Wednesday, January 19, 2011

When Republicanism Came to Monaco

It was on this day in 1793 that the communes of Monaco, Menton and Roquebrune declared themselves a republic having previously declared themselves "free towns" in 1792. Only the previous week the revolutionary clubs had deposed HSH Prince Honore III (who was in France desperately trying to save his estates there from the revolutionary crowd). They were, obviously, following the example of the gang in power in Paris which was working feverishly to tear down the Bourbon monarchy and the Kingdom of France. However, if the new "Republic of Monaco" thought they were going to be close allies and best buddies with the new France (as the Principality of Monaco and the Kingdom of France had been) they were sorely mistaken. Even at the time observers noted how comical the whole act seemed to be.

Three deputies from the Republic of Monaco came to the National Assembly in France to seek the confirmation of the Franco-Monegasque alliance with them. The two articles in the new treaty stated, "There shall be peace and alliance between the French Republic and the Republic of Monaco" and, "The French Republic is delighted to make the acquaintance of the Republic of Monaco". That sounds all nice and friendly but, as Louis XVI or Honore III could have told them, the revolutionary regime was not exactly noted for honesty and fair-dealing. If Monaco thought that by following their republican example they could continue on as they had before only with their own political clique holding power rather than the House of Grimaldi they were very much mistaken. It would not be long (less than a month) before the French Republic decided to annex the whole of Monaco (Menton and Roquebrune included at that time) and the former principality became simply a forgotten little corner of the French Republic, renamed Fort Hercules just so there would be no lingering memories of the past Grimaldi glories of the Principality of Monaco.
Thankfully, although it would take time, this situation was not to be permanent. Like their Bourbon friends the Grimaldis were finally restored to their throne, though unlike the Bourbons they have managed to remain ever since with absolutely no nostalgia for the republican era when independence was lost.

9 comments:

  1. Darn -- if Menton and Roquebrune remained Monaco, then this would have been a bigger principality. Its princely family may then get more recognition in the world of royalty.

    But perhaps part of Monaco's magic and allure is its diminutive size. As small as it is but to offer a continent-size worth of beauty and history makes Monaco what it is.

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  2. Is this portrait a true representation of the palace of Monaco centuries ago?

    It seems to be bigger and more luxurious! There is a beautiful garden in the west and an annex north of it -- not just the rectangular structure that it is now.

    I've read before that the French Revolution has caused a lot of damage to the palace, including the destruction of certain wings and the looting of the art and furniture.

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  3. When Monaco lost Menton and Roquebrune (in a deal worked between Charles III and Napoleon III) it reduced the size of Monaco by 80% -a considerable loss certainly.

    That is pretty accurate and really not that different from how the palace is now, though the angle of view is one we are not used to seeing. It is true that during the revolution the palace was ransacked and later turned into a hospital and officers' quarters for the French occupying forces. Fortunately there was no loss of life or mass killings as in France.

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  4. Does the Princely Family of Monaco receive any income from the titles that they possess?

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  5. That's a negative. The estates were never restored to the family after the revolution. Some of the titles are still used but there is no land that goes with them as in the past.

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  6. Would it have been possible to name Monaco a Kingdom instead of Principality when France became a Republic?

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  7. Not then, no. One good reason being that none of the world powers recognized the French Republic as a legitimate government. There is also the fact that the Grimaldis are not technically a "royal" family and traditionally one is born to royalty, you cannot be raised to it. Today of course Monaco can do whatever it wants. Bahrain I think recently upgraded itself to a kingdom but I could never imagine Monaco doing such a thing. Nothing would change aside from the titles and it would appear very vainglorious.

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  8. It was Charles III whose enthronement restored the principality, is this right? Like you said in a previous comment, he struck a deal with Napoleon III.... Napoleon III had enough problems without the burden of this little Rock? :-) By taking Menton and Roquebrune, Napoleon III secured enough access to the sea and, at the same time, a way to keep a close eye on what the prince of Monaco was up to! He probably made a bit of money from the deal no?

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  9. Not exactly. Monaco was restored after the fall of Napoleon, nominally under Prince Honore IV. However, the protectorate over Monaco was given to Piedmont-Sardinia (the Savoys, later the Royal Family of Italy). The agreement Charles III made with Napoleon was to get Sardinia off their back, cede Menton and Roquebrune to France (rather than Sardinia) and Monaco would be a protectorate of France rather than the Savoys.

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