The Evolution Of Prince Albert Of Monaco's Complicated Bromance With Donald Trump

Prince Albert of Monaco knows a thing or two about politics. As the sovereign ruler of the Monégasque principality, Albert always has to be on the forefront of situations ranging from internal negotiations to international diplomacy. He prepared for his role at the prestigious Amherst College in Massachusetts, where he earned a degree in political science. Looking back at his time at school, Albert once told The Amherst Student, "My education has taught me to think on my feet and to think outside of the box. This is incredibly necessary in our day and age for any position of responsibility no matter what you do in life — but especially if you're in a position of responsibility like I am."

This quick thinking is perhaps best exhibited by Albert's ever-evolving relationship with the U.S. president, Donald Trump. Over the years, Albert has adopted wildly different approaches to his association with the American politician. When Trump first ran for office in 2016, Albert seemed vehemently opposed to his candidacy. However, as time went on, the prince's attitude changed. Although Albert has spoken out against Trump's policies on various occasions, he has managed to forge what appears to be a pleasant working relationship with the president. Seeing as the two men have even attended sporting events together, some may even say they have developed a "bromance."

When Donald Trump first ran for office in 2016, Prince Albert of Monaco was not particularly pleased. As a passionate environmental activist, Albert had dedicated thousands of hours to combatting climate change. He had even created the Prince Albert of Monaco Foundation to raise funds for environmental causes — such as the restoration of coral reefs, the study of polar environments, and the organization of academic conferences on pollution. 

It perhaps goes without saying that Albert's approach to the environment stood in stark contrast to Trump's. During the 2016 Republican primary debate, Trump proposed eliminating the U.S.'s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stating, "Environmental protection — we waste all of this money" (via The Guardian). These statements left Albert aghast. 

For the prince, speaking out against Trump's environmental proposals was no simple affair. As the son of the American actor Grace Kelly, Albert had strong ties to the United States. Nonetheless, he was also Monaco's head of state — and needed to take a diplomatic approach toward the American election cycle. Ultimately, Albert's disagreements with Trump won out. In October 2016 — just days before the election — Albert sat down with People to voice his opinion on Trump's environmental policies. "I was pretty shocked when I heard his climate change denial. It's dangerous to have someone like this running for office, someone who can have people believing it's all a conspiracy," he said, per Hello Monaco.

Just because Prince Albert was originally opposed to Donald Trump's candidacy does not mean he did not support other American politicians. By the time Trump first ran for president in 2016, Albert already had a long history of working with prominent Democrats. During President Barack Obama's administration, Albert collaborated with former Secretary of State John Kerry to work on environmental protectionism. 

In June 2014, Albert and Kerry made a joint appearance at the United States Department of State — where the American government was hosting the first-ever Our Ocean Conference. At the event, the two men spoke about the importance of combatting ocean acidification. In his speech, Albert emphasized the importance of his partnership with Kerry, stating, "I know that these are concerns that we share and that we need to see put on the international agenda" (via YouTube).

This was not the last time that Albert showed his ties to the Democratic party. Later that same year, Albert's wife, Princess Charlene, collaborated with other famous Democrats to announce her own charitable foundation. With the support of former president Bill Clinton, Charlene launched the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation — which seeks to prevent drownings — at the 10th Annual Clinton Initiative Meeting. These ties suggest that Prince Albert and Princess Charlene have historically found it easy to work with politicians from the Democratic Party — perhaps explaining Albert's initial hesitation toward working alongside Trump.

Although Prince Albert may not have been originally keen on working with Donald Trump, he eventually changed his tune. When Trump won the 2016 election, Albert decided to remain open-minded to the American politician. He even wrote Trump a letter of congratulations, which was later published in Hello Monaco. In the letter, Albert stressed Monaco's strong history of collaboration with the United States, writing, "I have no doubt that the warm relationship that has existed between our two countries over the years will continue to grow and strengthen."

Despite these warm words, it seemed that Albert continued to nurture some doubts regarding Trump's proposed environmental policies. "I want to believe that you will show your determination in preserving our efforts to lead on environmental protection, in particular, the commitments to fight against climate change, with a special consideration for our oceans," the Prince of Monaco added. This letter shows that Albert wanted to remain hopeful about Trump's commitment to the planet — even as he questioned the American president's intentions.

Almost a year after Donald Trump won the 2016 election, Prince Albert was much less hopeful about the new president's commitment to combatting climate change. In September of that year, Albert sat down with Graham Bensinger to discuss his feelings surrounding the new administration's environmental policies. "I was hoping that the U.S. would still be a significant actor — not only in the fight against climate change — but with help, uh, still lead the effort in keeping our oceans as healthy as possible," Albert said. He went on to label Trump's call for the United States to exit the Paris agreement "a terrible shame."

