James Baquet

Shortly after I was born, an American movie star became a real-world princess. I grew up knowing that Grace Kelly had become Princess Grace of Monaco; recently, another American performer accomplished the same feat, becoming Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, when she married Prince Harry of England in May.

Unlike the Duchess, Princess Grace was married to a ruling monarch, Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Prince Harry is sixth in line for the throne of England.

However, Princess Grace’s fairy tale ended tragically in 1982, when she was killed in a car accident. The prince lived on until 2005, after which his and Princess Grace’s son, Prince Albert II, ascended to the throne.

Monaco is famous for several things. It is one of the world’s smallest countries; only Vatican City is smaller. Its nearly 39,000 people are squeezed into just over 2 square kilometers, making Monaco the world’s most densely-populated country, with over 19,000 people per square kilometer.

Monaco is surrounded on three sides by France, with which it has a complex relationship. The fourth side is the Mediterranean Sea. France, for example, provides defense for Monaco, and — though it is not a full member of the European Union — Monaco uses the Euro as its currency through its French connection.

Another claim to fame is the gambling scene in Monte Carlo, though this no longer has quite the “James Bond” image it used to. When Rainier became prince in 1949, gambling was 95 percent of the principality’s economy. Thanks to his policies, it is now less than 3 percent. Nevertheless, Monaco is still a playground for the rich and the famous. Because it is famed as a tax haven, about 30 percent of its population are millionaires.

Though French is the official language, other languages spoken include Monegasque (essentially an ancient dialect of Italian), modern Italian, Occitan (or langue d’oc, a Romance language spoken in parts of France, Italy and Spain, and closely related to both French and Catalan) and English.

Vocabulary:

Which word above means:

1. seat (real or symbolic) of a king or queen

2. accomplishment, difficult task

3. sadly, in an unhappy way

4. old story, usually involving supernatural beings

5. place with favorable tax laws

6. playing of games of chance

7. went up (to)

8. place where people enjoy themselves

9. distinct variety of a language

10. reason something is famous