HSH Prince Jacques I

One of the more controversial men to hold the title of Prince of Monaco was Jacques Francois Leonor Goyon de Matignon. It will be noticed that his name was not Grimaldi and that would be a hurtful point to many. On October 20, 1715 he married Hereditary Princess Louise-Hippolyte of Monaco, daughter and successor of Sovereign Prince Antoine I after a long and contentious search for a suitable husband. Part of the appeal of Jacques that he was not so well born as to be reluctant to change his name. Unfortunately this would also mean that he would tainted from the start with the image of a social-climber. Still, his own family was fairly prestigious as well coming from one of the oldest families of Brittany. One of his ancestors was the famous Marshal Jacques de Matignon who refused to participate in the notorious Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre.

Many other members of the larger Grimaldi clan were adamantly opposed to the marriage of Louise-Hippolyte and Jacques de Matignon. They argued, not unreasonably, that according to previous accords the Monegasque throne should only pass to a Grimaldi and that by the marriage Jacques would become the effective ruler of the principality and the founder of a new dynasty in all but name. They tried to pursue the matter through legal means but to no avail and thereafter many took to referring to the Monegasque Princely Family as the House of Matignon rather than Grimaldi. Nor was the Princess of Monaco herself happy with her husband whom she viewed, because of all the intrigue surrounding the marriage, with great suspicion, suspecting that he was only using her to advance his own position. Her fears were not unreasonable as Jacques was attracted to the marriage because he would be gaining a principality rather than any real devotion to the Princess and the match was pushed by King Louis XIV of France who wanted to secure French influence over Monaco and he knew that Jacques would be “his man” as it were.

In 1731, with the death of Antoine I, Prince Jacques became “Sovereign Consort” of Monaco and thought of himself as the real ruler of the place and this was another example of what Princess Louise-Hippolyte regarded as her husband assuming more power than was his right and attempting to usurp her legitimate place as Sovereign Princess of Monaco. Nonetheless, throughout their marriage the line of Prince Jacques I was secured by the birth of eight children from 1717 to 1728. When the couple came to the throne the people of Monaco welcomed their Princess but scorned their new Prince who they saw as acting arrogantly and really caring nothing for the people but only about what he could gain from the Principality. Even before assuming the throne he avoided Monaco and preferred to stay with the French court at Versailles enjoying a succession of mistresses. The marriage of Grimaldi and Matignon was not a happy one.

Prince Jacques I was the effective ruler of Monaco, especially after Princess Louise-Hippolyte died of smallpox only eleven months into her reign. With no more opposition Jacques I was able to assume total control of Monaco and was recognized as the Sovereign Prince by the King of France. However, his reign would not be a peaceful one even after the passing of his wife. Her fight was taken up by her sister Princess Margaret d’Isenghien who conspired against Jacques on the grounds that the Monegasque had always been ruled by a Grimaldi and would accept nothing else. To deal with this Prince Jacques appointed the Chevalier de Grimaldi (an illegitimate son of Antoine I) to be Governor of Monaco. Fortunately the Chevalier proved to be a wise administrator and ruled Monaco with great ability for the next 50 years. It was certainly an improvement over Prince Jacques who never showed much interest in Monegasque affairs and was generally unpopular. He preferred the high life of the French court to the business of governing his little Principality. Finally, with public opposition to his rule showing no signs of letting up he left Monaco in May of 1732 and the following year abdicated in favor of his son Prince Honore III. The new Sovereign Prince was barely 14 but with the Chevalier running things the country seemed to be in capable hands with good prospects for the future. Prince Jacques returned to his favored lifestyle in Versailles and Paris where he spent the rest of his life before his death on April 23, 1751. His former residence in Paris, named the Hotel Matignon is today the official residence of the French prime minister.

H.S.H. Princess Louise-Hippolyte

The only woman (so far) to reign over Monaco as Sovereign Princess was Her Serene Highness Louise-Hippolyte the daughter of HSH Prince Antoine I and Princess Marie of Lorraine. Her actual reign was an extremely short one but also extremely important as it is from her line that the current Monegasque Princely Family descends. HSH Princess Louise-Hippolyte was born in Monaco on October 10, 1697 and from fairly early on in life it became clear that there would be no sons for Prince Antoine I and that his eldest daughter would succeed him on the throne of Monaco. Out of six children only Louise-Hippolyte and her sister Princess Margaretha long survived. Practically as soon as Louise-Hippolyte was in her teens the search, and the pressure, was on to find her a suitable husband to secure the future of the Grimaldi monarchy.

By the time Louise-Hippolyte was 15 she was the subject of numerous plots, schemes and intrigues related to her potential marriage as various players tried to engineer an advantage for themselves with the expected future ruler of Monaco. Her father, Prince Antoine, thought it best to find someone who would not be so highly born as to resist giving up his own surname; he was determined that the name of Grimaldi would continue. Finally, the choice for groom-to-be fell on Jacques Francois de Goyon Matignon. The approval of King Louis XIV of France was sought, and received, for the young man to take the name Grimaldi and to rule Monaco jointly with his wife. He was not too high born but still seemed to have excellent credentials. One of his ancestors was the famous Marshal Jacques de Matignon who refused to participate in the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre against his Protestant countrymen. The couple married on October 20, 1715. Louise-Hippolyte was 18 and her husband was almost 26.

Prince Antoine I died in 1731 and he was succeeded by his daughter, HSH Louise-Hippolyte, Sovereign Princess of Monaco. However, she came to the throne traumatized by all of the intrigue surrounding her search for a husband. So much had been made of the search for, not simply a husband, but a Prince of Monaco who was expected to rule and dominate no matter who he was, Princess Louise-Hippolyte was extremely jealous and suspicious of her husband from the outset. She was not wild about the idea of joint rule with her Prince Jacques. As the eldest child of Prince Antoine I she viewed it as her birthright and duty to be Sovereign Princess of Monaco and the one and only reigning monarch. She struggled with her husband over his assuming more power than she felt he was entitled to. Jacques and Louise-Hippolyte had eight children but nonetheless they never really had a happy marriage. The low opinion Princess Louise-Hippolyte had of her husband was not helped by the fact that he paid her little attention and preferred to live a lavish lifestyle at the French court in Versailles with a succession of mistresses.

At the time her father died Princess Louise-Hippolyte left Paris and traveled to Monaco, arriving on April 4, 1731 to a warm welcome of smiling faces and cheering crowds. When Prince Jacques finally pulled himself away from his pleasures at Versailles to go to Monaco he had a far less enthusiastic reception; the people seemingly sharing the point of view of their princess. The Princess herself though they adored as one of their own, the daughter of the monarch who had done so much for them. It is tempting to wonder how things would have worked out between Princess Louise-Hippolyte and Prince Jacques but we will never know. Sadly, after only 11 months the Reigning Princess was stricken with smallpox and died on December 29, 1731. She was succeeded by her husband who took the throne as Sovereign Prince Jacques I of Monaco.

H.S.H. Prince Florestan I

The future Prince Florestan I, eighth Sovereign Prince of Monaco, was born in Paris on October 10, 1785 as Tancrede Florestan Roger Louis Grimaldi to Prince Honore IV of Monaco and Princess Louise d’Aumont Mazarin. An artistic soul he never thought to become sovereign of Monaco and was not prepared for the job. His elder brother, Prince Honore V, seemed to have everything in hand and Florestan followed his dream to perform on the stage and became an actor at the Theatre of the Comic Ambiguity in Paris. On November 27, 1816 he married actress Maria Caroline Gilbert de Lametz at Commercy and the couple eventually had two children; the future Prince Charles III of Monaco and Princess Florestine Gabrielle Antoinette Grimaldi. Florestan was perfectly happy with his artistic pursuits and was not at all interested in becoming the leader of Monaco but, much to his chagrin, his brother Honore V died childless and on October 2, 1841 he became Sovereign Prince of Monaco.

Florestan was not cut out to be an absolute monarch and probably no one was more aware of this than himself. To make matters worse his brother had not left things in the best of shape in Monaco. Honore V had been, in many ways, a strong, astute and practical ruler but he left this mortal coil unpopular and the public felt too heavily taxed and generally dissatisfied with the state of affairs in the Principality and were demanding a greater voice in government. Prince Florestan was also hampered by the fact that his advisors often seemed as indecisive as he was and there was a chronic lack of good suggestions. It is commonly held that the only thing that kept the Monegasque government afloat was the driving force of Princess Maria Caroline. However, Prince Florestan should be given credit for doing his best in a job he neither sought nor was prepared for. He tried to improve education by starting more advanced schools, he tried to alleviate poverty by building poor houses and offering jobs and the Monegasque equivalent of soup kitchens. Nonetheless, people found other things to complain about such as the regulation on teaching standards and the lack of democracy.

