L'Etat, C'est

Not only had Princess Grace given birth to a son and heir in March, but Monaco had enjoyed its headiest and gayest season since the war. Yet for His Serene Highness, Prince Rainier III, 35, it was a time of continual vexation. Ever since the new 18-man legislative council took office in January, the prerogatives of Europe's last absolute monarch had come under serious question.

Though Monegasques have talked off and on for years about introducing democratic reforms in their sunny land, which has no income taxes and no military service, the legislative council has never been anything more than a docile advisory body. Then, in February, the councilors unanimously passed a motion of censure against Rainier's French Minister of State, the luxury-loving Henry Soum. Just why they objected to the minister so, they never made quite clear, but they nevertheless demanded that he be fired. The Prince refused. He also rejected a resolution which, though couched in almost obsequious language, was actually a rude reminder that the time had come to get on with a little democracy. The Prince huffily replied: "I will accept no limitation of my powers."

Last week the council denounced a royal decree that had set up a special administrative appeals tribunal, responsible only to the Prince. When the council began taking up constitutional reforms again, Rainier's court minister said he would have to leave. By a unanimous 18-to-0 vote, the council went on into its talk anyway, and the minister stalked out. Then the councilors passed a resolution demanding that women be given the right to vote and to run for the council. This was a particularly nasty blow for the Prince. As all Monaco knows. Princess Grace of the American Kellys had just about persuaded him to push through woman suffrage himself. But any action he might now take would seem to be merely a surrender to the council. Throughout the trying week. Rainier kept stonily silent in his pink palace. After all, Monaco was still Monaco, and royalty had other duties to perform. For one thing, there was the gala $23-a-plate dinner and world film premiere of Kings Go Forth for the benefit of the Monegasque Red Cross. Everyone from Gina Lollobrigida to Frank Sinatra. Noel Coward and Bette Davis was there. At the last moment, however, two of the star attractions, those old-shoe American tourists. Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Truman of Independence, Mo., sent word that they could not make it.

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