A brief history

The Fondation Princesse Grace de Monaco was initially founded in 1964 by H.S.H. Princess Grace to support local craftsmen and women. The organization soon went on to sponsoring students wishing to embrace a career in culture and the arts.

In 1983, after the death of Her mother, Princess Caroline became President of the Foundation's Board of Trustees while Prince Albert assumed the functions of Vice-President. The Princess added a humanitarian component to the Foundation's mission, providing support to disabled children.

Medical activities

The welfare of children is a very high priority for The Princess of Hanover, and so the Fondation Princesse Grace financially supports four medical laboratories specializing in childhood diseases and working on various projects including:

Research into the human immune system to open the way to different forms of vaccination for young children (Necker Hospital in Paris) • Research into the development and protection of fetal, new born and children's brains at the Debré Hospital, leading to new medication and treatments for dyslexia, epilepsy and the protection of premature babies' brains • Research into biological mechanisms of the blood cells that protect the body from cancer and leukemia at a laboratory attached to the University of Marseille.

In addition to sponsoring research, the Foundation's activities in the medical field around the world also include:

• Sponsoring of families with financial difficulties to allow them to remain together during the child's hospitalization at nearly 40 French hospitals;
  
  
• Purchase of medical equipment for children hospitals;
  
  
• Contribution towards hospital expenses of several children;
  
  
• Allocation of special funds to organize cultural and entertainment activities for hospitalized children;
  
  
• Financing of housing near hospitals for parents with children hospitalized over a long period of time;
  
  
• Purchase of equipment for families with a disabled child at home;
  
  
• Support training for midwives in a nursing school in Algeria;
  
  
• Financing of 30 trips from Africa and Asia for children to be treated in Europe.

Cultural activities

The Foundation maintains three permanent activities:

• The Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance, under the direction of Marika Besobrasova for more than 25 years, provides gifted young dancers with the highest quality of training and a solid general education. The annual gala raises funds for the John Gilpin grant presented each year to a young dancer. Among its other contributions, the Fondation Princesse Grace provides the funds for "Casa Mia", the building that houses the Academy.
  
  
• The Princess Grace Irish Library was established in 1984 by H.S.H. Princess Caroline at the request of Her father Prince Rainier III in memory of Princess Grace and to hold the collection of rare books and music sheets She had gathered. The Library's goal is to promote Irish culture through conferences, readings, lectures and events.
  
  
• The Boutiques du Rocher are two shops through which local craftsmen and women sell their traditional hand-made wares. The Boutiques' income is assigned to help children in hospitals. The Foundation covers all their expenses.

Other activities include grants to students of the Prince Rainier III Academy of Music; sponsoring of "Première Rampe", the children's circus acts festival; financing of the artwork transportation for young artists entered in the Prince Pierre Foundation "Contemporary Art Grand Prize"; summer grants to the Aspen Music School; sponsoring of new ballets for Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo; grants and coverage of travel expenses for young dancers selected by the Monaco Dance Forum.