Uitvaart Prins Rainier

elmabruin · Royal lover

Uitvaart Prins Rainier

elmabruin · Royal lover

Hoge gasten arriveren op paleis voor uitvaart Rainier
MONACO - In het paleis in Monaco arriveren vrijdagochtend talrijke leden van Europese vorstenhuizen en regeringsleiders om de overleden vorst Rainier III van Monaco de laatste eer te bewijzen. Om twaalf uur begint de uitvaartplechtigheid in de kathedraal

elmabruin · Royal lover

Prins Rainier van Monaco begraven

Tien carabinieri dragen de kist van prins Rainier

Monarchen en staatsleiders van over de hele wereld hebben in de kathedraal van Monaco afscheid genomen van prins Rainier III.

Aartsbisschop Bernard Barsi loofde in zijn preek de nauwe banden die Rainer met zijn volk onderhield tijdens zijn 56 jaren durend regentschap. Met ernstige gezichten volgden troonopvolger Albert II, de prinsessen Caroline en Stephanie en hun kinderen de ceremonie. Carolines echtgenoot, prins Ernst August von Hannover, moest wegens een ontsteking van de alvleesklier in het ziekenhuis blijven.

"Wij voelen ons nu verweesd"
Bij de begrafenisplechtigheid stonden naast de aartsbisschop van Monaco vier andere bisschoppen en aartsbisschoppen. Ook de pauselijke nuntius van Frankrijk, Fortunato Baldelli, was aanwezig. "Voor ons allemaal was de vorst zonder twijfel de soeverein van de staat, maar ook een vriend, een lid van onze familie", zei de aartsbisschop. "Wij voelen ons nu verweesd".

Hij bracht Rainiers inzet tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog voor de bevrijding van Frankrijk in herinnering, maar ook zijn hardnekkige ijver voor de onafhankelijkheid van het prinsdom.

De uitvaart werd bijgewoond door koning Albert II, de Zweedse koning Carl XVI Gustaf en koningin Silvia, de Noorse koningin Sonja en de Spaanse vorst Juan Carlos. Prins Andrew vertegenwoordigde het Britse koningshuis. Frankrijk had president Jacques Chirac gestuurd.

36 kanonschoten
Het anders zo levendige Monaco zag er uitgestorven uit. Het begin van de plechtigheid werd kort na het middaguur aangekondigd door 36 kanonschoten. Van de erehof van het paleis trok de rouwstoet naar de kathedraal. De met de Monegaskische vlag bedekte kist werd gedragen door tien carabinieri en begeleid door evenveel geestelijken.

Daarachter volgden de duidelijk aangeslagen kinderen Albert, Caroline en Stephanie. De rouwkapel speelde op verzoek van Caroline een treurmars van Ludwig van Beethoven.

Rainier stierf op 6 april na een wekenlange doodsstrijd op 81-jarige leeftijd in het ziekenhuis.

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elmabruin · Royal lover

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elmabruin · Royal lover

Guestlist of the funeral of SAS Rainier III Prince Souverain de Monaco

Guests - Family

SAS Prince Albert II de Monaco

IKH Prinzessin von Hannover
Andrea Casiraghi
Charlotte Casiraghi
Pierre Casiraghi

SAS Princesse Stéphanie de Monaco

SAS Princesse Antoinette de Monaco
Baronne Elizabeth-Anne de Massy
probably her children

Guests - Royalty and Nobility

HH Princess Zahra Aga Khan
her husband

SKH Erbprinz Bernhard von Baden
IKH Erbprinzessin Stephanie von Baden

SKH Herzog Franz von Bayern
SKH Prinz Leopold von Bayern
IKH Prinzessin Ursula von Bayern

SM Roi Albert II des Belges

HKH Prins Joachim til Danmark

SAR Principe Carlo di Borbone-Delle Due Sicilie
SAR Principessa Camilla di Borbone-Delle Due Sicilie

HRH Prince Kardam of Bulgaria, Prince of Tirnovo

HRH Princess Ferial of Egypt

SM Rey Don Juan Carlos I de España

SAR Comte de Paris
SAR Comtesse de Paris (walking on crutches)

SD Fürst Heinrich zu Fürstenberg
SD Erbprinz zu Fürstenberg
ID Prinzessin Ira zu Fürstenberg

SKH Prinz Ernst August jr. von Hannover
SKH Prinz Christian von Hannover

HM King Konstantinos II of the Hellenes
HRH Prince Michael of Greece and Denmark
Marina Karella

SAR Principe Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia
SAR Principessa Marina di Savoia
SAR Principe Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia
SAR Principessa Clotilde di Savoia
SAR Principessa Maria Gabrielle di Savoia

Farah Diba
one of her sons

HIH Prince Hitachi of Japan
HIH Princess Hanako of Japan

HRH Prince Faisal of Jordan
his wife

SD Fürst Andreas zu Leiningen
his wife

SD Erbprinz Alois von und zu Liechtenstein
ID Prinzessin Isabelle von und zu Liechtenstein

SAR Grand-Duc Henri de Luxembourg
SAR Grande-Duchesse Maria Teresa de Luxembourg

HRH Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco

ZKH Prins Willem-Alexander der Nederlanden, Prins van Oranje

HM Dronning Sonja av Norge

SK & KH Karl Kaiserlicher Prinz und Erzherzog von Österreich

SAR Duque de Braganca
SAR Duquesa de Braganca

HM Carl XVI Gustaf Sveriges Konung
HM Silvia Sveriges Drottning

ID Prinzessin Maria Theresia von Thurn und Taxis

HRH The Duke of York

SKH Herzog Eberhard von Württemberg
IKH Herzogin Sophie von Württemberg (not sure, could be her, but is much slimmer)

