Prince Albert Says That Mom Grace Kelly “Insisted” on Eating “Virtually Unknown” Dish Over the Holidays

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are preparing for Thanksgiving at their home in California, but in Monaco, there's another royal family with American ties. When Philadelphia-born Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier III of Monaco, she introduced some of her favorite American traditions to the country's royal family—even if one Thanksgiving dish was rarely seen in Monaco at the time.

Prince Albert revealed in a previous interview (via People) that his mom always made sure they had a special Thanksgiving celebration when he was growing up. "We either had a Thanksgiving lunch here at the palace, or we would join the American Club over there on the Riviera or the Monaco/USA Association," he said. "They had Thanksgiving luncheons either at the Hotel de Paris or in another location, and so we would participate in that."

However, the prince shared that turkey was then considered an unusual dish in Monaco. "Turkey wasn't common on European tables," he said. "We had turkey in the '60s and '70s because these organizations which had links with the U.S., of course. But it was virtually unknown in France and there was very little of it."

Despite the rarity of turkey, Princess Grace—who died in a car accident in 1982—was a stickler for holding on to her American tradition. Prince Albert shared that his mother "insisted" on having the dish, adding, "and if we didn't have turkey at the palace for Thanksgiving, we would have it at Christmas time."

Albert now shares 10-year-old twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella with wife Princess Charlene, and he said that he's carried on Princess Grace's traditions with his own kids in an "on and off way."

Prince Albert explained that he does celebrate Thanksgiving, but sometimes "other commitments get in the way, sometimes travel schedules, and so we don't celebrate every year."