To make things worse Monaco was about to face the biggest crisis of their national history since the French Revolution. The liberal chaos of 1848 was sweeping Europe and Monaco was not immune to the disease. As the tremors of revolution grew stronger Prince Florestan felt he had no choice but to turn to the protecting Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia for help. The Sardinian troops would be a double-edged sword however, providing a safeguard against outright revolution but also a loss of independence to the House of Savoy that had long coveted the Principality of Monaco. Indeed, as the popular furor grew louder the Sardinians worked to encourage dissatisfaction and turmoil so as to pave the way for the outright seizure of Monaco for themselves. When King Carlo Alberto of Sardinia gave in to liberal calls for constitutional government this set a dangerous precedent for Monaco as many in the small principality began to advocate for annexation by Sardinia. Agents were quite adept at portraying the Grimaldi monarchy as tyrannical and painting the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia as a liberal savior.

Prince Florestan was anxious to avoid trouble and seemed to be counting the days until he could hand over power to his son, Prince Charles, who was already taking an ever larger role in the government. Prince Florestan was willing to grant constitutional government as well but the two proposed constitutions were rejected particularly by the people of Menton. Prince Florestan floundered from one course of action to another, trying to placate the mob, trying to negotiate with them and Sardinia, changing his mind, rolling back previous decisions and so on. When Sardinian troops under General Gonnet marched in ostensibly to protect Prince Florestan many people turned out to cheer them and King Carlo Alberto. The soldiers and civilians mingled together which was an alarming sight to see and to make matters worse word came that revolution had broken out in Paris.

Encouraged by events in France, which were being emulated across Europe in 1848, the people of Menton and Roquebrune revolted, formed a National Guard, raised the Sardinian flag and called on King Carlo Alberto for protection. The King was more than willing to comply, though annexation was not forthcoming, and the Sardinian troops marched back in. The vote for the annexation of Menton and Roquebrune passed unanimously; fairly convincing evidence that it was fraudulent. The annexation undoubtedly would have happened were it not for the Sardinian defeat at the hands of the Austrians at the battle of Novara in 1849. France was also not interested in Sardinia enlarging herself at the expense of their former protectorate. As a result Menton and Roquebrune were declared free towns which no one seemed to know what to do with or under whose jurisdiction they actually fell. In Monaco it was still hoped that they would remain or wish to rejoin the Principality of Monaco after getting a taste of Sardinian occupation. Prince Charles went to Menton in 1854 hoping to rally support for Monaco and the Grimaldis but although his welcome was initially a warm one the authorities eventually arrested him.

The French stepped in and were able to obtain the release of Hereditary Prince Charles and there was some hope in Monaco that the new leader of France, Napoleon III, might prove to be their savior but Sardinian support for France and Britain in the Crimean War meant that Monaco was left friendless. It was then, with Monaco divided, suffering a heavy financial strain and with roughly eighty percent of her territory in political limbo and under foreign occupation that Prince Florestan died in Paris on June 20, 1856. It was left to his son, Prince Charles III, to deal with the consequences of the many disasters that had befallen Monaco during his reign. Although he was a reluctant and unprepared prince, Florestan had done the best he could to deal with situations that were inflicted on him by forces beyond his control. It is, perhaps, also to his credit that his son Charles III would prove a far more formidable prince.

H.S.H. Prince Honore II

Honore II was the first Grimaldi to officially be titled as “Prince of Monaco”. He was the son of Lord Hercules I of Monaco, who was the brother of Lord Charles II, and Maria Landi. During this period Monaco had fallen within the Spanish sphere of influence which was often heavy-handed and causing considerable discontent among the Monegasque. There had also been numerous attacks and conspiracies against Monaco originating from Provence or the House of Savoy. In 1604 Lord Hercules I was assassinated and Honore II, who was only 6-years-old, became Lord of Monaco. Because of his age he was acted for by his uncle Frederico Landi, Prince of Val di Taro, who was very much a Spanish partisan and the year after Honore’s succession he allowed Monaco to be garrisoned by even more Spanish troops.

The people of Monaco were disarmed, forbidden to carry weapons and young Honore and his two sisters had to relocate to Milan for a time. Needless to say the regent became very unpopular amongst the Monegasque and the ruling Council of Monaco tried to limit Spanish influence but there was little they could do. The Spanish did try to maintain good relations with the young Grimaldi monarch, granting him the Order of the Golden Fleece. They also confirmed the title of Prince for Honore II, which had been used before but simply as a courtesy. Now it was official making Honore II “Prince and Lord of Monaco“. However, these outward displays did not appease the people who were outraged by the abolition of communal prerogatives by the regent Landi. The Spanish also encourage Honore II to mint his own coinage but more or less hinted that he should be content to entertain foreign guests and live a life of idle luxury while they and their supporters ruled Monaco.

Honore II did take the advice of the Spanish -but only to some extent. He made Monaco a haven for poets, artists, musicians and so on. Monaco’s Princely Palace gained a reputation across the civilized world as a center of great culture and learning. The art collection of Prince Honore was one of the most respectable in Europe. However, that sparkling reputation ran headlong into ugly reality in 1631 when a plague swept the tiny country, supposedly spread by some infected linens from La Turbie that had been brought to Monaco for washing. Strict quarantine laws were put into effect, forcing people to remain in their homes and forbidding any congregating and most social interaction. However, some monks finally arrived from Nice and announced that the cause of the disease was nothing fancier than dirt and led practically the whole population to the seaside for a huge, national mass-bath. People brought their clothes and their furniture and washed them as well. Homes were scrubbed and fumigated and a cleansing rain even fell to help matters and as the monks had promised the plague lifted.

Meanwhile, Honore II was planning big changes for Monaco; the most important of which was the desire of the Francophile Honore II to take Monaco out of the grip of Spain and ally with France. The situation was growing increasingly critical. At one point the Spanish troops occupying Monaco asked permission to pillage the Princely Palace they were officially there to protect because their had been in arrears for so long. Working secretly Prince Honore II negotiated the Treaty of Peronne with France’s famous Cardinal Richelieu acting on behalf of King Louis XIII. The treaty stipulated that Monaco become a French protectorate but that the independent status of the Prince should remain and that he be granted compensating lands in France for any potential losses he would suffer in breaking away from Spain. French troops were to garrison Monaco but the officers in charge would be answerable to the Prince of Monaco rather than the French authorities. Most importantly Monegasque independence was to be maintained.

On November 17, 1641 Honore II carried out what was effectively a coup in his own country against the Spanish. He quickly arrested numerous individuals known to be in league with the Spanish and that evening threw a lavish banquet for the Spanish troops and their officers. The soldiers were given generous quantities of liquor to take the fight out of them and then, at a given moment, a canon shot signaled an attack as the Monegasque sprang on the Spanish and French troops came rushing out of their hiding places to overwhelm them and force their surrender. With only 5 killed and 10 wounded the Spanish gave up and Monaco had officially changed camps. Prince Honore II published an official document to the great powers of Europe explaining why he had done what he did and he also returned his Order of the Golden Fleece. As expected the Spanish confiscated all of the Prince’s property in Spain and rescinded all of his privileges and honors but the French would make good the loss.

Part of that compensation was when Louis XIII made Honore II the Duke of Valentinois, Count of Carladez, Baron of Buis and Calvinet as well as the lands and title of St Remy. The monarchs of France and Monaco became so close that in due time King Louis XIV would stand as godfather to Honore II’s grandson who was also named Louis. One of his last tasks was a diplomatic balancing act with the exiled British House of Stuart. The French were natural allies of the Jacobites and Charlotte de Gramont, wife of Honore’s heir Louis of Monaco, was a close friend of the widowed Queen Henrietta Maria. James, Duke of York (later King James II), wanted to assemble a fleet in Monaco for the invasion of England and restoration of the monarchy. The powerful Cardinal Mazarin, however, was anxious to make peace with the Commonwealth of Oliver Cromwell and enlist his help against the Spanish. So, he instructed Honore II to give every courtesy to the Duke of York but not to allow any hostile force to embark from Monaco. Honore did his job well and, though the Stuarts were disappointed, everything worked out to Mazarin’s satisfaction. Prince Honore II died on January 10, 1662 a very popular and successful monarch. He had removed them from being under the heavy hand of Spain and kept the country independent while allied to the powerful French. His cultural achievements and the prestige he gained led him to be known as the “Louis XIV of Monaco”.

H.S.H. Prince Antoine I

Prince Antoine I was the son of Louis I and came to the throne at the age of 40 upon the death of his father in 1701. On June 13, 1688 he had married Marie of Lorraine, daughter of the Comte de Armagnac at Versailles in a marriage that had been arranged by King Louis XIV himself. It would prove to be less than a joyous union and Prince Antoine became so frustrated with her that it was a relief to him when she abandoned him in all but name. She rarely set foot in Monaco but in those days the Reigning Prince himself was often absent as well and Antoine was no different. Like many before him and many who would follow after him on the throne of Monaco. During the War of the Grand Alliance (King William’s War in America) he fought in the German campaign of 1688 with the French army and participated in the great sieges of Mons and Namur. It was only shortly after succeeded to the Monegasque throne that Prince Antoine I was swept up with most of the rest of Europe in the War of the Spanish Succession which his father had hoped but failed to avoid diplomatically.