HRH Crown Prince Aleksandr of Yugoslavia
HRH Crown Princess Catarina of Yugoslavia
HRH Prince Serge of Yugoslavia
HRH Princess Eleonore of Yugoslavia

Guests - Diplomacy and Politics

M. Jacques Chirac, French President
Mme Jacques Chirac

Hans Martin Bury, German Staatsminister

Steffen Gam, Danish consul general

Georg Weiler, Austrian Generalkonsul

Guests - Others

Karl Lagerfeld

Rolf Sachs
Maryam Sachs

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elmabruin · Royal lover

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elmabruin · Royal lover

With all the pomp and ceremony befitting one of the world's longest-reigning monarchs, Monegasque ruler Prince Rainier began his final journey on Friday, in a sombre funeral procession which made its way from the Palace to Monaco's cathedral.

On Friday morning, the coffin, draped in the principality's flag and carried by ten members of the royal guard, emerged from behind blue curtains hung from the palace doors. Lining the courtyard of the 13th-century castle, scores of Palace staff dressed in black and bearing single roses waited to pay their last respects to the prince.

Behind the casket, Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie stood on either side of their brother Prince Albert as they slowly walked the 300 metres to the Cathedral. Albert and his visibly distraught sisters, in black with their hair covered by lace mantillas, were followed by Caroline's elder children, Andrea, Charlotte and Pierre. And, in a poignant gesture, Rainier's beloved dog Odin, who was a gift on the 50th year of the sovereign's reign, also formed a part of the procession.

Accompanied by a solemn drumbeat and music – including Beethoven's Funeral March, chosen by Princess Caroline – the cortege made its way down narrow cobblestone streets while hundreds of Monegasques, also in dark funeral wear, looked on. Thirty-six cannon shots also rang out in the silent principality, which had shut down completely on this day of official mourning.

In a hugely poignant gesture Rainier's dog Odin, limping slightly, followed his master on his final journey from the Palace to Monaco Cathedral

-- Edited by elmabruin at 11:19, 2005-04-18

elmabruin · Royal lover

Prince Rainier Remembered In Princess Grace's Childhood Church Prince, Princess Visited Philadelphia Often PHILADELPHIA -- Prince Rainier of Monaco was buried Friday in his homeland, and he was also memorialized in Philadelphia, where his wife, Princess Grace, was born and raised.

The prince died last week after struggling with a failing heart for years. Rainier was laid to rest next to his wife in the same cathedral where they were married nearly 50 years ago.

Rainier Wedding

Rainier is survived by his son, Prince Albert, and his daughters, Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie.

In Philadelphia, friends and family of Grace Kelly gathered in her childhood parish church in the East Falls area of the city. In the church where Kelly was baptized, St. Bridget Church, Rainier was remembered as if he were a native son.

"He did do a marvelous job with Monaco and he and Grace just had a great time. Unfortunately, it was too short," said Lizanne Levine, Princess Grace's sister.

FeedRoom

Philly Relatives Remember Prince

Some of the parishioners met the royal couple on their frequent visits to Philadelphia.

"What impressed me the most about them was that they mingled with the parishioners, sat in the same pews. There was no entourage with them. They came just like everyone else," said Jane Lally, a parishioner at St. Bridget Church.

Rainier guided Monaco through the 20th century with his wife at his side until she died in a car accident in 1982.

His nephew, J.B. Kelly, said the church's memorial is not only a chance to mourn Rainier, but also to celebrate a great leader, man and uncle.

"I think a lot of people recognize his greatness as a prince and what a marvelous job he did and he was a stern master of that, but the part I remember is him making silly faces at us when we were kids to get us to laugh," Kelly said.

Kelly said he spoke recently with his cousin, Prince Albert. He said the prince is handling his father's death pretty well and is concentrating on taking over the throne.

-- Edited by elmabruin at 11:20, 2005-04-18

elmabruin · Royal lover

When Princess Caroline of Monaco stood behind her father's coffin during Prince Rainier's funeral cortege, the image of the distraught princess, head bowed, hair covered in black lace, was sadly familiar.

Caroline, in many ways the first lady of Monaco, was grieving for her family before the eyes of the world for the third time in her young life. Not only had she lost her mother, Princess Grace, in a tragic car crash more than 20 years previously, she'd also been widowed aged 33, when her glamorous young husband, Stefano Casiraghi – father to her elder children, Andrea, Charlotte and Pierre – was killed in a 1990 speed boat accident.

Wiping tears away as she said goodbye to her father on Friday, Caroline was undoubtedly also thinking about her husband Prince Ernst-August of Hanover, who has remained in hospital, gravely ill, since the day before Prince Rainier's death. The two events happening so closely to each other marked yet another unfortunate – and unfathomable – blow for the princess.

While the picture of a bereaved Caroline is almost iconic, the sight of Prince Rainier's youngest daughter, Princess Stephanie, mourning with her siblings was a rare one. Unlike Caroline, she did not say publicly goodbye to her mother, Princess Grace, years ago. Seriously injured from the car accident which took Grace's life, Rainier's youngest daughter was still in hospital at the time her mother was laid to rest.

The so-called wild child of the Grimaldi clan – who has reportedly been at odds with her elder sister for some time – has remained out of the public eye since her father's death, and according to sources, has been inconsolable behind palace walls.

Hardly looking at each other, and physically separated by their stoic brother Prince Albert, the suffering sisters seemed painfully, but characteristically, distant at Prince Rainier's funeral. As the Grimaldi saga continues, only time will tell if their father's death will serve to unify them, if only in grief.