The Grimaldi Reaper

His Most Serene Highness Prince Rainier III is a little more serene today, finally succumbing to nearly a decade of lingering health problems at the age of 81. Under his reign, Monaco emerged from a collection of goatherds to become the world’s most glamorous open-air tax shelter, highlighted by Monte Carlo - the Reno of the Mediterranean. After years as a playboy, Rainier engineered the greatest travelogue ever with his storybook wedding to actress Grace Kelly. Since her death in 1982, he has remained single, which has enriched his mystique and standing among his people. The Prince had the second longest current reign among monarchs, and the second-longest reign in the history of Monaco. With Rainier’s death, his son Albert takes the throne, giving Monaco Prince Albert in a can. There has been some concern about succession, as the 49-year-old Albert remains a bachelor. The official line is that he is waiting to find his own Grace, although there is speculation he’s more of a Will man.