The Principality of Monaco itself was to become involved eventually when Savoy joined the alliance against France and thus threatened Nice and Monaco in 1705. It was a critical time for Monaco as she was threatened from the sea by the British Royal Navy and from the mountains by Savoyard troops. Prince Antoine wished to rush French troops to La Turbie (the sight of a great victory by Emperor Augustus in Roman times) which was a very strategic position and guarded by a respectable fortress. It was also contested by both Monaco and Savoy. However, the French commander on the Italian front, Marshal de La Feuillade, Duc de Roannais, refused to divert forces to defend La Turbie and instead ordered the fortress destroyed so as to deny it to the enemy. It should be kept in mind that La Feuillade owed his rank solely to family connections, was very young, inexperienced, arrogant and would ultimately prove quite inadequate to the task. Nonetheless, he was in command and his orders were carried out though he even managed to botch the demolition work and only half of the main tower was destroyed in the explosion.

Meanwhile, Prince Antoine worked feverishly to fortify Monaco and it is to his credit that he was able to scrape together the money, men and equipment to strengthen the defenses of his small country. His fortifications can still be seen in Monaco today in the old part of town and visitors can see the plaque marking “Fort Antonius”. Certainly Prince Antoine never would have imagined that the bastions he built would one day be firing canon salutes to American actress coming to marry the Prince of Monaco. Prince Antoine also looked to mother nature to help defend Monaco and some remnants are still around today. In the absence of modern obstructions like barbed wire, Prince Antoine had plants such as aloe, agave and prickly pear cactus planted along the walls to bedevil attacking troops. All of this required no small amount of sacrifice on the part of Prince Antoine since the high living of Louis I had left him with very little money. To build all of these new battlements in Monaco he melted down his own silver and sold the family jewels. However, he was not just concerned with military defense but also the welfare of his people and oversaw the construction of huge underground bunkers for the public in the event of enemy shelling and dug cisterns to hold an ample supply of water in the event of a siege. These improvements continued until 1713 (only a year before the war ended).

By 1713 negotiations for ending the war were already underway and Prince Antoine and all of Monaco was in danger of being sold out by their protecting power; France. During the haggling over the Treaty of Utrecht the Duke of Savoy demanded that the Principality be turned over to him but King Louis XIV protested that he could not simply hand over Monaco as it was an independent country and not his to give or take. However, Monaco did not survive completely unscathed. The continued independence of Monaco and the protectorate with France was maintained but the outlying towns of Menton and Roquebrune were forced to recognize Savoy as their overlord. This would contribute to the longstanding ambiguity over the status of Menton and Roquebrune for some time to come. Prince Antoine was deeply distressed by this but there was very little he could do about it and was at least grateful that Monaco itself remained as it had been. With the crisis of the war over Prince Antoine could turn his attention to problems closer to home, specifically his lack of a male heir.

The marriage with Marie of Lorraine had produced six children but of these only two daughters survived; Princess Louise Hippolyte and Princess Margaretha. With no son attention quickly focused on Princess Louise Hippolyte as the future heir to the throne and even at the age of 15 the matter of her marriage became of the utmost importance to the principality. The only other candidate was Prince Antoine’s brother who was perfectly willing to assume the throne but who could have only been a temporary solution at best as he was a priest. Prince Antoine wished for the name of the Grimaldi family to survive and so for that reason favored his eldest daughter marrying someone who was not so high up the social ladder that he would protest against changing his name and becoming a Grimaldi. There were many schemes and intrigues surrounding the potential marriage of Louise Hippolyte before she was finally engaged to Jacques de Goyon Mantignon, Comte de Thorigny. He was a descendant of the famous Marshal Jacques de Mantignon who had refused to follow his orders to participate in the St Bartholomew’s Day massacre. However, the intrigues surrounding Louise-Hippolyte were to continue even after her marriage.

Prince Antoine also had at least three illegitimate children, one of whom was to become very important for Monaco later which was Antoine Grimaldi, named for his father, but who is better known to history as the Chevalier de Grimaldi who would, in the future, rule Monaco quite capably as Governor-General and regent of Monaco. Prince Antoine had a great deal of problems when it came to his private life as a husband and father but no one could doubt his skill and bravery as a soldier or his abilities as a statesman. In Monaco he was very popular as the people recognized his work to protect them and make their lives better. He was a patron of the arts, supported numerous painters and was passionate about music. Under his rule many great artists, musicians and the like came to Monaco which even then began to have a reputation amongst the states of Europe as a place of refinement and high culture. He died on February 20, 1731 and the tumultuous reign of Princess Louise-Hippolyte began.

H.S.H. Prince Honore IV

Prince Honore IV was born on May 17, 1758 to Prince Honore III and Princess Maria-Caterina de Brignole-Sale. He suffered probably more than any other of his family from the consequences of the French Revolution. He had the misfortune to be in Paris when the Reign of Terror erupted and he was quickly arrested and thrown into prison. His ex-wife, the Duchess Mazarin, was also arrested by with the help of their family doctor managed to escape with their son Prince Florestan and successfully save themselves. For 15 months he wasted away in confinement, growing weaker and in poorer health. On March 21, 1795 his father died and he became Prince Honore IV of Monaco though at the time the monarchy had been abolished and Monaco annexed to the French Republic as Fort Hercules. Even after his release from prison it took seven years of negotiating before the French regime restored some fraction of their income to Honore IV and his brother Prince Joseph.

However, the future looked brighter for the Grimaldis when the radical elements of the revolution were succeeded by the Consulate and finally the first French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte. Prince Joseph was to go on to a relatively high placed and distinguished career in the French Imperial forces and Honore IV could have likely enjoyed similar treatment. Unfortunately, his long confinement had left him so sick and frail that he had to restrict himself to the least amount of activity possible. His son, Prince Honore-Gabriel (born in 1778), was able to join his uncle in the imperial service joining a cavalry regiment at the age of 20 and rising through the ranks to become an officer on the staff of Marshal Grouchy and went on to win many laurels in the French Imperial Army.

When the Napoleonic Wars finally ended Monaco was restored by the Congress of Vienna thanks to Prince Talleyrand. However, as Honore IV was still too ill to assume the government of his principality he appointed his brother Prince Joseph as regent on his behalf. Troubles arose though when Joseph stayed in Paris and left Monaco to be administered by a governor. Prince Honore-Gabriel also protested at his uncle being given the position rather than himself. To avoid further trouble Prince Joseph resigned the post and Honore IV appointed Honore-Gabriel regent. He ruled Monaco for the rest of his life while the nominal Sovereign Prince Honore IV remained in Paris where he died on February 16, 1819.

H.S.H. Prince Honore III

Prince Honore III was born on November 10, 1720 and after coming to the Monegasque throne in 1733 he reigned for nearly 60 years; one of the longest reigns in European history. He came to the throne just after turning 14 when his father, Prince Jacques I, abdicated and so he was acted for be the Chevalier de Grimaldi who ruled quite capably in the minority of the young prince and during his extensive absences. Prince Honore III spent much of his time away on campaign with the Royal French Army fighting the English in the War of the Austrian Succession. He and his brother Prince Charles Maurice, a Knight of Malta, so distinguished themselves at the battle of Fontenoy, a great French victory, that even Voltaire was singing their praises. Honore III was wounded fighting in the French victory at Rocoux. Later, at the battle of Lauffeld he had a horse shot out from under him but earned the Cross of St Louis for his conduct and after the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748 he was given the rank of Marshal of France.

What is interesting is that despite the heroic service of Honore III in the wars, the Principality of Monaco was neutral in the conflict and, administered by the Chevalier de Grimaldi, was assisted both French and English ships in need of help. The Austrians and Sardinians did blockade the Monegasque coast for a time and much of the countryside was pillaged by Croat soldiers of the Austrian army but French forces later cleared the region of all invaders in 1748. In 1757 Honore III married Maria-Caterina di Brignole-Sale who was descended from the Doges of Genoa. This meant a very proud family and the arrival of the bride-to-be in Monaco turned into a disaster as many of the bridal attendants were seasick and the future mother-in-law insisted that Honore III come onboard to greet his fiancé and escort her ashore. However, as a monarch in his own right, Honore III refused as it was considered a breach of protocol for a prince to go to meet someone rather than they being brought to meet him. A stand-off ensued and eventually the Genoese fleet sailed away and stopped farther up the coast before a compromise was negotiated by which the couple would meet in the middle of a bridge extended between ship and shore. Nonetheless, the two were married and in 1768 the future Prince Honore IV was born followed by Prince Joseph some years later.

In 1767 the British Duke of York was sailing from Marseilles to Genoa when he was suddenly taken ill and had to put in at Monaco. Prince Honore III quickly offered all the help he could and put his palace at the disposal of the Prince who died after 11 days in what has forever after been known as the York Room of the Princely Palace. The Duke of Gloucester and King George III were extremely grateful for the care Honore III had given their brother and sent him gifts of horses that had belonged to the Duke of York and invited Honore III to London where he went in 1768 and was received by King George with great honor and ceremony. In 1770 Honore III and Princess Maria-Caterina divorced, not surprising given the character of the pair, and she later married the Prince de Conde in 1798.

