Prince Albert takes over

2005-03-31 19:34

Monaco - Prince Albert has taken over the royal powers of Monaco because his ailing father is unable to exercise his royal functions, the palace said on Thursday.

The announcement was made in a brief statement from the royal palace, which gave no updates on the health of the 81-year-old Prince Rainier III. He was hospitalised in intensive care and being treated for breathing, kidney and heart problems.

A royal commission, the Council of the Crown, decided that it was difficult for Rainier to "exercise his high functions", the statement from the palace said.

"From now, the regency is assured by His Serene Highness Prince Albert," the statement said.

A palace spokesperson said a recovered Rainier could take back the royal powers.

Albert, 47, is the only son of Rainier and his late wife, the former American actress Grace Kelly. Albert has been groomed for decades to reign in this tiny Riviera principality run by his family - the Grimaldis - for seven centuries.

Albert, a shy, passionate sportsman often viewed as a reluctant heir, has remained unmarried and childless, causing such concern that the constitution was revised to ensure the continuation of the dynasty, through his sisters.

Stable, but fragile

Rainier, Europe's longest-serving monarch, was in intensive care for a ninth straight day on Thursday. Doctors planned to issue their next update on his health on Friday.

The last statement from his three doctors, on Wednesday, said the prince remained in stable condition, thanks to kidney dialysis and other treatment. The brief statement said the next update would come in 48 hours, an unusual move after nearly daily reports on his condition.

On Tuesday, the doctors said the prognosis for Rainier was "extremely guarded", and that he remained in a very fragile state of health.

The prince, who has had bouts of illness for several years, was hospitalised on March 7 with a chest infection. The palace announced March 22 that he had been transferred to intensive care when his health took a sharp downturn. Doctors said he suffered heart and kidney failure and that he had been placed on a respirator to breathe.

- AP