The Great War Begins

It was during this week in 1914 that the "guns of August" were heard, marking the start of the First World War as German troops marched into Belgium and France. The conflict, thankfully, would not touch Monaco directly but the Principality and moreso the House of Grimaldi played a part in the conflict. As we have discussed before, HSH Prince Albert I was a good friend of the German Kaiser Wilhelm II. The two had very different characters to be sure, but both shared a love of hunting, archaeology and most of all a love of the sea and sailing. In fact, the Prince was with the Kaiser on his yacht when the German monarch first learned of the murder of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Prince Albert I, after serving in the Franco-Prussian War, became a pacifist and he did his best to try to prevent World War I from starting by trying to get the main players together to talk out their differences -something which is hard to say would not have worked since there really wasn't much motivation for going to war in the first place. Everyone was going to war because everyone else was. The only people who did not have any choice in the matter were the French and the Belgians; they went to war because they were attacked, though even the French were far from innocent in the whole affair as they had been pushing the Russians to intervene in what had been a localized Austro-Serbian conflict. Prince Albert was very distressed that his peace efforts were rejected but he still did all he could to minimize the damage. His personal appeals to the Kaiser are credited with saving the French towns of Sissonne and Marchais from total destruction.

Prince Louis II

The outbreak of war was particularly painful for Prince Albert I because Monaco had always been very close to France and by his mother the Prince of Monaco was half Belgian. He was pained by what happened to France and Belgium but was simply heartbroken at the tremendous waste of the entire conflict, for all those involved. He allowed the Principality of Monaco to be used freely by the Allied powers to send wounded soldiers to recover and relax but he wanted no part in the actual conduct of the war. This almost brought him into conflict with his son and heir Prince Louis, a veteran of the French army who was determined to rejoin and serve at the front. Prince Albert wanted no part in causing any harm to anyone and did not really want his son to either, however, he came to understand the point of view of Prince Louis who felt that if he did not go to the front he would be letting down all of his friends and comrades in the French army he had trained and served with. He allowed him to go and Prince Louis proved to be a great soldier, upholding the reputation of his family going back to the Hundred Years War and before. When peace came, Prince Albert breathed a sigh of relief but although Monaco had been untouched by the fighting, it was not unaffected by it.

In those days the gaming industry was the primary source of income for the principality and the customer base was almost exclusively the wealthy aristocrats and minor royals of Europe. World War I brought business to a halt and after the war most of the great noble and royal houses who had frequented Monte Carlo were either destitute or had been overthrown. It would also not be long until another world war broke out that would see Monaco occupied and bombed. Prince Albert I had never been fond of the gaming industry himself but tolerated it as something necessary. It would be left to his son, Prince Louis II and even more so his successor Prince Rainier III, to see the Monegasque economy fully recovered and diversified to prevent such hard times in the future.

Historic Anniversary

It was on this day in 1946 that HSH Prince Louis II of Monaco married Ghislaine Marie Francoise Dommanget and, as regular readers will know, she was not exactly welcomed with open arms by the rest of the Grimaldi family besides the Sovereign Prince. However, Prince Louis II adored her and she brought him a great deal of happiness in his remaining years. She always kept up a dignified front and even after the death of her husband when she was a rather unwelcome Princess Dowager, she lived in Paris, rarely attending family functions but gaining the respect and admiration of more and more people by the way she carried herself, whatever the circumstances. She did get along well with Princess Grace, which is not surprising since, if nothing else, they had at least two things in common; they were both actresses and both had run afoul of Princess Antoinette upon entering the family.

Birthday of Prince Louis II

It was on this day in 1870 that the future Prince Louis II was born to (then) Hereditary Prince Albert of Monaco (later Albert I) and Princess Mary Victoria, daughter of the 11th Duke of Hamilton. As we know, Louis became a career officer in the French army, distinguished himself in battle in World War I, reigned as Sovereign Prince of Monaco from 1922 to 1949 when he was succeeded by his grandson Rainier III.

