The Monaco Palace, Prince Albert of Monaco's home with his wife Princess Charlene, is absolutely breathtaking – it has a true royal grandeur that only the best photographers can come close to capturing.
In a rarely seen photo from the late 1950s, Prince Albert looks completely unrecognisable alongside his father, Prince Rainier III, his mother, Grace Kelly, and his sister, Princess Caroline.
However, the real star of the show is the backdrop – the unbelievably majestic Monaco Palace, with the depth of the photograph only emphasising the room's sheer enormity.
The Monaco Palace
The incredible palace was first built nearly 900 years ago in 1191 as a Genoese fortress, featuring the Tour Sainte-Marie. Despite being unmistakably medieval in appearance, the tower unfortunately had to be rebuilt in 1894 after an earthquake.
In the middle of the 16th century, the fortress was transformed into a royal palace, and over the next 100 years, art began to flood in – only for most of it to be seized by French revolutionaries in 1793.
© AlamyIt was only when Prince Albert's father, Prince Rainier III, decided to restore the palace that the same impressively royal elegance returned to the property.
Monaco Palace is also filled with centuries-old murals, and the especially luxurious salon des glaces is entirely gilded in gold and lined with crystal chandeliers.
© AlamyNowadays, the state rooms of the palace, in Monaco Rock next to the old town, are open to the public every summer.
The palace's courtyard has also previously been the stage during open-air concerts from the Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Princess Charlene's transformation of the palace
Before her royal wedding, Princess Charlene spoke to Tatler about her life at the palace, which the magazine notably pointed out having an "air of mournful neglect [...], which once symbolised the principality's decadence and theatricality."
© HandoutThe former Olympic swimmer told the publication, sighing: "This place needs a woman's touch. You can tell that a woman hasn't lived here for a while."
"I want to make some big changes to the interiors to modernise things and liven it up," she adds. "I would love to get ready with Albert's sisters before official functions. I want the family to be close. They've always been very supportive to me."
