Birthday of Honore III

Today marks the 290th anniversary of the birth of H.S.H. Prince Honore III of Monaco, one of the most significant of Monegasque monarchs. He was the son of the controversial Prince Jacques I and would become one of the longest reigning monarchs in European history, serving as Sovereign Prince of Monaco for almost 60 years. He grew up in less than ideal circumstances, had plenty of domestic drama of his own following his marriage and he served with distinction in the French army. However, surely the most significant event of his long reign was the outbreak of the French Revolution which would ultimately spread to Monaco and cost Honore III his throne. He was arrested during the Reign of Terror and was very fortunate not to have ended his life on the guillotine. All seemed lost at the end of his life, but of course his end was not the end of the Grimaldis or Monaco. However, the very eventful life of one of the most colorful monarchs in Europe began 290 years ago today