In the meantime Honore III did what he could to guide his little principality along, improving trade and the economy which was heavily dependent on growing citrus fruits such as lemons in those days. His reign also saw the establishment of the first printing press in Monaco and the first newspaper the Courrier de Monaco. However, in 1784 the Prince and people of Monaco suffered a terrible loss with the death of the Chevalier de Grimaldi though the reign of Honore III saw the births of a number of famous Monegasque who would go on to great renown in the arts such as Langld, Bosio, Alphonse de Beauchamp and so on. Monaco went through something of an age of flowering and prosperity in the years leading up to great turmoil.

Prince Honore III did take the initiative in pushing for some reforms, the most major of which was the repeal of the law that the Sovereign Prince would receive the inheritance of anyone who died on his property. On August 18, 1770 Honore saw the practice, which he viewed as barbaric, abolished. As France slipped increasingly rapidly toward revolution things in Monaco remained calm and peaceful until the fateful day of July 14, 1789; the date of the storming of the Bastille. The shock spread to Monaco where crowds embraced the Declaration of the Rights of Man, influenced by the rise of republicanism in France as well as some newly introduced nostalgia for the Genoese Republic. At the outset the mob seemed to hold now vehement ill-will against their Prince and were content to allow him to retain his palace and even role as Chief Executive, but he could only consider laws that were passed to him by a democratically elected assembly of the people.

Honore III saw no choice but to allow the major towns of Monaco to form their own assemblies. Since his actual position was not yet being threatened he was more concerned with the loss of his noble titles in France at the hands of the French National Constituent Assembly which was intent on abolishing all aristocratic privileges. However, things were quickly spiraling out of control as the revolutionary elements in Monaco grew increasingly radical and Honore III began issuing restraining edicts against them. Moods began to shift and the public that had viewed the monarchy as rather benign now began to rail against it as despotic and call for the abolition of the Principality. Yet, as things were boiling over in Monaco, Honore III rushed to Paris to try to defend his titles there before the Constituent Assembly.

It may have been a mistake but to the surprise of many Honore III was extremely convincing when dealing with the French revolutionaries. He played on the strain of nationalism then at play by reminding them that his family had been given these titles for their great deeds on the battlefield, fighting in the service of France. His estates were, therefore, not the gift of the King of France alone but payment for services rendered in the cause of French national glory. He struck just the right cord and the Assembly voted a generous pension for the Prince of Monaco in reparation for his confiscated properties. Unfortunately, before the order could be carried out canon were firing in the streets, Danton came to power and the republic was declared. In all the turmoil France lost interest in Monaco and ultimately all Honore was able to gain was a recognition from the republican government of Monegasque neutrality. Unfortunately, that was a promise that would never be respected.

The French Republic declared their expansionist policy at the end of 1792, announcing that wherever their forces marched they would destroy monarchy and impose the French revolutionary model of government. Monaco quickly fell victim to this policy and on January 13, 1793 Prince Honore III was officially declared deposed by the Monegasque National Convention and, like the good little client-state puppets that they were, immediately petitioned France for annexation. Some in France did protest on the grounds that Honore III had always been a loyal friend and ally of the French, but republican hatred of monarchy prevailed and Monaco was absorbed into the French Republic and renamed Fort Hercules.

Seeing which way the wind was blowing Honore III tried to gain the favor of the new masters of France and Monaco by monetary donations and even gifting some of his famous horses for the republican army; but it was to no avail. At the height of the Reign of Terror Honore III was arrested as was his son, Honore IV, who had been in Paris at the time and who would remain imprisoned for 15 months. His ex-wife, former daughter-in-law of Honore III, the Duchess Mazarin was also arrested but she and her son Prince Florestan were saved by their family doctor who managed to arrange their escape and hide them away. Honore III’s other son Prince Joseph and his wife Princess Francoise-Therese had left France fairly early on, leaving their children in the safe custody of some close friends. However, Princess Francoise-Therese found in unbearable to be away from her two daughters and returned to France to see them. She was quickly arrested as a ‘class enemy’ and condemned to death by the revolutionary officials. Her execution was postponed when she announced she was with child. She cut off her hair with a piece of broken glass to give to her children and wrote that she was, “a foreign princess dying through the injustice of French judges”. She was only 26 years old when she was beheaded.

Fortunately for the rest of the family most of the so-called suspects who were arrested were eventually released. Honore III had suffered greatly from his own imprisonment and after his release had to stay in his house on the rue de Varennes as the Princely Palace in Monaco had been confiscated by the revolution though, thankfully, there was no ‘Reign of Terror’ or mass arrests and bloodshed in Monaco. Overcome with sadness, suffering, a number of ailments and the ravages of old age Prince Honore III of Monaco died on March 21, 1795.

H.S.H. Prince Honore V

Prince Honore-Gabriel was born in Paris on May 14, 1778, the eldest son of Prince Honore IV of Monaco and Princess Louise Felicite Victoire d'Aumont, Duchesse de Mazarin et de La Meilleraye. He enlisted in a French cavalry regiment when he was 20 years old and worked his way up through the ranks by his own merits until he became an officer on the staff of Marshal Grouchy. He was an exemplary soldier and was cited for his bravery many times. He was wounded in the arm at the great Napoleonic victory in the battle of Hohenlinden which prevented him from seeing action at Austerlitz. He did, however, serve with great distinction at the battles of Jena with Marshal Murat's cavalry corps. Marshal Grouchy related that the Prince had taken a handfull of cavalry and forced the surrender of an entire enemy battalion, recommending him for the star of the Legion of Honor.

When Napoleon was sent into exile the restored King Louis XVIII of France restored the Grimaldis to their places in the French nobility, however, many were afraid that Monagasque independence would not be or that they would be annexed by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. Thanks to the clever Prince Talleyrand, however, a clause was inserted into the Treaty of Paris to put Monaco back in order. When Napoleon attempted to restore his empire during the 100 days Monaco was occupied by British troops and so the Grimaldis played no part in the affair.

The ailing Honore IV was unable to return to Monaco and so appointed his brother Joseph to rule on his behalf but Honore-Gabriel protested this and after some struggle he was himself appointed to govern Monaco. On his way to Monaco he actually met with his old commander Napoleon as he was on his way to Paris to seize power at the start of the 100 days. Napoleon asked where he was going and Honore-Gabriel said he was going home to Monaco. Napoleon said he was going home to the Tuileries, but as things unfolded he was not to remain there long.

In 1819, with the passing of his father, Honore-Gabriel became the Sovereign Prince of Monaco as Honore V and inherited a principality beset with problems. The Great Powers of Europe had taken Monaco out of the French sphere of influence and made the principality a protectorate of Piedmont-Sardinia. The government in Turin closed the tobacco plant that Honore III had established and enforced a number of other changes that left Monaco impoverished. Honore V went to Turin to try to reason with the King but, although he was treated with great honor and respect, none of his grievances were addressed. Honore V also had to raise taxes considerably which made him increasingly unpopular. His granting of a monopoly on flour caused a bread shortage but no one had the nerve to voice opposition to him. When liberal movements began to oppose the counterrevolutionary tide of post-Napoleonic Europe some in Monaco thought of joining in but Sardinian troops arrived to crush the potential rebellion in its infancy.

History has tended to record Prince Honore V as a very unpopular and autocratic monarch, however, in reality this is quite unfair and in some ways he was quite progressive. He wished to help his people sincerely and had great sympathy for the poor. His reaction to seeing beggars on the streets was to form state-owned industries and put them to work. Some of the industries he set up included a lace factory and a hat factory. He also had them put to work on farm cooperatives as citrus orchirds had long been a large part of the Monegasque economy. All of this has led some people to regard Prince Honore V as a sort of proto-socialist, though he probably would not have seen it that way.

Prince Honore V died, unpopular and unappreciated (quite unjustly) on October 2, 1841 in Paris. As he was not married and had no children the Monegasque throne passed to his poet-actor brother who became Prince Florestan I of Monaco.

H.S.H. Prince Louis II

The predecessor of Prince Rainier III, his grandfather Louis II, occupied the Monegasque throne during one of the most crucial periods in her history. He is generally remembered for the poor state of the principality which he left to his grandson, however, Louis II was a very complex man who faced a number of hardships and had many excellent qualities. He was born Louis Honore Charles Antoine Grimaldi in Baden-Baden, Germany on July 12, 1870 to Prince Albert I of Monaco and Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton. His family life was not to be a very stable one though. His mother was the daughter of the Duke of Hamilton and a Princess of Baden and she met Prince Albert I at a ball hosted by the Emperor and Empress of France and not long after a marriage was arranged with Napoleon III suggesting Mary as a good candidate.

Unfortunately, it was not a good match. The new Princess of Monaco was only 19-years-old but very petulant and condescending. Nothing was ever good enough for her, she hated Monaco, was not impressed with her husband and finally abandoned her adopted homeland. By 1880 the marriage was annulled though an arrangement was made with the Vatican to maintain the legitimacy of young Louis in the eyes of the Church at least. However, Louis had been taken away by his mother and so spent his formative years in Germany with his mother and stepfather. He was eleven years old before he ever saw Prince Albert again when his presence was required in Monaco to begin learning the princely trade. Life in the Princely Palace was not exactly ideal for Prince Louis though.

