Monaco & Japan: The Story Of Two Extraordinary Royal Families

00:00:13 Monaco: House of Grimaldi - Monaco’s House of Grimaldi is the ruling house of Monaco with a steady 700-year history. In this episode, we cover how this once quiet monarchy shot onto the international stage with the 1950s fairytale union of Prince Rainier III and glamorous American movie star, Grace Kelly. Shaking up the monarchy and attracting huge amounts of fame and attention, their lives would now be lived in the blinding glare of paparazzi. But how would power, wealth and romance lead ultimately to tragedy for the Grimaldi family? 00:25:03 Japan: Heisei Era - In this episode you are invited to take a fascinating and rare look into the concealed lives of Japan’s royals, the oldest hereditary monarchy in the world. Centred on a private island in Tokyo divided from the rest of the city by moat, sits the Imperial Palace, official home to the Japanese royal family. A once secretive monarchy, this shield has begun slowly eroding as Akihito, former Emperor of Japan and his son and current Emperor