The Marquis de Puyguilhem

Antoine Nompar de Caumont, marquis de Puyguilhem and (after 1692) the duc de Lauzun came from a noble French family but grew up mostly with the family of Antoine III de Gramont, a relative of his. If that name sounds familiar, it should; he was the father of Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont who later married HSH Prince Louis I of Monaco. The two shared a great deal of personal history. Long before she was promised to the Grimaldi heir, the beautiful young Charlotte de Gramont was, at the age of twenty, first in love with Antoine Puyguilhem. He was six years older than Charlotte, skinny, blond headed with a witty tongue, a malicious nature and a lust for wealth, women and lofty titles. Puyguilhem was just as passionately infatuated with Charlotte as she was with him, which is not at all surprising given the qualities she possessed. One observer remarked on her captivating beauty that she was, "a creature made for love and sensuality". When her father, Marshal of France de Gramont, informed his daughter that she was to be married, she hoped it would be to Puyguilhem. He was of lofty rank after all and was captain of the King's Household Cavalry. But the old Marshal could not stand the marquis, who could be rather unpleasant and who was rather impoverished for a nobleman.

As we know, her father's choice was Louis de Monaco, duc de Valentinois. Charlotte was less than pleased. Those closest to her witnessed her depression and remarked that, "The reason was that someone else pleased her more". Referring, of course, to Puyguilhem. The marquis remained attached to her, even after her wedding and kept on eye on her while the newlyweds were in Paris. He suspected that, married or not, she would come back to him eventually. However, when Charlotte, six months pregnant at the time, returned to Monaco to be with her husband, Puyguilhem became alarmed that he might be losing her. In a comic turn of events he followed Charlotte to Monaco (or at least to Toulon where Louis and Charlotte took a French galley for the last leg of their journey), dressing up in various costumes to try to disguise himself so her servants would not recognize him but he was never able to approach her. His cause seemed lost.

Then, in 1665 Charlotte, by then Princess of Monaco, returned to Paris and the fashionable society she always most enjoyed. Once again, Puyguilhem thought he would have his conquest. Yet, once again, there was interference but this time from none other than His Most Christian Majesty King Louis XIV of France and Navarre. The King had started to cast his ever-wandering eye in the direction of the Princess of Monaco and Puyguilhem was sensitive to the competition. He was still a regular at court, seen at every lavish dance and still winning criticism from those around him. Court chronicler Saint-Simon said he was, "ambitious, capricious, fanciful, insanely jealous, always going too far, never content with anything, without education, conversation or wit, by nature peevish, solitary and withdrawn, haughty in his demeanor, innately spiteful and sly". So it seems like Saint-Simon was not a big fan.

As King Louis XIV moved closer and closer to Princess Catherine-Charlotte of Monaco, Puyguilhem grew more and more jealous, finally losing his temper and throwing a minor tantrum in front of the King. The "Grand Monarch" was not impressed and ordered the marquis to return to his regiment of dragoons but Puyguilhem pretended that he didn't hear the King and stormed out, stomping in to Charlotte's apartments and threw such a fit he smashed one of her mirrors. Not a smart move to say the least. When he returned to his own quarters he found the King had left him a little note informing him that he would be provided with new accomodations -in the Bastille. After six months of fuming he was released and finally seemed to have given up on Princess Charlotte. Not long after he tried, without success, to seduce a daughter of King Carlos III of Spain. It seems amazing that a man so many described as "ugly" attracted so many women. The Grande Mademoiselle, Anne Duchess of Montpensier (King Louis' cousin) threw herself at him and Puyguilhem decided not to resist.

His affairs and intrigues continues to cause him trouble at the French court (leading to another stay in the Bastille for a time) before he moved to England to enter the employ of King James II. When the Stuart monarch, the last Catholic King of Great Britain, was about to be forced into exile, it was Puyguilhem who escorted James' lovely Italian Queen, Mary of Modena, and their son to safety in France. He also participated in the attempted restoration of James II in Ireland where, despite his much talked-about ill qualities, was known as the most honest in the King's circle of advisors. The failure of the expedition meant that he would never be restored to favor at the court of Louis XIV but Queen Mary of Modena was grateful enough for his support of the Jacobite cause that she used her influence to help secure his title of Duc de Lauzun. He died in 1723, leaving no heirs despite his marriage to a 14-year old girl (Genevieve de Durfort) in 1695.

