Inside Princess Caroline's Relationship With Her Daughter Charlotte Casiraghi
The daughter of Grace Kelly, Princess Caroline of Monaco, has undergone a stunning transformation from dutiful royal to philanthropist and stylish woman about town. Unfortunately, Caroline didn't have the best relationship with her mother; in fact, she was much closer to her childhood nanny, Maureen Wood, than the late Hollywood star-turned-royal. "For my brother and I, Maureen was the key figure in our life," she revealed in the book "Albert II of Monaco, The Man and The Prince."
Although Caroline didn't have the closest relationship with her mom, she enjoys an incredibly strong bond with her daughter, Charlotte Casiraghi. Over the years, the duo have been making waves with their unwaveringly chic public appearances, embodying old-money poise and understated glam. Mother and daughter haven't always seen eye to eye, however, and the pair has had to overcome their differences to achieve an amicable connection.
Take a deep dive inside Princess Caroline's relationship with her daughter, Charlotte Casiraghi.
Following her father's tragic death, Charlotte Casiraghi was raised by her mom
Despite all her riches, Princess Caroline has led a tragic life, having lost her mom, Grace Kelly, in a car crash in 1982. Just eight years later, Stefano Casiraghi, who was Princess Caroline's second husband and the father of her daughter, Charlotte Casiraghi, died at the tender age of 30 after being injured in a speedboat crash.
Just 4 years old when her dad died, Charlotte was distraught at the tragic loss. "Everything he did reminds me how brave he was," she revealed on "Le Parole della Settimana" (via Hola! magazine). "Losing someone, somehow, makes you take on that courage, to get over the anguish and fear that it provokes." Following her husband's untimely death, Caroline set out to restore a semblance of normality in Charlotte's life. Subsequently, she moved her daughter and two sons to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in Southern France. "The death of her father was very traumatic for her and her brothers," Pauline Delassus explained to Vanity Fair. "Their mother wanted to protect them and raised them away from the Monaco uproar. That is partly how she became a very good student and got interested in horse riding. She was a serious teenager, never a party girl."
To this day, Provence holds a special place in Charlotte's heart, and it's where she chose to hold her wedding to Dimitri Rassam in 2019. "It is this particular love of Provence she wants to share with her family and friends," an insider told People.
Princess Caroline shielded her daughter from the limelight
As the daughter of an internationally renowned celebrity and royal herself, Princess Caroline wanted to protect Charlotte Casiraghi from the glare of the limelight. Accordingly, she declined to give her daughter the title of "princess," fearing that doing so would rob her of the opportunity to engineer her own destiny. Ultimately, Charlotte was pleased with her mom's decision. "I'm not a princess," she declared to French Vogue (via The New York Times). "My mother is, not I. I am the niece of a head of state. And with this status, I have some representational duties, nothing very constraining or very exceptional."
From a young age, Caroline also ensured that Charlotte understood the importance of maintaining privacy; she heeded this advice and, for many years, refused to overtly discuss her relationship with her family. Accordingly, with this fierce protection of her kids came an important life lesson from Caroline. Despite her aristocratic background, the princess was intent on keeping her daughter grounded in reality, teaching her to adhere to the principles of hard work and discipline. "I would say that one of the most important things is — I don't know how to translate to English — but exigences en soi-meme," she told Town & Country, continuing, "That no matter how successful you are, no matter how well you think you've done, you have to always keep that exigences. And that's something my mother has, that sense of effort and discipline."
Becoming a mom brought Charlotte Casiraghi closer to Princess Caroline
In 2013, Charlotte Casiraghi welcomed her first child, Raphaël, with actor Gad Elmaleh, who is 15 years her senior. It seemed that Princess Caroline approved of the relationship, with Elmaleh telling People that Charlotte's mom was prone to laughing at his jokes (via Daily Mail). It wasn't to be, however, and in October 2018 Charlotte welcomed her second child, Balthazar, with her partner Dimitri Rassam. The couple married the following June.
In her interview with Town & Country, Charlotte reflected on how her bond with her mother had changed in the years that followed the births of her sons. She revealed that becoming a mom helped her understand Caroline and her motivations as a parent a lot better, with motherhood ultimately bringing the pair closer. "You have more empathy and you understand more things, because it is a transmission of the maternal link," she explained.
Charlotte Casiraghi has spoken of the complexities of her relationship with her mom
On more than one occasion, Charlotte Casiraghi has admitted to having a complex relationship with her mother. In her sit-down with Town & Country, Charlotte referred to the pair's connection as ambivalent, something that she had become keenly aware of after becoming a mom herself. "When you become a mother there is the fact that your mother accepts that she's not the only one who's a mother," she said. "And that's very liberating. A lot of women feel that they have that power as well, to give life, and it's not something that they just owe to their mother. So of course you reflect differently ... Because the mother-daughter relationship is very complex." However, she declined to expand on the pair's complex relationship.
