Merit.
She was Hereditary Princess of Monaco and heir presumptive to the throne from her birth in 1957 until her brother Albert was born the following year, and again from Albert's accession in 2005 until his twins, her niece Gabriella and nephew Jacques, were born in 2014.