Prince Albert I had made Monaco something of a European hot-spot and was well known in elite circles for his cultural patronage and interest in such subjects as oceanography, paleontology and archaeology. At home, however, he was rather aloof and distant; not much comfort or companion to his young son and a bit of an autocrat. Louis was restless with this state of affairs and as soon as he came of age he left Monaco and enrolled in the Saint Cyr French military academy. He graduated in four years and, showing considerable courage, volunteered to serve with the Foreign Legion in North Africa. This was to have a profound impact on his life, both in terms of his career (he seemed a natural soldier) and his private life.

While on duty in Algeria Prince Louis met and became enamored with a cabaret singer named Marie Juliette Louvet, a mother of two who had formerly been married to the risqué French photographer Achille Delmaet. In no time at all Louis was head over heels in love and wanted to marry the girl but a previously married, single mother who sang in a cabaret was considered far below the station of the Hereditary Prince of Monaco and Prince Albert I absolutely forbid it. This is where the story becomes a bit murky. Louis later claimed that he disregarded the wishes of his father and married Juliette anyway in 1897 but there is no documentation to back that claim up. When a daughter, Charlotte Louise Juliette, was born a year later in Algeria she was considered illegitimate by French and Monegasque law.

However, if his private life was somewhat scandalous his military service was nothing short of exemplary. Prince Louis served with distinction in the French army for 10 years and earned the Legion of Honor before returning home in 1908, interestingly enough, without his wife and daughter. However, when calamity hit Europe with the outbreak of World War I in August of 1914 Prince Louis rushed to the colors and reenlisted. In that time of crisis he again proved his worth as a skillful and courageous fighting man. He was upgraded to a Grand Officer in the Legion of Honor and was promoted to brigadier general during the conflict winning a great deal of recognition for his leadership and personal bravery. Many other members of his family had seen military service over the centuries but it was widely accepted that none ever proved so great a military figure as Prince Louis. In terms of his chosen profession none could fault him but his personal life was about to come back to haunt him.

Prior to the outbreak of the Great War there was already a great deal of worry over the Monegasque succession to the lack of legitimate issue on the part of Hereditary Prince Louis. As things stood, should anything happen to Louis; which was quite possible given his military service, the throne would pass to his first cousin Duke Wilhelm von Urach, the son of his aunt Princess Florestine of Monaco. Obviously, especially at that crucial time, having a German on the throne of Monaco was the last thing France wanted nor were they willing to tolerate such an eventuality. Therefore, in 1911 a law was passed to recognize the legitimacy of Princess Charlotte, officially making her a recognized member of the Grimaldi family and heir to her father. It was thought this would solve the problem and end the controversy but it was not to be as the law was declared invalid by the 1882 statutes. To get around this another law had to be passed, in 1918, which would allow a Prince of Monaco to adopt an heir to inherit the succession rights. In 1919 Louis adopted his daughter and she officially became Princess Charlotte Louise Juliette Grimaldi of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois.

Oddly enough, in that last year of World War I the Duke of Urach was chosen to be King of Lithuania which the Germans had liberated from Russian rule and for a short time he was nominally King Mindaugas II of Lithuania. That potential throne did not survive the Allied victory and in 1924 Wilhelm formally renounced his rights to the Monegasque throne and passed them to his French cousins, also of the Grimaldi clan, the counts of Chabrillan. Nor was Monaco all alone in this predicament as the French also forced the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg to abdicate for the high crime of being too close to Germany. France also insisted on a treaty with Monaco in 1918 which required the French government to approve of all potential princes of Monaco. It was well that all this was settled as Louis did not have much time to enjoy the peace. On June 27, 1922 Prince Albert I died and his son, the French general, became Reigning Prince Louis II of Monaco.

Although Louis II is often accused of neglecting his principality this is, on the whole, quite unfair. He formed the first Monaco Football Club in 1924 and five years later held the first of the now famous Grand Prix of Monaco. His personality also showed itself in the establishment of the Napoleon Museum attached to the Princely Palace in Monte Carlo where he displayed his impressive collection of artifacts from the French Emperor Napoleon I. He also did his best to see to it that business in Monaco operated smoothly and got rid of Camille Blanc who had long administered the Monte Carlo Casino but who had acquired a very questionable reputation. Prince Louis II also fostered the performing arts, ballet and opera and in 1939 built the Prince Louis II Stadium to hold the World University Games. Things might have gone quite differently for Monaco were it not for the disastrous outbreak of World War II soon after.

This conflict put Louis II in a difficult position. His grandson Rainier (son of his daughter Charlotte and her Franco-Mexican husband Pierre de Polignac) favored the Allies and was quick to join the French army and distinguish himself at the front. However, once France was defeated, Louis II was inclined to support the existing government in Vichy led by his old World War I comrade Marshal Philippe Petain. However, to add another degree of difficulty to things, at this time most of the Monegasque people still considered themselves more Italian than French and many sympathized with Italy and the dynamic leader of that country Benito Mussolini who of course had declared war on France. With France defeated there was little tiny Monaco could do but wait and see, however the divisions of opinion were deep and heartfelt.

In 1943 the Royal Italian Army marched in and occupied Monaco with many of the locals welcoming them. A new government was formed by the Italians along the fascist model but it did not last long as soon Mussolini was dismissed and as the Italian troops pulled out German troops came in to take their place. This really brought the war home to Monaco as never before. The Germans quickly began enforcing their anti-Semitic laws and deported Jews to the concentration camps including the famous Rene Blum who Louis II had previously charged with setting up the Monaco opera. Sadly, he was among the millions of Jews who lost their lives in the Holocaust. But, Prince Louis II was not the sort of man to take this cruelty and meddling laying down. At great risk to himself and his family, whenever he could obtain the necessary information he would secretly dispatch the Monegasque police to warn those about to be arrested by the Gestapo. Nonetheless, Prince Rainier was disgusted with not being able to do more to support the Allies or the Free French forces.

When Monaco was liberated in 1944 she was briefly under Allied administration which included communist representatives who would have liked nothing better than to see the near absolute monarchy of Monaco abolished. However, the old soldier in Louis II rose up and he made it clear that any effort in that direction would be met with all the fight he could muster and all such talk was dropped. At 75 he was still a force to be reckoned with. However, Louis II did seem to lose something with the Second World War and all of the problems that came with it. After 1946 he spent ever more time in Paris and it was on July 24, 1946 in Monaco that Louis II married the former film star Ghislaine Dommanget. They spent their remaining years together mostly at the family estate of Le Marchais near Paris. On May 9, 1949 Sovereign Prince Louis II died in the Princely Palace at Monaco and was buried in the family vault at St Nicholas Cathedral in Monte Carlo. He was succeeded by his grandson Prince Rainier III and his wife became H.S.H. Ghislaine, Dowager Princess of Monaco until her own death on April 30, 1991 in Paris.

H.S.H. Prince Albert I

Today HSH Prince Albert I is often hailed for his adventurous expeditions to the polar regions, scientific and environmental interests, but he is, in fact, simply following the example of one of his predecessors on the Monegasque throne; HSH Prince Albert I. He brought attention to many of the same issues that Prince Albert II is addressing today. He was born Albert Honore Charles Grimaldi on November 13, 1848 in Paris, France to HSH Prince Charles III of Monaco and the Belgian Countess Antoinette de Merode-Westerloo. Throughout his life Albert was to display a fascination with the sea in both military and civilian life as well as an admirable intellectual curiosity. His first experience as a professional sailor was with the Royal Spanish Navy. As with the heir to any monarchy it was never too soon to think about marriage and family and Prince Albert had some powerful figures backing him up in that endeavor.

The main force plotting for a good match for Albert was his grandmother, Princess Maria Caroline Gilbert de Lemetz; wife of the late Prince Florestan I of Monaco. She set her sights fairly high and first hoped for a marriage between her grandson and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, a cousin of HM Queen Victoria of Great Britain. When she met with no success on her own she enlisted the aid of Emperor Louis Napoleon III and Empress Eugenie of France. Perhaps being a bit more realistic the French Emperor assured Princess Caroline that Queen Victoria would never allow one of her cousins to marry a Grimaldi who would not have been considered of sufficiently high status for the British. The Grimaldis being Catholic did not help them in the eyes of Protestant Britain either. Instead, Napoleon pointed the Princess toward the sister of his friend the Duke of Hamilton; Lady Mary Victoria Douglas-Hamilton. While not royalty she was well off, well connected, the daughter of a duke and third cousin to the French emperor. With little regard for the feelings of those involved Princess Caroline forged ahead in arranging the match; already hearing wedding bells for her grandson in her head.

Hereditary Prince Albert met his bride-to-be in August of 1869 at a ball hosted by the French Imperial Couple and by September 21 the two were married and by the next year the Princess had given birth to a son and heir; Louis Honore Charles Antoine Grimaldi. It was to be a pivotal year for Prince Albert as it was little more than a week after the birth of Louis that the Franco-Prussian War broke out and Prince Albert was quick to enlist in the French Imperial Navy where he served with distinction and was awarded the Legion of Honor. Of course, the years of 1870-1871 were disastrous for the French, witnessing their humiliating defeat, the fall of the Second Empire, revolution and the siege of Paris. Prince Albert I left with a lasting horror of war and found little comfort waiting for him at home. His teenage bride was dissatisfied with virtually everything around her. She detested Monaco and felt no great love for her husband either. Not long after Louis was born Princess Mary took her son and abandoned Monaco. A divorce quickly followed and on July 28, 1880 Reigning Prince Charles III ordered the marriage dissolved and an annulment was obtained from the Vatican with the special allowance that the legitimacy of Prince Louis would not be effected so that the succession would not be endangered and he could inherit the throne of Monaco in his turn.

