Philippe Junot, a French venture capitalist and the first husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco, the eldest daughter of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace, has passed away. He was 85 years old.
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In a statement on Instagram, Junot’s daughter, Victoria, from his second marriage, confirmed the news. “With an emotional heart, sad to announce the passing of my father,” she revealed. “He departed this side of the world peacefully surrounded by family on Jan 8, 2026, in Madrid after a long, beautiful, adventurous life. A grandfather of 3, almost 4.”
She further stated that she and her family loved her “legendary Papa,” noting, “thank you for all the laughs and the adventures, showing us the *your* world & the inspiration to reach greater heights, thank you for your love which will never leave us. What a privilege to have lived by your side. A true gentlemen that he was.”
Victoria then added, “A difficult chapter to close, but we will continue smiling and living and laughing to the max just as he would want us all to do. Until we meet again.”
She did not reveal the cause of her father’s passing.
Philippe Junot and Princess Caroline Were Married From 1978 to 1980
Philippe Junot and Princess Caroline began dating when she was 20, and he was 36. Caroline’s parents opposed the relationship and even tried to end it by sending Caroline on a cultural tour in Ecuador.
However, despite Princess Caroline’s parents’ actions, the couple were married in a civil ceremony on June 28, 1978. A religious ceremony took place the next day.
Although the duo officially divorced in 1980, Princess Caroline was forced to wait until 1992 for the Catholic Church to annul the marriage. She married Italian businessman Stefano Casiraghi in a 1983 civil union. They had three children, Andrea, Charlotte, and Pierre.
Casiraghi perished in a powerboat racing accident in 1990. Three years later, Pope John Paul II legitimized Princess Caroline and Casiraghi’s religious union.
Princess Caroline married her third husband, Prince Ernst August of Hanover, in 1999. They share one child, Princess Alexandra.
Junot married his second wife, Nina Wendelboe-Larsen, in 1987 and had three children, Victoria, Isabelle, and Alexis. They separated in 1997.
Junot welcomed daughter, Chloé, with Swedish model Helén Wendel in 2005.