Philippe Junot, the French businessman who became Princess Caroline of Monaco’s first husband, has died at the age of 85.
His daughter Victoria confirmed the news through an Instagram post, revealing he died peacefully in Madrid on January 8 with family at his bedside.
In her heartfelt tribute, Victoria described her father’s “long beautiful adventurous life” and his role as a grandfather to three grandchildren, with a fourth on the way.
“To my legendary Papa, oh how we love you,” she wrote. “We will miss you, no adequate words… thank you for all the laughs and the adventures.” Victoria remembered him as “a true gentleman.”
Grace Kelly’s former son-in-law dies aged 85 after controversial Monaco marriage
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Mr Junot’s union with the Monegasque princess proved deeply contentious from the outset.
When their romance began, Caroline was merely 20 years old, whilst the Parisian businessman had already reached 36.
The substantial age difference of 17 years was not the only concern troubling the royal household.
Mr Junot had acquired a reputation as a playboy, which caused considerable alarm within Monaco’s ruling family.
Philippe Junot and Princess Caroline on their wedding day
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Prince Rainier III, Caroline’s father, openly opposed the match, whilst Grace Kelly, her mother, shared her husband’s reservations about their daughter’s choice of partner.
The couple’s disapproval of the relationship would prove well-founded when the marriage ultimately collapsed just two years later.
Prince Rainier and Princess Grace attempted to intervene and derail the romance through various means.
Caroline was dispatched on a cultural expedition to Ecuador, before Princess Grace took her daughter to the isolated Galápagos Islands in what was widely seen as an effort to create distance from Mr Junot and escape both media scrutiny and palace tensions.
Prince Rainier III (second from right), Grace Kelly’s husband, openly opposed the match
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Their efforts proved unsuccessful. The pair wed in a civil ceremony on June 28, 1978, followed by a religious service the next day.
Princess Grace’s former career as a Hollywood actress ensured the Monaco nuptials attracted considerable star power, with Ava Gardner, Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra among the guests.
The marriage dissolved in 1980, though the princess faced a lengthy wait for ecclesiastical recognition of the split.
The Catholic Church did not grant an annulment until 1992, more than a decade after the civil divorce.
The marriage dissolved in 1980, though the princess faced a lengthy wait for ecclesiastical recognition of the split
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Caroline subsequently married Italian businessman Stefano Casiraghi in 1983, with whom she had three children: Andrea, Charlotte and Pierre.
Mr Junot also found love again, marrying Nina Wendelboe-Larsen in 1987. The couple welcomed three children together — Victoria, Isabelle and Alexis — before their separation in 1997.
He later had another daughter, Chloé, with Swedish model Helén Wendel in 2005.