Putting his military career behind him, Albert devoted more time to his longtime fascination with oceanography. This was the area in which he was to have the greatest influence on history as he was extremely gifted in the new field of study and personally developed several new techniques and instruments for measurement and exploration at sea. He studied hard and over time would make Monaco an international center for oceanography. He worked alongside numerous scholars, scientists and assorted leaders in the field and eventually founded the now famous Oceanographic Institute of Monaco with an aquarium, museum, library and research facilities in Paris. Prince Albert went on a number of exploration and study voyages and is credited with discovering the Princess Alice Bank at the Azores in 1896 (Princess Alice was the name of his ship on the voyage). Nor did he devote all of his intellectual curiosity to marine matters. While on land he spent a great deal of time studing the origins of humanity and he founded the "Institute for Human Paleontology" that sponsored a number of archeological expeditions. In 1909 all of his scholarly efforts were recognized by the international community when he was made a member of the prestigious British Academy of Science. By that time, Albert already had an additional new job.

Following the death of his father Charles III in Paris, Albert succeeded to the Monegasque throne on September 10, 1889. Later that year the new reigning Prince Albert foreshadowed the actions of a future Prince of Monaco when he married the American Marie Alice Heine, Dowager Duchess of Richelieu. A German-Jew from New Orleans, the daughter of a building contractor, Marie Heine had married the French Duc d'Richelieu but was widowed by the age of 21 with a young son Armand. The union was as much a success as the Prince's first marriage had been a failure. Princess Alice proved to be good for Albert and good for Monaco as well. With her background she was able to bring a new level of good business sense to the principality that her more scholarly husband found to be of great value. She went to work on the books and greatly strengthened the Monegasque economy which was much more volatile then than it is now. However, she was not entirely concerned with economics and after getting things sorted out on the business front was able to focus more on the traditional role of Monegasque consorts which was the cultural front and adding more style and sophistication to the tiny country. She was a patron of the opera, theater and the ballet which became quite famous under the direction of the Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev. This does not mean that Prince Albert I was a "hands-off" ruler by any means, but his wife was a strong right-arm in his duties.

This made it all the more surprising when this latest marriage did not work out either. People were shocked considering how good for the principality the match had been, however, as the public and royals alike are constantly reminded, marriages are about more than just practicality. In 1902 the princely couple separated but did not divorce and the two never had any children so there was, at least, no complications there. So what was the cause of the separation? As usual we have only gossip to rely on. It was rumored that Princess Alice had been having an affair with the composer Isidore de Lara. Supposedly this led Prince Albert to become so enraged that he slapped his wife in public at the opera one evening. Princess Alice was also rumored to be an exceptionally jealous woman after she banned the courtesan Caroline Otero, better known as "La Belle Otero" from Monaco in 1897 after being seen with her husband with whom she was rumored to be having an on-again-off-again affair with since 1893. If all the rumors can be believed it would seem that neither party was completely blameless in the failure of their marriage. Princess Alice's father tried to get a portion of her large dowry back but to no avail and after the breakup Alice moved to London where she led an active social life, supported many cultural, artistic and humanitarian causes and was famous for her stylish entertaining of numerous famous individuals from writers and painters to future Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Back in Monaco Prince Albert had many pressing concerns to occupy his time.

With political tensions growing in Europe between the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance Monaco faced an uncertain economic future. Prince Albert worked to counter this by encouraging more tourism and trying to improve the public face of his country. In 1911 he founded the Monte Carlo Rally to draw racing fans to Monaco who would, hopefully, spend some time and money in the casino while they were there. He also granted Monaco a constitution that same year but was careful to make sure it did not limit his monarchial authority and in any event it did not last long and was suspended with the outbreak of World War I. That disastrous event was a particularly painful turn of events for Prince Albert. He was a veteran of the French military but also had among his many foreign decorations the Order of the Black Eagle of Prussia (the dominant state in the German Empire). However, his own taste of war and his life experiences had, by 1914, turned Prince Albert into an avowed pacifist. To his credit, unlike other pacifists, Albert did not stop at words and took action to do what he could to try to avert war. He set up the International Institute of Peace in Monaco in the hope that countries would talk through their problems there rather than resorting to military force. He also spoke directly with German Kaiser Wilhelm II to try to dissuade him from taking military action against France but it was, obviously, to no avail.

After the outbreak of World War I Prince Albert was neutral but not totally uninvolved and felt a great deal of sympathy for the people of Belgium and northern France who were suffering under German occupation. Again, he contacted Kaiser Wilhelm II directly to urge him to restrain his forces, particularly General Karl von Bulow, in their treatment of the conquered populace. As a result of his strong actions he was able to save two villages in Alsace from probable annihilation by the German forces. Prince Albert also provided humanitarian relief to the Allied soldiers in the form of hospitals and convalescent centers and his own son, Prince Louis, served in the French army during the war with great courage and heroism, eventually becoming a general. After the war the tourist-based economy of Monaco was in bad shape with little anyone could see to be done to help. With the world calming down the Reigning Prince was again recognized by the international community for his many contributions to the scientific and marine exploration fields. The American Academy of Science have him a medal for his life's work in 1920 and the following year the Explorer's Club made him an Honorary Member; their highest level of membership. Only one year after that, on June 26, 1922, Prince Albert I of Monaco passed away in Paris at which time he was succeeded by his son Prince Louis II. Despite the problems in his private life Prince Albert had been a very able monarch for Monaco. Thanks to him the country enjoyed a better reputation as a center for intellectual study and peaceful diplomacy as well as arts and culture rather than simply being known only as a gambling escape for the wealthy of Europe.

H.S.H. Prince Charles III

H.S.H. Prince Charles III of Monaco was born on december 8, 1818 in Paris, France as Charles Honore Grimaldi, the only son to Prince Florestan I of Monaco and Princess Maria Caroline Gilbert de Lametz. He was married to Antoinette de Merode-Westerloo in Brussels, Belgium on September 28, 1846 and succeeded his father as Sovereign Prince of Monaco ten years later on June 20, 1856. Prince Florestan had been an actor and not really prepared for his job as monarch and handed power over to his son after several proposals for a constitution were rejected, mostly because of the objections of the town of Menton. Revolutionary uprisings and money troubles caused Florestan to be eager to part with his throne and pass the buck to his son Charles. He inherited a larger principality than we know today but one extremely strapped for cash and the first order of business for Charles III was to find some way to bring income to Monaco. The idea finally came to him to open a casino in Monaco as there was, at that time, no other centers of gambling in southern Europe and there were plenty of high-rollers who would go seemingly anywhere to play the odds and take their chances. He converted a villa and agreed to let the new establishment be named after him and so the famous Monte Carlo casino was born.

At the start the casino bore few similarities to the glamorous affair we know today. It was described as rather drab and did not, at the outset, bring in a great deal of money for the principality. Nonetheless, the ground-work has been laid for what would prove to be the mainstay of the Monegasque economy for many years to come. However, the establishment of the casino was met with some staunch opposition by the Catholic Church in Monaco, especially the Jesuits. The Society of Jesus had established a monastery and a private school for the offspring of the elites of Monaco society and they had been forced to relocate while their original property was being refurbished. However, they were greatly disturbed by the opening of the Monte Carlo casino and demanded that they be refunded the money put into their property near the new casino.

Prince Charles III, having to deal with his own financial problems and a large part of his country on the edge of rebellion, had little patience for the Jesuits and their moral concerns about the new casino. When the Society of Jesus tried to take Charles III to court he had the order expelled from his principality; another example of the age-old fact that it never pays to challenge the boss. However, probably the biggest concern Charles had was the political situation he faced with France. The towns of Menton and Roquebrune had been taken by the French during the revolution but later restored to Monaco which was then under the protection of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. However, during the Revolutions of 1848 Menton and Roquebrune had risen up and declared themselves free cities though still under Sardinia. The Savoys were also at the time making territorial concessions to the French Emperor Napoleon III in return for his support against the Austrians. The two nominally Monegasque towns were in a political no-man's-land because of all this confusion but the matter was finally resolved when the Menton and Roquebrune areas voted by a large margin for annexation to France in 1860. Prince Charles III could do little to stop the development and France did agree to pay him compensation for the loss of these territories which constituted some 80% of the total area of the Principality of Monaco.

In spite of this tremendous loss, which was probably inevitable, the road was open for the French to recognize the independence of Monaco, which eventually led to the current French protectorate. Prince Charles III also made a considerable contribution to making Monaco more open with the outside world. In 1864 Charles III signed a Treaty of Friendship with Muhammad III as-Sadiq, the Bey of Tunis, which regulated trade and maritime relations between the two countries. He also established diplomatic relations with many other governments around the world for the first time. On the whole, the reign of Prince Charles was a beneficial one for Monaco. He inherited immense problems and was able to handle them, he also took steps to strengthen the principality in the long-term. He died at Chateau de Marchais on September 10, 1889 and was succeeded by Albert I.

