2 min read
On her 34th birthday, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi reintroduced herself to her Instagram followers. Grimaldi, the daughter of Prince Albert II of Monaco and Tamara Jean Rotolo, a waitress, was publicly acknowledged by her father in June 2006, when she was 14 years old.
“This is the real life Princess Diaries,” she says. “I was born in Palm Springs, California. I was just finishing my last year of school, eighth grade, and about to transition into high school when all of the news broke out. My father is Prince Albert of Monaco, my grandmother is Grace Kelly. Royalty is part of my story, but it’s not everything in my story.” (Grimaldi is not technically royal; she does not have a title, or any claim to the Monegasque throne.)
She talks about singing since she was a child, and working as an actress. “People have tried to define me for years,” Grimaldi continues. “Whether labeled as princess, or love child, or the horrible word of ‘illegitimate,’ I learned that my worth is not up for negotiation.”
Grimaldi announces she’s been working on her debut album. “Who I am, my own voice, what I want to say, and how I want to say it, and I think through my art is the best way to encapsulate that,” she says. “I’m not hiding or feeling ashamed or less than anymore. I’m deciding that I am stepping into my power.”
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Grimaldi has never lived in Monaco, but has a relationship with her father, Prince Albert, and her half-brother, Alexandre Grimaldi. Alexandre said that he and Jazmin often discuss their grandmother Grace Kelly. “I’ve seen a couple of her Hitchcock movies, my favourite being Dial M for Murder. We talk about her a lot, because of the things we’re currently doing—especially Jazmin, as she’s sort of following in our grandmother’s footsteps in Hollywood. We always talk about that and about how she wants to continue her legacy.”
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.