True Life Tuesday: Alice Heine

 
Although Grace Kelly is more famous Alice Heine was actually the first American princess of Monaco.

Marie Alice Heine was born in the French Quarter of New Orleans on February 10, 1857. Her father was part of a prominent French banking family. With the start of the Civil War the Heine family returned to France. While there her parents became close to Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie and they actually became Alice's godparents.

Alice married Marie Odet Armand Aimable Chapelle de Jumilhac on February 27, 1875. Together they had a son and a daughter. Unfortunately her husband passed away in 1880 leaving her a young widow with two children.

Alive originally met Albert I of Monaco in 1879. It is said that he was immediately smitten with her. Albert had his marriage annulled on January 3, 1880 and they began a relationship soon afterward. They were married on October 30, 1889. 

While Albert was very interested in oceanography was gone for long stretches of time on sea expeditions Alice took an interest in providing Monaco with culture. She did so by devoting her time to the opera, theater and the ballet. She became infatuated with singer and composer Isidore de Lara and began an affair. Albert became aware of the relationship and struck Alice in front of the audience at Monte Carlo's opera house Salle Garnier. 

Alice and Albert officially separated in 1902 but remained married until his death in 1922. After his death she never remarried and she died in Paris on December 22, 1925. Today her childhood home in New Orleans has been turned into a restaurant named Café Amelie.