Prince Albert of Monaco’s former right-hand man Claude Palmero tells police of ‘secret bachelor pad’ kept hidden from Princess Charlene

Prince Albert II’s former right-hand man has told police how he managed secret “bachelor pads” for him and helped to organise the purchase of a multi-million apartment for one of his lovers.

Claude Palmero has been at the centre of an alleged corruption scandal gripping the principality since his dismissal in 2023.

Palmero was the financial gatekeeper for Prince Albert and previously managed his estimated $1 billion private fortune and assets owned by the principality.

READ MORE: Kate tours new museum with the public in surprise outing

In the latest episode of the saga, transcripts of Palmero’s answers during police questioning earlier this year have been published by French newspaper Le Monde.

He is reported to have told investigators that he managed secret funds and offshore investments for the prince.

READ MORE: Diana’s wedding gown designer on how the royal ‘broke the rules’

Palmero said he was told to find the prince a small apartment for his private use in early 2012.

Months earlier, in July 2011, Prince Albert had married former Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock.

Palmero was also questioned about suspicious money transfers which he claimed were reimbursements for years of undocumented spending on behalf of the prince.

One of the outlays Palmero claimed to have personally absorbed were costs linked to Princess Charlene’s private apartment in Monaco.

He said they were deliberately kept off the books to avoid leaving evidence that she sometimes stayed outside the palace.

Rent for the prince’s bachelor pad in Monaco were also among the other expenses.

READ MORE: ‘Meghan never wanted privacy, she just wanted Instagram’

In 2017, according to Le Monde, Albert “asked him to ‘make sure his bachelor pad was ready’ because he was preparing to go there”.

Palmero said he also helped organised the purchase of a £6.5 million apartment in Knightsbridge, in London, for Nicole Coste, the former airline stewardess with whom the prince had a son, Alexandre, before he was married.

Alexandre also received financial support, according to Palermo.

READ MORE: Inside Monaco’s House of Grimaldi, the principality’s royal family

“So that Charlene wouldn’t find out, [Albert] set up a trust of which I was the trustee, which means a trusted person,” Palmero said.

“You don’t trust a crook or a thief. This undermines his argument.”

He also described money he supplied to Tamara Rotolo, a New York estate agent with whom the prince had a daughter in 1992.

That daughter, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, was allegedly given an apartment in New York and received a quarterly allowance of $88,600.

Palmero is reported to have spoken of his confidential dealings on behalf of the prince in response to claims he helped himself to the sovereign’s funds for his own benefit.

The relationship between Prince Albert and his former financial gatekeeper toured sour following a leak of hacked documents which implicated Palmero in a number of alleged corruption schemes in 2023.

Excerpts from some of those notebooks, published last year by two major newspapers, claimed – among other things – that Princess Charlene had drastically overspent her allowance of €1.5 million (approx. $2.4 million) a year, splashing out on decorating and renovations at the palace and her Corsica holiday villa.

In total, Palmero claimed the princess spent €15 million (approx. $24 million) in her first eight years of marriage to the prince in 2011.

He also claimed Charlene was using “illegal migrants” as staff at the palace, including “illegal” nannies for the twins.

Princess Charlene wears statement diamond necklace to royal ball

In September, 2023, Prince Albert filed a lawsuit against Palmero accusing him of breach of trust and theft, with the charges later expanded to include forgery, use of forged documents and money laundering.

No charges have been laid against Palmero but he later filed countersuits against the ruling family, accusing them of abuse of weakness, attempted extortion and theft.

One complaint against Prince Albert was last week rejected by the European Court of Human Rights.

Prince Albert has denied all the claims made by Palermo and in a statement released by his lawyers said: “The attacks that [Palmero] makes against me and the state and its institutions show his true nature and the little respect … he has for the family and the principality.”

Last weekend Prince Albert and Princess Charlene welcomed French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte in what was the first state visit by a French leader since 1984 to the principality.

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene’s twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, 10, were included in the welcome ceremony at the Prince’s Palace.

In July, Prince Albert will celebrate 20 years as ruler of Monaco.

On July 19, Monegasque citizens will be invited to join Prince Albert and Princess Charlene for a cocktail party near the palace to mark the momentous occasion.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.