H.S.H. Prince Louis I

Louis I may not have been one of the most "hands-on" sovereigns of Monaco but he was certainly one of the most interesting, accomplished and stylish. Louis was born in Monaco on July 25, 1642 to Prince Hercules and Princess Aurelia Spinola of Monaco but the greatest influence on his life was his grandfather and predecessor the Sovereign Prince Honore II. Since 1524 Monaco had been a protectorate of the Kingdom of Spain but that had begun to change during the reign of Prince Honore II who was a zealous Francophile. After building up the principality Honore II drove out the Spanish and made Monaco a protectorate of France in return for which he was awarded titles in the French nobility. As part of his campaign of goodwill toward France Honore II sent his grandson Louis to represent him at the lavish court of the French king where he proved to be quite popular. In 1660 Prince Louis married Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont, daughter of Antoine III de Gramont, who was a Marshal of France.

Prince Louis was an accomplished soldier who fought for King Louis XIV in his wars against England and Spain. Louis had the unique position at the French court of being both the representative of a foreign power, the Principality of Monaco, as well as a member of the French nobility as the second Duke of Valentinois. In 1662 Honore II died and his grandson succeeded him as Sovereign Prince Louis I but he spent most of his time in France, usually in Paris or at the court of King Louis XIV at Versailles. Another reason for his good graces with Louis XIV was probably the attractiveness of his wife Princess Catherine-Charlotte who, for a few months, joined the ranks of the many mistresses of Louis XIV before he moved on to the favors of the famous Madame de Montespan. Prince Louis I, himself not exactly a chaste man, prudently made himself scarce during these periods, going off to war for Louis XIV.

Although he may have been popular in France, Louis I of Monaco was not such a big hit in Great Britain which he visited in 1677. King Charles II was outraged by the way Louis I showered gifts on Hortense Mancini, one of the many mistresses of Charles II. He later fought against England in the War of the United Provinces and earned further favor with Louis XIV for his bold leadership on the battlefields of Flanders and Franche-Comte at the head of his regiment the Monaco Cavalry. Personal tragedy struck in 1678 when Princess Catherine-Charlotte died at the age of 39. She had, however, given Louis I six children; two sons and four daughters so the Monegasque succession was quite sure for the time being. In any event, Louis XIV was so impressed by the distinguished service of Prince Louis I of Monaco that he decided to name him as his official ambassador to the Holy See. It was a very reasonable move since Louis I's Grimaldi family ties in Genoa and across Italy would serve him well while in Rome.

It was in Rome at the papal court that Louis I could have made his greatest impact on history as he was chosen for the important assignment with the intention of representing the interests of Louis XIV in the critical issue of the Spanish succession. It was Louis I of Monaco who tried to bring about an agreement between the two bitter sides of what would prove to be a very costly war. Typically for a Monegasque prince though, when not engaged in diplomatic work, Louis I was well known for his stylish entertaining and lavish lifestyle. Unfortunately for his successors he went rather too far and was soon forced to sell off the awesome art collection of Honore II to pay his debts. He spent his family into the poor house to the point that Monaco was virtually bankrupt and, unfortunately, Louis I died before the issue of the Spanish succession could be settled on January 3, 1701. Had he succeeded in arranging an international agreement on Spain to the favor of King Louis XIV he almost certainly would have earned great rewards for himself. As it was, he left the Monegasque throne to his son Prince Antoine with nothing but empty pockets and a reputation for grand parties and military glory.

H.S.H. Prince Albert II

The present reigning Sovereign Prince of Monaco is Albert II, second child and only son of Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace. He was born Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi on March 14, 1958 at the Princely Palace in Monaco. As a boy he attended the Albert I High School and graduated in 1976. For six summers he worked as a camp counselor at Camp Tecumseh on Lake Winnipesaukee at Moultonborough, New Hampshire. He later attended Amherst College where he studied a variety of subjects to prepare him for his future role as reigning prince and he graduated in 1981 with a BA in political science. He also studied economics in an exchange program and demonstrated his love of athletics with his participation in a wife variety of sports. He would eventually become most known for his place on the Olympic bobsled team for Monaco. Over the years he would compete in five winter Olympics. The public was impressed when they learned they lived exactly the same as the other athletes, in the same Spartan conditions with no special treatment.

When Princess Grace died in 1982 the world mourned and everyone watched to see how the family would cope with the loss. Friends and royal watchers began to observe that there seemed to be quite a bit of Princess Grace in Hereditary Prince Albert. Those who knew him were unanimous about Albert being a kind and compassionate man, the nicest guy in the world many said. His buddies also claimed that he was quite the ladies man and had girls at the top of his list of interests, however, everyone was impatient that he settle on one girl, get married and start a family. To the consternation of people around the world Albert showed absolutely no interest in marriage. With the loss of Princess Grace it was no secret that Rainier III was in despair and there were rumors that he planned to abdicate as soon as Albert got settled. Needless to say, Rainier III never abdicated.

As Albert passed the age at which his own father had married, the chattering only increased. He was known as one of the most eligible bachelors in Europe; he was handsome, charming, dripping with money, a certified prince and of course very, very, very nice. He had beautiful women on his arm at every special occasion and formal event and yet he never seemed to have a steady girlfriend. What could possibly be the problem? Rumors finally began to go around that Albert was gay and he was even featured in a number of gay magazines despite everyone who knew him assuring the press that this was not true. Albert himself said he found the rumor funny at first but that it lost its humor very quickly.

Later on the world would find out in a public way that, contrary to the gay rumors, Prince Albert certainly liked girls and, truth be told, probably a little more than was good for him. Nonetheless, he ignored all of the gossip, tabloids and rumors of the chattering classes and devoted himself to being a good heir and preparing for his future job as the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. He made sure to keep up to speed with business, economics, social issues, environmental issues and charitable work as well as continuing his long association with the Olympic Games. However, as the years went by and Prince Rainier III became increasingly frail the marital status of the Hereditary Prince began to become a matter of politics as well as the society page. If he were do die without issue the Principality of Monaco would, legally, be absorbed by the French Republic, which was the last thing anyone wanted.

In 2002, with Albert still showing no sign of interest in tying the knot, a new succession law was worked out to remove the threat of a French takeover and ensure that if Albert never had children the crown would pass to his older sister, her children and so down the family line according to male primogeniture. This might have taken some of the pressure off of Albert, but if he was ever under any stress about his lack of a wife he certainly never showed it. He already had more than enough to keep him busy and girls he dated did complain that even those closest to him had very little time alone with the busy prince who always had some business to attend to, some ceremony to oversee or some event to appear at for the benefit of his tiny country.

In early March, 2005, Rainier III went into critical care in the hospital and by the end of the month the Palace announced that the Reigning Prince could no longer carry out his duties and that Hereditary Prince Albert had been appointed regent to act on his behalf. This turned out to be a largely symbolic action as Albert spent most of his time with his ailing father and was regent for only about a week before it was announced that Rainier III had died and his son had succeeded as Reigning Prince Albert II of Monaco. The new prince led his country in three months of mourning for his father before the start of his reign was officially celebrated starting on July 12, 2005 at a mass in St Nicholas Cathedral with Monsignor Bernard Barsi, Archbishop of Monaco, officiating. There was a party held at the Palace for the Monegasque natives and the day of celebrations ended with a fireworks display on the waterfront. The formal enthronement came on November 19, 2005 at St Nicholas Cathedral. It was a grand occasion of pomp and ceremony for the principality with the princely family gathered together, including the new heir-to-the-throne Hereditary Princess Caroline of Monaco, her husband Prince Ernst of Hanover, her children Andrea, Charlotte and Pierre as well as younger sister Princess Stephanie. Even his controversial aunt, Princess Antoinette, attended. Various national delegations also attended including 16 other royals from the assorted houses of Europe. The day was ended with a fitting elegant opera at Monte-Carlo.

As Albert II began his reign he had the benefit of numerous qualities which make for a successful monarch, being educated, athletic, popular, compassionate and, of course, being just a real nice guy. The only thing he still does not have is a wife and children and as each year passes the constant rumors of impending marriage become harder to believe. However, he has also been married to his country and has taken the duties of his job very seriously. Of course, a very important part of those duties are attending lavish parties, traveling the world, bringing attention to Monaco, encouraging new business and keeping the principality on its feet. He has also done a great deal of charity work, particularly for orphans, and has become very interested in environmentalism. He has done a great deal to educate himself on the subject as well as reviving the traditional Grimaldi patronage of causes for marine wildlife. Sometimes all of these causes and his own sense of adventure overlap and make for some exciting excursions. Albert II, in 2006, earned the distinction of being the first and only Head of State to visit the North Pole and in 2009 it was announced that he has an expedition planned for the Antarctic.