In the same interview, Albert could not help but compare Trump's administration to previous ones. At one point, he even invoked his previous collaboration with John Kerry, stating, "I was able to attend different conferences where Secretary Kerry was present. And, these were very significant conferences for a better understanding and a better governance of our oceans. And, some great measures came out of these meetings, and so I was hoping that the new administration would still carry on with that effort." In that sense, Trump's choice to de-prioritize the environment only deepened the symbolic distance between Monaco and the United States.

By the time Donald Trump's first term was coming to an end, it seemed that the American president would never forge a relationship with Prince Albert of Monaco. After all, the Monégasque head of state remained outspoken in his opposition to Trump's apparent disinterest in climate change. In December 2020 — mere weeks after Trump lost the presidential election to Joe Biden – Albert shared his personal views on the matter with People. "It was quite a shock that the U.S. and its then-president were willing to pull out of the Paris Agreement," he said. The prince went on to say that any environmental damage sustained during Trump's first presidency was — in his opinion — "reparable."

Interestingly, in that same interview, Albert seemed very supportive of Biden's win. He seemed especially thrilled with the role that John Kerry would play in the Biden administration. "The election shows great new hope for the future. They've already made a great start on important issues. Especially with what's already been said about climate change and with John Kerry's appointment as a special [envoy] on climate issues," Albert gushed. This blatant support for a Democratic administration simply goes to show how deep the rift between Albert and Trump really was at the time.

Climate change was not the only issue that Prince Albert took with Donald Trump's time in the Oval Office. Albert also condemned Trump's potential role in the January 6th attacks on the U.S. Capitol. Speaking to People, Albert shared his opinion that Trump had, indeed, incited violence. "This is not the America I know — the one I partially grew up in, went to school in. President Trump has to be held accountable," the prince said.

In the same interview, Albert described the way that he found out about the attacks. "I was up at our country house, Roc Agel, so as soon as I put on the news before going to bed, there it was — live from the streets of Washington," he said. According to Albert, viewing the images from the U.S. capitol was an intense experience. As someone who had spent an enormous amount of time in the United States, the prince felt that the attack was personal. "It was shock and disbelief and then it kind of quickly turned into disgust, really. But also anger about how this could have happened and how this was fueled by President Trump," Albert said.

This incident market yet another time that Albert could not get behind Trump or his politics. At this point, it seemed that any potential friendship between Trump and Albert was little more than an illusion.

While Donald Trump was running his third bid for presidential office, his relationship with Prince Albert of Monaco started to change. The reason? On July 13, 2024, Trump was speaking at a political rally in Butler, Pennsylvania when a shooter made an attempt on his life. Not long after, another Donald Trump assassination attempt took place on a Florida golf course. These events rattled many defenders of American democratic institutions.

Among those affected by the assassination attempts was none other than Albert. As a former student of political science and current head of state himself, Albert found this act unfathomable. Thus, he decided to write an open letter to President Joe Biden — in which he expressed outrage at the attempt on Trump's life. Per a copy of the letter obtained by the Monaco Tribune, Albert wished Trump nothing but the best. "I was deeply shocked to hear about the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. I wish Mr. Trump a swift and full recovery," he wrote.

Albert then made a point of condemning the shooter's actions. "Political violence is absolutely unacceptable and has no place in our societies. Our hearts and prayers are with the families of the innocent victim and those who have been injured," the prince added. In many ways, these words would pave the way for a more amicable relationship between Albert and Trump.

Just six months after Prince Albert condemned the undemocratic attempts on Donald Trump's life, things between the prince and the president seemed to improve. This was particularly evident when the two men crossed paths at the official re-opening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. The event — which was meant to celebrate the restoration of the cathedral five years after a tragic fire — was attended by big names from across the globe. Prince William, Jill Biden, and Donald Trump's wife Melania Trump, were all present. Albert, however, only seemed to have eyes for the American president.

During the event, Albert and Trump were photographed together several times. In one shot, the two shook hands. In another, they seemed to be laughing over some sort of shared joke. The friendliness of this initial encounter stood in stark contrast to the one-sided sparring emitted by Albert during Trump's first term. It definitely marked an important transition point in the pair's interactions — showing that Albert and Trump might have more in common than what first meets the eye. 

Just two months after Prince Albert and Donald Trump met in Paris, the two were spotted together in the United States. This time, however, the pair were not at an official event. Instead, they appeared to be enjoying themselves at the Super Bowl — where the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles faced off in an exciting game.

Photos of the event show that Albert and Trump snapped a few pictures together with the stadium in the background. During the match, the duo sat just two seats apart. Although some fans were concerned that Melania Trump was missing at the 2025 Super Bowl, it's worth noting that Princess Charlene did not attend either. From what we could see, the president and the prince had a good time on their own.

All in all, Albert's choice to attend the event alongside Trump shows that the duo is perhaps entering into the "bromance" phase of their relationship. Rather than continue any previous feuds, Albert and Trump seem ready to move on and maybe even work together. Will Albert be able to collaborate with Trump on environmental issues? Only time will tell. Regardless, we are excited to see where this friendship goes.