Grimaldi Greats

As I have been considering doing a series of posts elsewhere on the subject of my ‘favorites’ I thought I might try it out here first. Naturally, as a monarchist, I support all of the Monegasque monarchs regardless of their personal successes or failures or their personalities. To keep this from running on I will be looking only at my personal favorites from the time that the Lords of Monaco became the Princes of Monaco, keeping in mind that these are not in any order other than chronological, picking favorites is hard enough for me so ranking my least-to-most favorite is just not going to happen. So, let’s get started: I - The first is the first, that is Prince Honore II, who, as we know, was the first Grimaldi to be formally titled “Prince of Monaco”. This guy was something. Even as a baby his life was in danger as the assassins of Lord Hercules I ransacked the palace trying to find him to kill him as well. He became a very astute statesman, never had any marital problems from all I have read and his surprise attack which took Monaco out of the Spanish camp and into the French one shows that he was a clever diplomat as well as a masterful tactician. He obtained a much better position for his country, beautified the place and in every way left it better than he had found it. His people adored him for his wisdom, kindness and courageous leadership. The Spanish were not too happy with him but most every other account of his life and reign speaks of him only in the most complimentary terms. Monaco was his life, he devoted himself to it and to making it better. In that, he fully succeeded. II - Prince Antoine I, unfortunately had some setbacks in his reign. He was obliged to recognize the Duke of Savoy as overlord of part of his realm, his marriage to Marie de Lorraine was a disaster and so on. However, he inherited a nearly bankrupt state and yet managed, through immense personal sacrifice, to find enough money to improve the defenses of Monaco when the country was under threat. He was also a great patron of art and music and was the first to make Monaco a center of such creative talent, which might have surprised some since the Prince was also a very heroic veteran soldier. The people of Monaco adored him because of the concern he showed for their safety and the sacrifices he was willing to make to protect them and their property. He could be stern and strict but such a firm hand was called for and he not only secured and improved Monaco but pulled the country back from the brink of economic ruin and left it better than he found it. III - Prince Charles III, in many ways, was the monarch who put Monaco on the map. After losing the vast majority of the territory of the principality to France (the ceding of Menton and Roquebrune) it was Prince Charles III who presided over the economic renovation of Monaco into the holiday hot spot of Europe. The country had fallen on hard times since the whole trauma of the French Revolution but under Charles III the situation finally stabilized. The Italians were dealt with once and for all, the relationship with France was put firmly in order and a new era of economic independence came with the establishment of Monte Carlo casino and the rise of the resort industry. Much of this was also due to the wife of Charles III, Princess Antoinette, and his mother Princess Maria Caroline but it was Charles who was ultimately the one responsible as Sovereign Prince. Monaco adopted an official national flag, national anthem, the Order of St Charles was established and diplomatic relations were established with a number of countries all during the reign of Prince Charles III. IV - Prince Louis II might not be included on every list of great Princes of Monaco but he is one of my favorites. He embarked on a military career in the French army and took his service very seriously. Many said he would have been happier as a soldier than as a prince and he was a very good soldier. During World War I he displayed great skill and valor, winning numerous decorations and promotions. He was proud of his service and was often seen in uniform. During World War II when Monaco was occupied by the Axis forces, Prince Louis II used his police connections to ensure that Jews were able to escape before they could be arrested by the Nazis. He took a major risk in doing this and had to walk a thin line during those years. As Prince of Monaco he took the first steps toward a greater diversity in the tourism industry, making Monaco a center of football and racing as well as gambling. It was the steady leadership of Louis II that saw Monaco through its darkest period since the Revolution. V - Prince Rainier III, I firmly believe, will go down in history as one of the greatest Monegasque monarchs of all time. His extensive list of accomplishments are nothing short of exemplary. A strong monarch but also a forward-thinking man he brought Monaco out of the devastation of World War II and made it, once again, the most famous spot on the Riviera. His marriage to Princess Grace made Monaco a household word around the globe and he was a devoted husband and father. He diversified the economy to get away from the over-reliance on gaming and made Monaco a tourist destination that everyone could enjoy, not just the super-rich. He dealt firmly with any threats to the public good, reworked the constitution and strengthened the police to keep organized crime out of his country. Monaco became a center for business under his rule, the country expanded as land was reclaimed from the sea and a supreme court was established. His economic diversity programs brought a wave of unprecedented wealth and prosperity to the country. Although not often recognized, he was also a very humorous man and a very religious man and was awarded the Order of the Golden Spur by the Pope. At the time of his death in 2005 he was the second-longest reigning monarch in the world. Honorable Mention: It would be premature to pass judgement on the reign of Prince Albert II, however, some mention should be made of the admirable job he has done so far. He has made Monaco a center of environmental study (particularly concerning the oceans of the world), uprooted criminal elements trying to take root in the country and opened a new era of transparency that has taken Monaco off the list of 'tax havens' and "Morality, honesty and ethics" has been his motto. The economy has done well, even going through the current world financial storm relatively unscathed and relations with France have been greatly improved as well as managing to increase the effective political independence of the country. So far, so good.