Romantic rumors began to fly again in 2006 when Albert was attending the Winter Olympics and met the South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock with whom he was spotted on several occasions thereafter. However, there was also considerable evidence come to light that certainly put to rest the gay rumors. In 2005 Albert, through his lawyers, admitted to fathering an illegitimate son with a flight attendant from Togo named Nicole Coste. In 2006 DNA tests also proved that Albert was the father of another illegitimate child by a woman from California named Tamara Rotolo. The child, a daughter, was named Jazmin Grace Grimaldi who was invited by her father to live and study in Monaco if she wished but has so far remained with her mother in San Juan Capistrano, California. A topless model from Germany had also claimed that Albert fathered a child with her but blood tests proved the claims false.

In the summer of 2011 Prince Albert II married longtime girlfriend Charlene Wittstock in one of the biggest royal weddings of the year and the largest such celebration in Monaco since the marriage of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier. Thus, there is now the chance that offspring may be produced to continue the Grimaldi-Polignac line of Rainier III. In any event, until such time as Albert II and Charlene do produce legitimate issue his heir remains his elder sister Caroline, Princess of Hanover.

H.S.H. Prince Rainier III

Few other Monegasque rulers have had the impact on their tiny country that Rainier III has had. From the controversy surrounding his succession to the constitutional and government changes enacted during his time there have been a great many changes for Monaco during his reign. The country experienced unprecedented growth and prosperity during his time on the throne and a tiny principality relatively few people had heard of at the time he became sovereign prince was known all around the world by the time of his passing. At more than 50 years on the throne he was one of the longest reigning monarchs in the world, second only to the King of Thailand. Everyone in Monaco, in one way or another, owes something to Prince Rainier III.

It was on May 31, 1923 that Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Betrand Grimaldi, Count of Polignac was born to Prince Pierre, Duke of Valentinois and Hereditary Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois in Monaco. His mother was born in Algeria as the illegitimate daughter of Prince Louis II of Monaco and Marie Juliette Louvet. His mother was later legitimized in a controversial situation and made heir-to-the-throne of Monaco at a crucial time when France was worried about Monaco passing to a German noble. His father, a nobleman of French and Mexican descent, took the surname of his wife, Grimaldi, and eventually his mother, Hereditary Princess Charlotte, renounced her controversial place in the succession in favor of her young son Rainier. He was educated in England, Switzerland and France before following in the footsteps of his grandfather and becoming an officer in the French army.

When World War II broke out the Principality of Monaco was very much divided. Ranier, like his grandfather, favored the French but Louis remained close to Marshal Petain and the Vichy regime while Rainier was sympathetic with the Allies. Meanwhile, many of the people in Monaco, mindful of their Italian roots, favored Mussolini and the Italian cause. Rainier served as a second lieutenant in the French army during the initial German invasion where he quickly earned a reputation for great courage and heroism. He performed so well in the German invasion of Alsace that he earned the Croix de Guerre, Bronze Star Medal and was made a knight of the Legion of Honor. After his mother passed her succession rights to him in 1944, upon the death of Prince Louis II, he became Rainier III, Sovereign Prince of Monaco on May 9, 1949. Probably due to the controversy surrounding his mother and grandfather everyone quickly began to focus on who Rainier would marry and how he would secure a more smooth succession.

The most prominent romantic connection Rainier had by the time he came to the throne was with the French film star Gisele Pascal who he lived with in Paris for a number of years before the two broke up. There were rumors that this was because she was declared infertile but she later had a child. Rumors abounded as to who the young, handsome prince would marry and he made every list of the most eligible bachelors in Europe. Then, at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955 he met the American actress Grace Kelly. After a whirlwind courtship of less than a year he proposed three days after meeting with the Kelly family while on a trip to the US. Millions watched the civil and religious wedding ceremonies in what was declared the "wedding of the century". Rainier cut a dashing figure in his uniform and medals but all eyes were on the beautiful bride, already an international super-star.

The Prince wasted no time in doing his duty for Monaco and after a long honeymoon cruise Princess Grace was pregnant and gave birth to daughter Caroline almost 9 months to the day of the wedding. On March 14, 1958 the people of Monaco breathed a little sigh of relief when a son, Albert, was born to the princely couple. In early 1965 the boy was followed by little sister Stephanie. Rainier, of course, had to deal with government as well as family matters and he occupied himself with a huge agenda of things he wanted to accomplish for Monaco to bring the principality more into the modern world by expanding their economy, bringing about greater diversity and enacting constitutional reforms to streamline and modernize the government. For a long time Monaco had been economically stagnant, largely ignored in the region and known almost only for her luxurious gambling facilities. Rainier III would change all of that.

The treasury of Monaco was all but empty when Rainier took the throne and thanks to World War II the number of aristocratic high-rollers the Monte Carlo casino had depended on were few and far between. The Prince recognized from this that it was too dangerous for Monaco to have almost her entire economy dependent on the gambling industry and he would work to change that. He was also aided by his wife, Princess Grace, in improving the reputation of Monaco and gaining a higher international profile for the tiny country. By simply marrying Princess Grace, it could be argued, Rainier III did more than anyone in history to bring attention, style and glamor to the principality. Rainier also worked to better advertise Monaco as the ideal place to base your business. The lack of taxes was played up to encourage more and diverse businesses to settle in Monaco and so expand their economy. In all of this Rainier III was hugely successful as can be seen by one set of numbers. When he became Sovereign Prince of Monaco gambling accounted for 95% of the income of the country. By the time he died, gambling was only 3% of the total income of Monaco; a state of affairs that has made Monaco much more economically stable.

Accomplishing this also meant drawing more international tourism to Monaco and breaking the hold of shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis which Rainier did by 1964. The many undertakings of Princess Grace helped to bring more and diverse groups to Monaco as did the love Rainier III had for sports, especially football and Monaco became the longtime host of the European Super Cup. Rainier III also saw to it that the government of Monaco was reformed and started by suspending the old constitution in 1959. Ironically enough, it was the somewhat more autocratic power he enjoyed under the old system that enabled him to do so and in 1962 a new and more liberal constitution was put into effect which, among other things, reduced the power of the monarch and put more in the hands of the elected National Council, abolished the death penalty, gave women the right to vote and established a Supreme Court to guard the rights and liberties of the Monegasque people.

In 1982 disaster struck the prosperous and glamorous principality when Princess Grace died from injuries sustained in a car accident while returning to Monaco with their youngest daughter Princess Stephanie. The Grimaldis, Monaco and many people all around the world were thrown into a fit of sorrow by the loss of the beloved princess. Rainier had lost a strong right arm with the death of Princess Grace and things would never be the same again, particular for the inner workings of the family. Rainier had considered her the ideal wife and would never remarry. However, he remained a very devoted father and a very proud grandfather, displaying a level of public affection with his grandchildren rarely, if ever, seen among the other crowned heads of Europe. He was, of course, also very much aware that in spite of the playboy reputation of his son Albert, the heir to the throne had not married and started a family nor did he seem very likely to in the near future and this, as in any monarchy, was a cause for some concern.

In 2002, over fears that Monaco might lose her independence to France if Albert were to never marry and produce heirs, the succession was changed so that not only the direct descendants of the reigning prince could inherit the throne. However, the old freedom to adopt an heir was removed but the agreement ensured that Monaco would remain independent no matter what happened to the princely family and removed the threat of a vacant throne. Prior to this some assumed that Albert would adopt his nephew Andrea Casiraghi as his heir, but it is now assured that his older sister while follow him on the throne if he dies without legitimate issue. It was a timely action as about the same year Prince Rainier III began to show more signs of his age and ill health. By 2004 the Prince was hospitalized with heart problems. Prince Albert later said he was fine other than a bad case of bronchitis but in 2005 he was hospitalized again with a lung infection.

Through it all Prince Rainier kept up his sense of humor and as he was the second longest reigning monarch in the world after King Rama IX of Thailand reportedly asked his valet every morning upon waking, "Has Rama survived the night? Or did I just move up in the ranks?" Toward the end of March he was moved to the critical care unit of the hospital and had to be placed on a ventilator for renal and heart failure. At the end of the month the Crown Council announced that Prince Albert had been named regent for his father due to Rainier's poor health and the reports of his doctors that he was unlikely to recover. Early on the morning of April 6, 2005 it was announced that Prince Rainier III had died at the age of 81 at which time his son became Sovereign Prince Albert II of Monaco. The occasion would likely have been a media frenzy were it not for the fact that Pope John Paul II died just prior to the Prince. Rainier III himself was one of the last Catholic monarchs still reigning in Europe and included among his many foreign orders and decorations the Papal Order of the Golden Spur. He was buried on April 15, 2005 in the national Cathedral of St Nicholas in Monaco beside his beloved wife Princess Grace.

It would be hard to overstate the importance of the reign of Prince Rainier III on Monaco. Few would have recognized the country he left from the one he inherited. When he came to the throne the succession had been shaky, the country was poor and seemed to many observers to have passed its most glorious days. Rainier III changed all of that. He diversified the economy, secured the succession, raised the prominence and prestige of his country, brought greater attention and new business as well as greater freedom and prosperity to his people. Instead of a has-been center of elite gambling, Prince Rainier III left Monaco a country known and famous around the world as a wealthy, glamorous hot spot that was just as famous as a friendly base for business, tourism, charity and sporting events as it was for its lavish casinos. Monaco is what it is today largely through the efforts and steady leadership of Prince Rainier III.