PEOPLE : ALEXANDRE GRIMALDI by Stephanie Petit from August 2023
Excerpt:
Alexandre also spoke about using the last name Grimaldi with his father's encouragement.
"My father's name is Grimaldi. It makes sense that I bear his name. I would have been called Dochomel if my father had been Mr. Dochemel!" Alexandre said. "Besides, I never called myself Coste or Coste-Grimaldi. On no ID, at school or on my diplomas. Those who call me that have a malicious attitude."
"My mother is tender by nature and let a lot of things be said because she was always advised to 'let the story go,' he continued. "Me, I will be more procedural because I was born in France, but I grew up in an Anglo-Saxon country. I'll attack if necessary."
"Nor am I 'illegitimate' since when I was born, neither of my parents was in another marriage, and they did not commit adultery. Using that word is insulting! I hope no one believes the lies conveyed on the internet. One bears the name of one's father when one has been recognized since birth. I had voluntary recognition from my father when I was a baby. Not from a judge or the press who have forced him to," Prince Albert's son said. "My mother, whom I adore, is my rock, and she is not jealous at all of my choice. If she never said anything about my surname, it's been to protect our privacy....."
I agree that neither of his parents were officially married to others at the time and were thus not officially committing adultery. However, adultery is not the deciding factor. Being recognized is not enough to be legitimate. Legitimate and illegitimate are legal terms: if your parents were not married at the time of your birth you are illegitimate. Inheritance is often tied into this. When he is talking about his mother, Nicole Coste, not being jealous of his choice, he means his choice to use the Grimaldi surname. His own mother changed her surname to Coste and called him Alexandre Coste. (Still no legal Grimaldi surname.)
As a note, in more recent times both Alexandre and Nicole say they have a much better relationship with Prince Albert than they had previously complained about. Alexandre is becoming an adult and living his own life. It is harder to do that on the world stage and my hope for him is that he will find his niche and be a productive and positively influential individual.
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