June 1, 2006 - Acknowledges paternity of his daughter, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, born to an American former waitress, Tamara Rotolo.

March 2, 2007 - Presides over the opening ceremony in Paris of International Polar Year, a research program with a focus on the Polar Regions involving 50,000 scientists from 63 countries.

January 28, 2008 -- Is named as one of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) "Champions of the Earth."

April 22 2008 - Receives the UNEP award which recognizes individuals who show extraordinary leadership on environmental issues.

January 5 - 14, 2009 - Completes expedition to the South Pole evaluating climate impact on Antarctica along the way. He is the only head of state to have visited both poles.

June 23, 2010 - The palace announces Prince Albert's engagement to Charlene Wittstock, 32, a former Olympic swimmer and school teacher from South Africa.

July 1, 2011 - Prince Albert marries Charlene Wittstock in a civil wedding ceremony in the Throne room of the Palace of Monaco.

July 2, 2011 - A second wedding, a religious ceremony including Mass, is held in the main courtyard of the Palace of Monaco. The ceremony is broadcast to the 3,500 invited guests that could not fit inside the palace.

About Monaco: Monaco is a sovereign principality, meaning it is ruled by a prince.

It is the second smallest country in the world, after the Vatican. At 2.02 sq km (77 sq miles), Monaco is about half the size of New York's Central Park.

It sits on the French Riviera and is bordered on three sides by France. It is a popular tourist destination, famous for its casino and luxury hotels.

Monaco is also the capital of the principality. The official language is French. The other major languages spoken are English and Italian.

Monegasque, a mixture of the French Provencal and Italian Ligurian dialects, is also spoken there.