They are said to be plagued by a curse that declares "never will a Grimaldi find true happiness in marriage".
And over the decades, Monaco's royal family have endured a series of scandals and tragedies that defy belief.
Catapulted to fame in the Fifties when Prince Rainier III married Oscar-winning actress Grace Kelly, the House of Grimaldi were stunned when the Hollywood star tragically died in a car accident in 1982.
Nearly four decades later, it is now the marriage of her son, Prince Albert II, to former South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock that is grabbing headlines.
Known for his hedonistic years as a playboy prince in the Nineties, Albert, 63, has been forced to admit he fathered two illegitimate children and rumours of discontent have swirled around the ruling leader's marriage.
With Princess Charlene, 43, now absent from Monaco for more than five months amid mysterious health problems, here is how their romance has unfolded.
'Lots of people assume it is an arranged marriage'
Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock, as she was then known, first met in 2000 shortly after the Olympic Games in Sydney.
The talented swimmer came fifth in her event at the Games, and followed it up by winning the 200m backstroke at an event in Monaco.
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Albert himself is a sports fanatic and previously even took part at the Winter Olympics with the principality's bob sled team.
It was at that competition in 2006 that the couple made their first official appearance, with Charlene becoming a permanent resident of Monaco the same year.
Even during their early relationship, rumours swirled about Albert's previous relationships and he was forced to acknowledge the existence of two illegitimate children.
After asking Charlene's dad, Michael, for her hand in marriage, Albert proposed in June 2010 with a pear-cut engagement ring.
Ahead of the marriage, however, it was speculated that the Olympian had got cold feet.
"Lots of people got the impression it was an arranged marriage, it’s true," historian and author Philippe Delorme told the French magazine Madame Figaro this month.
"Albert chose a wife who resembled his mother, and Charlene clearly felt very ill at ease in this Grace Kelly role they wanted her to play.
"As Karl Marx put it: History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce."
In a lavish three-day event that kicked off on June 30, 2011, with a concert by The Eagles, the coupled tied the knot.
Onlookers were concerned at pictures of the bride in tears as her husband-to-be looked on distantly, though Charlene later insisted she was just emotional.
Days after the wedding, French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche alleged that she had tried to flee three times ahead of the big day - including once while trying on her dress and a second time at the Monaco Grand Prix.
The explosive report quotes sources that confirmed an eventual "arrangement was reached between the future bride and groom" - later said to be that Charlene would provide Albert with a legitimate heir before being free to leave.
Palace officials denied the allegations of cold feet, with a spokesperson telling People magazine: "None of this is true, and we think it comes from utter jealousy."
Son of Grace Kelly rocked by love child claims
The couple now have two children - twins Jacques and Gabriella, six - but their time together has been plagued by sensational claims about Albert's other kids.
In 2005, Albert confirmed he was the biological father of Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste, now 18, whose mother was Nicole Coste - a former flight attendant from Togo.
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The following year, a DNA test confirmed he was also dad to Jazmin Grace, now 29 - the daughter of Tamara Rotolo, a US estate agent he met in the south of France.
Neither child is in the line of succession to the Monaco throne as their parents never married.
Last year, Albert was also faced with a paternity suit over a third alleged love child with a Brazilian woman, who gave birth to a daughter in 2005.
A source told Mail Online : "This was before Charlene and Albert were an item, but the latest case covers a time when she was already in love with him.
"Charlene has had a terrible year, with one family crisis after another including Albert going down with coronavirus, and now she’s gearing herself up for this hell."
Earlier this month, Nicole Coste opened up about her son's relationship with Albert.
Alexandre has been welcomed into the royal fold, appearing at Monaco's Rose Ball with the family and enjoying a lavish 18th birthday bash thrown by his dad.
"Albert made a commitment from the start to be present, and to gradually bring his son into his family," she told French magazine Paris Match.
"Very quickly, I was reassured when Princess Stephanie (Albert's sister) became Alexander's godmother. Albert has honoured his promise: things are building well and running their course, which I am delighted with."
However, while insisting her son had a good relationship with his step siblings, the mum-of-three also hinted at tensions with Charlene.
"As for Charlene, this is a subject that I cannot avoid because we are often put in parallel. I don't like being compared. I never advertised myself as an enemy. I am a gentle woman," she said.
"Given our respective ties to the prince, we should have made sure to support each other cordially. In our situation, diplomacy had to prevail. But during the engagement period, I experienced things that alerted and shocked me.
"For example, she changed my son's room, taking advantage of his father's absence to move him to the employee wing. As a mother, I cannot find words to describe these actions."
Concern for princess after months away from family
Last year, Charlene debuted a dramatic half-shaven haircut, which has become increasingly shorter since.
Despite dividing royal fans back home, she insisted her family were all supportive of her 'half-hawk' buzz cut - including her husband once the "surprise wore off".
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“Certainly, of all the members of royal families, I'm probably the one who has tried the most different hairstyles, and I'll continue," she told French magazine Point de Vue.
“The remarks of ‘But what is she doing?’ and ‘But it’s not royal!’ - I know these all too well.
“And I have nothing to say to them, except that we’re in 2021 and that in these times which are so troubling, so difficult, there are other, much more important subjects which deserve our attention.”
Since March, the princess has been in her native South Africa, sparking widespread speculation about her long absence from her husband and children.
The royal has said she is being treated for an ear and throat infection she contracted in May, which has not allowed her to travel.
The stay has mean she missed key events including her 10th wedding anniversary and her children's return to school.
Last month, Albert and the children flew out to South Africa to reunite with Charlene, but images of the couple together "failed to convince the Monegasques [Monaco residents]", insisted Madame Figaro.
Charlene has stated she hoped to return to Monaco in October and earlier this month Albert insisted she was ready to come home.
"She didn't leave Monaco in a huff!" he told People.
"She didn't leave because she was mad at me or at anybody else… She didn't go into exile. It was absolutely just a medical problem which had to be treated.'
Explaining that his wife had planned to travel to South Africa to reassess her foundation's work, he admitted he "probably should have addressed" rumours about their marriage sooner.
"Of course it affects her, of course it affects me," he added. "Misreading events is always detrimental... We're an easy target, easily hit, because we're in the public eye a lot."