Matchmaker for Monaco Mazarin

Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont, one of the most famous and controversial Princesses of Monaco, is someone regular readers will be familiar with. Her thwarted love affair with her cousin the Duc de Lauzun, her involvement in the Orleans-Stuart love triangle and her stint as one of the many mistresses of King Louis XIV. But, how did this young woman who came so highly recommended, become the wife of HSH Prince Louis I of Monaco? The man responsible was one of the giant figures of French history (though like a few others he was Italian) we know as His Eminence Jules Cardinal Mazarin, the power-behind-the-throne for the very young King Louis XIV. He was born in Pescina in what was then the Kingdom of Naples but grew up in Papal Rome. His father worked for the powerful Colonna family (which everyone has heard of) which allowed him to gain a good education after which he served in the military and became a diplomat for the Papal States. He was later named nuncio to the court of France and was taken under the wing of the famous and powerful Cardinal Richelieu, the power-behind-the-throne under King Louis XIII.

When Louis XIV became nominal King of France with his mother, Ann of Austria, acting as regent, she relied heavily on Mazarin (by then a cardinal) and he became effectively the “prime minister” of the Kingdom of France. Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont was very well known to him. She had practically grown up with his nieces (known as the ‘mazarinettes’), she herself was a great-niece on her mother’s side and her father was a very prestigious person, Marshal of France, duc et pair, sovereign prince of Bidache, viceroy of Navarre and Béarn and governor of Pau. You could say he was somebody. So, when HSH Prince Honore II of Monaco came searching for a suitable bride for his young son Louis, he was referred to Cardinal Mazarin (who liked Honore II as both spoke Italian) and it was the Cardinal who said that Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont would be the ideal choice. Unlike Louis, she knew the French court and high society intimately. She could help him establish himself within the French aristocracy and the marriage would ensure continued Franco-Monégasque friendship. She was a few years older than the Grimaldi prince but devastatingly gorgeous, well connected and from a proper family so Honore II was quick to agree. Louis really had no say in the matter. For her part, from the start, Catherine-Charlotte was extremely disappointed, famously saying that her husband was, “not at all in fashion”.

Marshal Gramont agreed to pay a dowry of 300,000 livres for his daughter’s hand but, when he came up short, Cardinal Mazarin floated him a loan to keep his agreement (Honore II had to agree to make Louis Duc de Valentinois). However, the Cardinal was also responsible for the delay in actually having the wedding as he was focused on securing peace with Spain by seeing to the marriage of King Louis and the Spanish Infanta Maria Teresa. As we know, Prince Louis caught up with the King, the Cardinal and his bride-to-be in the Pyrenees (which was Gramont turf) and it was there that the couple first met. The old Marshal of France reported to Cardinal Mazarin that the ladies all loved Louis and that he was pleasantly surprised by him. He neglected to mention how down on the match his daughter was.

When the wedding of Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont and the Duc de Valentinois was held at the Gramont château of Pau it was a very lavish and ostentatious affair. Cardinal Mazarin did his part by sending the bride a shockingly beautiful jewel-encrusted crown to wear on the big day which guests said truly made her look like a queen. Cardinal Mazarin had arranged an historic match but it was not a totally happy one. The Cardinal continued his long and eventful career, advancing France by thwarting Hapsburg Austria, angering the nobles and squabbling with his fellow Churchmen until his death in 1661. King Louis XIV had by then taken control of affairs himself and would be one of the most famous absolute monarchs in history.

Princely Visit to Ireland

The three-day state visit of HSH Prince Albert II and Princess-to-be Charlene Wittstock to the Republic of Ireland  was a resounding success. The Guard of Honor was drawn up, school children sang and waved Irish and Monegasque flags. The visit was timed for the 50th anniversary of the triumphal tour of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier III to the Emerald Isle. Upon arriving the Sovereign Prince and Charlene visited the National Museum and the Shelbourne Hotel where there is a suite named in honor of Princess Grace. During their tour the Princely couple visited Dublin, Galway and Newport in County Mayo where the Kelly family originated. The Irish were very enthusiastic and friendly in welcoming the Princely couple who were all smiles during the trip.

The Sovereign Prince and Charlene accept flowers from young well-wishers

Mr. McAleese, President of Ireland Mary McAleese, Prince Albert II and Charlene at their formal welcome

The Sovereign Prince inspects an Irish guard of honor

At a formal evening dinner Charlene turned heads. Her fashion choices throughout the visit recieved positive reviews from the critics all around.

The President and the Sovereign Prince on the red carpet

The "green" Prince planted a tree to mark the occasion of this visit and the 50th anniversary of the visit of Princess Grace, the first Irish-American Princess of Monaco

HSH Prince Albert II (with Monegasque and Irish army officers) was welcomed by the Irish artillery at McKee Barracks firing a 21-gun salute. The formalities and ceremony were all correct but it still seemed a very warm and friendly for a state visit, even if it was a little damp at times.