In a joint interview with Madame Figaro in 2020, mom and daughter opened up about their bond. In particular, Charlotte reflected on the legacy left by Grace Kelly, and how her appreciation of her grandmother led to greater admiration for her own mother. "The relationship between a mother and a daughter is a complex thing," Charlotte said, "the mother occupies an all-powerful place, even when she is loving and tender... When I watch films of my grandmother, I see in her your grace, your requirement, your discipline and your mystery too" (via Tatler).
Charlotte Casiraghi developed a love of high fashion from her mother
Grace Kelly's grandchildren live extremely lavish lives, with Charlotte Casiraghi, in particular, having a penchant for high fashion. She owes her love of haute couture to her mom, Princess Caroline, who is renowned for her iconic fashion moments. Caroline was close friends with Karl Lagerfeld, the late Chanel creative director, who became something of a mentor to Charlotte when she was growing up. It came as little surprise, then, when Charlotte was announced as Chanel's new brand ambassador in 2020. "It's almost as if I was born with Chanel," she said, per Harper's Bazaar. "I think of photos of my mom, when she was pregnant with me. Wonderful photos by Karl Lagerfeld, with her wearing Chanel."
While many royals have borrowed clothes from their mom's closet, Charlotte is particularly fond of channeling her mother's style in her own unique way. When she wed Dimitri Rassam in 2019, she wore a 1970s-style dress that closely resembled the gown her mom wore when she married her first husband, Philippe Junot, in 1978.
Mom and daughter have also showcased their love of fashion together, appearing arm in arm at glitzy galas. In 2019, Caroline and Charlotte paid homage to Lagerfeld at the Karl For Ever tribute, where they sported coordinating monochromatic Chanel ensembles. They once again had a coordinating Chanel moment in 2023, attending the AMADE Anniversary Dinner in Monte Carlo and, naturally, both wearing gowns by the famous French fashion house.
Charlotte Casiraghi has praised her mom for being a strong female role model
Having suffered considerable tragedy at a young age, Charlotte Casiraghi looked to her mother for inspiration. While Princess Caroline grew up in an era that sought to stifle female self-expression, she always ensured that she instilled strong feminist ideals in her daughter. "I belong to a generation where the question was lively," she told Madame Figaro of her feminist awakening (via Tatler). "However, I remember my mother telling me in good faith, 'You don't need to go to school.' I also remember a university professor who told me with incredible cruelty: 'You are taking the place of a deserving student.'" Charlotte agreed with her mom's denunciation of sexist societal expectations, noting that women's struggles often transcend class structures.
In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Charlotte acknowledged that her mother was constrained by her gender while growing up in the '60s and '70s. Subsequently, she praised Caroline for forging a path in life on her own terms, a lesson that has resonated strongly. "A lot of women in my family — my mother, my grandmother, my great-grandmother — were extremely daring women who did not pursue the life that was expected from them," she said. "That inspired me to pursue different passions."
Princess Caroline is active in her grandchildren's lives
Princess Caroline is a grandmother savoring every moment with her beautiful brood. Testament to her special bond with her daughter, Caroline is also super close with Charlotte Casiraghi's two children. In 2021, Charlotte and her eldest son, Raphaël, joined Caroline at the 15th Monte-Carlo International Show Jumping. Caroline could be seen making affectionate gestures towards her grandson as the royals smiled for the cameras. Later that year, Caroline and Raphaël were spotted posing closely together during the Monaco National Day Celebrations.
According to her brother Prince Albert, Caroline enjoys taking an active role in her grandchildren's lives — a role that's incredibly dear to the princess considering her personal tragedy. "She's a very good mother, and probably an even better grandmother now if that's possible," the prince told People. "She really raised her kids well. Without a father for many years, that's important. I'm incredibly proud of her children and to have them turn out as they have — that's a tribute to her."
Charlotte Casiraghi is fiercely protective of her and her mother's privacy
Princess Caroline and Charlotte Casiraghi are both incredibly private people. In 2012, mother and daughter took their fight for privacy to the courts, alleging that the paparazzi had intruded into their lives to an unreasonable extent. The privacy complaint was ultimately rejected, however. Speaking to Vanity Fair France in 2016, Charlotte lamented the extent of intrusion into her life. "I find it unacceptable that they take over my private life," she said (via Monaco Life). "That I can be observed at any time, my private life scrutinized. It's a breach of my personal freedom."
This fierce protection of Charlotte's own privacy also extends to a strong desire to protect the sanctity of her relationship with her mom — hence her decision to not delve too deeply into the pair's relationship. "I try not to speak about my very private relationship with my mother," she told Town & Country, "and I don't necessarily want to reveal everything that's going on between us, but it's always ambivalent. I feel that even when you have your own kids, you're still struggling to have your own space."
Following in her mother's life lessons, Charlotte has also fought to give her own children, Balthazar and Raphaël, private and relatively normal lives. "I would say the typical day is not that exciting or different from many moms," she added in her chat with Town & Country.