Veterans' Day

In the above photo we see HSH Prince Albert I (third from left) visiting the western front during World War I where his son, Prince Louis II (second from right), was serving with the French army. Prince Albert I had strong feelings about the Great War, being a veteran of the Franco-Prussian War, then a pacifist, a man very attached to France and yet a very good friend of the German Kaiser Wilhelm II. In fact, Prince Albert was on the yacht with the Kaiser when word of the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand first reached him; the event that would ultimately lead to the outbreak of the First World War. He was very reluctant for his son Louis to serve in the French army, much less to go to war, but he could not refuse him and Prince Louis II went on to become a genuine hero in the French military on the western front.

Princess Charlotte of Monaco

The colorful, troubled, controversial daughter of HSH Prince Louis II, for a time the Hereditary Princess of Monaco, mother of HSH Prince Rainier III, grandmother of the current Grimaldis:

The lovely girl whose background made waves

Princess Charlotte, glamorous socialite

The wedding of Prince Pierre de Polignac and Princess Charlotte

(left to right) Princess Charlotte, Prince Rainier, Prince Louis II, Princess Antoinette and Prince Pierre. Such images of family unity would not last for very long.

Princess Charlotte working as a volunteer nurse in World War II

Princess Charlotte with one of her fierce dogs she loved so much.

Liberation Day in Monaco

Yesterday HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and sidekick Michel Roger attended the festivities marking the anniversary of the liberation of Monaco from German forces during World War II. The Sovereign Prince reviewed a parade of men costumed in period uniforms and driving historic vehicles. The Germans had left Monaco shortly after evacuating Paris on August 25, 1944. The following week was spent in confusion, not knowing if the Allies were coming or if the Germans would return, comforted only by the solid presence of their battle-hardened monarch of Great War fame Prince Louis II. Then, on September 3, 1944 a jeep with two American GI's came racing down the road from Menton. The jeep drove into Monte Carlo, pulled up to the 'Tip Top Bar' and one of them, future author Irwin Shaw, jumped out, ordered some drinks and announced that Monaco had been liberated. In no time at all crowds of adoring Monegasques were crowding around the Americans to express their gratitude. Later more Allied troops arrived for some formal ceremonies, presided over by a proud Prince Louis II and his grandson and fellow French army veteran Prince Rainier.
HSH Prince Louis II reviewing French-African troops as part of the celebration of the liberation of Monaco and the Allied victory in World War II.

Today in Grimaldi History

It was on this day in 1870 that HSH Prince Louis II of Monaco was born to Prince Albert I and his first wife Princess Mary Victoria. One of my favorites Monegasque monarchs, he was perhaps not as appreciated in his own time as he should have been and has largely been overshadowed by his more well-known successor and grandson; Prince Rainier III. During his time on the throne of Monaco he was known as "the military prince" because of his heroic service with the French army in World War I. As Sovereign Prince of Monaco Louis II set up the modern courts of law, built a home for the elderly, a football stadium and a water reservoir at the boulevard de Belgique. He established the Supreme Court of Monaco and the Labour Court. He was a very strong, dutiful and hard working monarch whose memory deserves to be celebrated.