H.S.H. Princess Catherine-Charlotte

One of the most famous and controversial princess consorts of Monaco was Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont, wife of HSH Prince Louis I of Monaco. She was born probably sometime in 1639 into a very prominent French family. Her father was Marshal of France Antoine III de Gramont and her mother was Francoise-Marguerite du Plessis-Chivre whose uncle was none other than His Eminence Cardinal Richelieu. Catherine was the eldest daughter but just as if not more famous than she was to be was her older brother Armand de Gramont, Comte de Guiche. Armand was famous for being extremely handsome, extremely rude and difficult and irresistible to men and women alike. He was the paramour of the husband and wife pair Philippe I, Duke of Orleans, and Henrietta Anne Stuart.

HSH Prince Honore II of Monaco had worked throughout his reign to transfer Monaco from the Spanish to the French camp and he arranged for King Louis XIV of France to be godfather to his grandson and heir Louis. He also arranged for Louis to be married to someone very prominent in the French court and Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont was the choice. In 1660 she and Louis were married and only two years later Honore II died making Catherine and her husband Sovereign Prince and Princess Consort of Monaco. Catherine-Charlotte must have seemed like quite a catch. She was described as being very beautiful, highly intelligent and humorously witty. She was, though, some 3 years older than her husband and came into the marriage with some reluctance. She had previously been in love with her cousin Antonin Nompar, Marquis de Puyguilheim. However, the marriage seemed to be fruitful as Catherine gave birth to a son and heir in 1661 who would eventually succeed to the throne as Prince Antoine I of Monaco.
When Honore II died Prince Louis I, Princess Catherine and baby Antoine had to pack up and travel to Monaco to handle the transfer of power. Catherine was very upset about having to leave Paris and was not impressed with her new principality when the couple arrived in Monaco.

From the glittering court of Louis XIV she found herself faced with her new country which, from

what she could see, was simply a castle and a small coastal village. The Princely Palace was, of course, quite luxurious on the inside but Catherine did not make much of a secret of the fact that she considered her presence in Monaco to be a sacrifice for someone of her background. Nonetheless, she was kept busy in Monaco giving birth to a daughter a year for three years in a row. Perhaps thinking she had done her duty by then, Princess Catherine then moved back to Paris and resumed her affair with her cousin Nompar. King Louis XIV was outraged, probably mostly because he had his eye on Catherine himself, and ordered Nompar to make himself scarce. When Nompar unwisely refused King Louis locked him in the Bastille for six months. Open defiance of an absolute monarch is not usually a good idea.

The Princess of Monaco was thus forced to cool her ardor for her cousin but there were plenty of other opportunities for scandalous behavior. She became very close friends with her brother’s lover Princess Henrietta Anne Stuart, youngest daughter of King Charles I of Britain and herself a sister-in-law and former lover of the King of France. Catherine’s aunt, Suzanne Charlotte de Gramont, Marquise de Saint Chaumont, was attached to Henrietta’s household and governess of her two daughters. Catherine’s husband, Prince Louis I, came to Paris and also spent most of his time away from Monaco but was usually dispatched on military and diplomatic missions for Louis XIV. In part, his absences were diplomatic as Louis XIV himself took Catherine as one of his many mistresses after he lost interest in Louise de la Valliere but this lasted only a few months.

In fact, the match had, in part, been a set-up. Princess Henrietta had aimed her friend at the king to distract him from Valliere so that she could become his primary mistress again. It did not work out as Henrietta planned however and when Louis XIV tired of Catherine he turned to the famous Madame de Montespan. There were even rumors that at the same time Catherine was having an affair with Henrietta herself but there is no real evidence of this and may have been the result of a guilt-by-association mentality because of her brother’s affairs with the Orleans couple. The Princess of Monaco then had an affair with the Chevalier de Lorraine, a friend of the Duke of Orleans. This put off Henrietta and their friendship effectively ended. No longer welcome at court she returned with her husband to Monaco for the next four years.

In 1672 France and Holland went to war and Prince Louis I was recalled to duty and sent to the front which allowed Catherine to return to Paris. She would remain there the rest of her life and first received a position as lady-in-waiting to Madame de Montespan. King Louis gave her a house at St Germain where she spent the last six years of her life which was cut short by her death in Paris on June 4, 1678 at the age of 39. She had spent enough time with her husband to give him six children but her short life had mostly been a succession of affairs and scandalous behavior from end to end. As more recent famous figures of wild reputation might say, she lived fast, died young and left a good looking corpse.