The Passing of a Princess

It was on this day in 1991 that HSH Princess Ghislaine of Monaco passed away at Neuilly-sur-Seine. She was the wife and consort, in the twilight of his life, of HSH Prince Louis II of Monaco. She was 35 years younger than the Sovereign Prince when the 69-year-old Louis II fell in love with the former actress. He married her and brought her to the palace where, sadly, most of the family turned a cold shoulder to her. Prince Louis II adored her totally but the rest of the family tended to be suspicious of her, as is often the case when an older man at the end of his life weds a much younger woman. In fact, when the two married Louis' granddaughter, Princess Antoinette, refused to attend (and when she made her first marriage Louis II responded in kind). When Prince Louis II died he made generous provision for his wife in his will but Prince Rainier III blocked this and though he never spoke to Princess Ghislaine she still kept her apartments in the Princely Palace and made use of them from time to time. One of the last major events Princess Ghislaine attended in Monaco was the celebration in May of 1974 of the 25th anniversary of Prince Rainier III coming to the throne. This included a Te Deum at the national cathedral in honor of Prince Louis II and Princess Ghislaine, along with almost the whole Grimaldi family for a change, attended. Although she was rather put aside in Monaco for the most part she remained Dowager Princess of Monaco for the rest of her life, a life that ended on this day, April 30, 19 years ago.

The Funeral of Prince Louis II

H.S.H. Princess Ghislaine of Monaco

She was the last living consort of a Sovereign Prince of Monaco and she was born Ghislaine Marie Francoise Dommanget in Rheims, France on October 13, 1900 to French cavalry Colonel Robert Dommanget and his wife Marie Louise Meunier. She grew up with a love for the stage and eventually became a fairly well known and accomplished comedy actress. She married a fellow actor, Andre Brule, but the marriage did not last and the two eventually divorced. On July 24, 1946 she married HSH Prince Louis II of Monaco and had the distinction of being the first woman to marry into the Grimaldi family without presenting a dowry. The two were married in Monaco, Louis II being 76 at the time and his bride was almost 46. By 1946 Louis II, a hardened veteran of the Foreign Legion and decorated hero of World War I, was worn out by his long and trouble-filled reign and the added stress of occupation during World War II by Italian and later German forces. He spent most of his time away from Monaco in Paris. Princess Ghislaine was to be his primary comfort and companion in this last period of his life.

Following the divorce of his only daughter, Princess Charlotte, Louis II looked to his grandson Rainier to be the heir to the throne and his mother abdicated her succession rights to her son. Less than three years after their marriage Prince Louis II passed away on May 9, 1949. The 48 year old Princess Ghislaine continued to live in Paris for the most part and unfortunately did not get along well with her step-grandson, now Sovereign Prince of Monaco, Rainier III. She was officially titled Princess Dowager of Monaco and though she had her problems with Rainier III (who eventually cut off her pension from the Monegasque government) she did have a fairly good relationship with his wife Princess Grace whom Rainier had married in 1956. It surely helped that both had been actresses before becoming Princesses of Monaco.

When Princess Grace died tragically in 1982 Princess Ghislaine went to Monaco for her requiem mass and impressed everyone with her style, bearing and solemnity. With no consort for Monaco it was technically Princess Dowager Ghislaine who was again the highest-ranking woman of the Princely Family but, as most know, it was young Princess Caroline who effectively took over the job of trying to fill her mother's shoes. Remaining mostly in Paris as usual Princess Dowager Ghislaine lived to the age of 90 before her death on April 30, 1991 at Neuilly-sur-Seine.

MM Video: Louis II 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.