Tapis rouge du Mariage Princier: 109 mètres d'histoire pour Monaco

The Marriage of Prince Jacques I

It was on this day in 1715 that Princess Louise-Hippolyte of Monaco married Jacques Francois Leonor Goyon de Matignon. As we have discussed previously, it was not quite a match made in heaven. Still, all parties agreed and, as it was shortly after the death of His Most Christian Majesty King Louis XIV, the marriage contract was signed by the regent, the Duke of Orleans, and the child King Louis XV. Yet, there were problems for the couple from the outset. In their first year of marriage they suffered the lost of their first child and they had to move to Paris to escape the volatile Prince Antoine I who was infuriated when he learned how he had been maneuvered into accepting Jacques as his son-in-law. For his part, Jacques was not pleased about having to give up his own family name and coat of arms to take those of the House of Grimaldi as he was rather proud of his own lineage. Prince Antoine was also broke by a legal dispute with his own daughter after the death of his ex-wife, Marie de Lorraine, who left her fortune entirely to her daughter. The proud old Prince had to suffer the indignity of asking his rather despised but well-to-do son-in-law for assistance.

“You mention the state of your affairs,” Jacques, then the Duke of Valentinois, wrote back, “as though you wish me to do all I can to ease your situation. I will willingly help…on condition, if you please, that you take no steps to prejudice the future interests of your grandson [the future Prince Honore III who would inherit the fortune from his mother one day]…He is such a [good natured] boy that nobody could think of playing a dirty trick on him”. In other words, stop trying to get your hands on my wife’s money and I will toss a few bucks your way. Prince Antoine, the old “Goliath” was not just furious, he was FURIOUS! As he predicted, he later died still in a rage over his treatment by his son-in-law and daughter though most probably still directed at Marie de Lorraine, his late wife, who he regarded as the author of all his misfortunes. It was then that Princess Louise-Hippolyte became Sovereign Princess of Monaco and Jacques the “Sovereign Consort”. However, that situation did not last long either as the beloved Princess was carried away by smallpox just under a year after taking the throne.

That unhappy event marked the start of the brief reign of Prince Jacques I of Monaco. He was opposed from the very start by Princess Isenghien, his sister-in-law, the second daughter of Prince Antoine I. She tried to rally her Grimaldi cousins in the wider family (in Genoa and elsewhere) to challenge her dead sister’s husband. She claimed, not without some justification, that the Monegasque would never submit to a Sovereign Prince who had not a drop of Grimaldi blood in his veins and, indeed, Prince Jacques I was never widely popular. However, he was no fool and tried to foil his sister-in-law by appointed the Chevalier de Grimaldi, an illegitimate son of Prince Antoine I, as Governor of Monaco who would, effectively, rule the principality on his behalf. As it turned out, this was a smart move as the Chevalier was quite a talented individual who ended up governing Monaco for most of the next fifty years with considerable ability.

Prince Jacques I was never fully accepted by the Monegasque population, tolerated might be a better word, but he was not often in Monaco to bother them anyway. Knowing the temperament of the public, and being more at home in France anyway, he spent most of his short reign in Paris. In 1733 he abdicated in favor of his son, Prince Honore III, while the Chevalier de Grimaldi continued to manage the affairs of the principality quite adeptly throughout the boy’s minority and during his service with the French army. He, along with his brother Prince Charles Maurice of the Knights of Malta, renewed the family tradition of fighting England in the employ of the King of France such as at the battle of Fontenoy. Prince Jacques I retired to Versailles and Paris and died in 1751. His line would continue to provide the Princes of Monaco until the accession of Prince Rainier III. And it all started with a controversial marriage on October 20, 1715.

Speaking of the Italians

Today is a sad day for Italian monarchists as it was on this day in 1900 that King Umberto I "the Good" of Italy was assassinated by an anarchist. However, the House of Savoy is still going on and, rather fitting given their long shared history, are close friends with their Grimaldi neighbors. TRH Prince Emanuele Filiberto and Princess Clotilde of Venice (seen here at the recent Princely wedding) recently gave an interview to talk about the possibility of having a reality TV show in the United States and the subject of the media-induced scandal over the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Monaco came up. Prince Emanuele Filiberto is the grandson of the last King of Italy (King Umberto II) and his wife, Clotilde Courau, is a French actress quite famous in her own right. The two actually first met, in part at least, thanks to Prince Albert and the Sovereign Prince of Monaco was "Best Man" at Prince and Princess of Venice's wedding. So, suffice it to say, they are all pretty good friends and when asked about all the controversy surrounding the Monegasque marriage, the Prince of Venice said, well, you shouldn't believe everything you read. Knowing Prince Albert as he does he said he never had any doubt, seeing him and Charlene and listening to Albert talk about her that this was anything less than a genuine romance. Princess Clotilde also joined in to say that she had talked to Princess Stephanie about Charlene joining the family and she had nothing but kind words to say about her. Princess Clotilde also noted that this carried considerable weight with her since, as we all know, Princess Stephanie is a very authentic, honest, "what you see is what you get" sort of person and would not have said such things if she did not mean them. Now it only remains to be seen if Christophe Barbier will call for a French invasion of Italy in response to this...

The Media and Angry Albert!

Forgive the out-of-place photo, but it is the only one I have with our Albie wearing a frown. The Sovereign Prince, known throughout his life as possibly the nicest guy on the planet is fed up with the media 'tempest in a teapot' over all the ugly rumors they have publicized regarding his marriage. The Prince and Princess of Monaco just got back from their honeymoon (which was in Mozambique -a surprise destination even Princess Charlene was not aware of) and yet from their civil wedding day, religious wedding day, the IOC trip to South Africa and the honeymoon all anyone has been able to talk about are all the rumors put out about the Prince and Princess. Runaway bride, paternity tests, a "fake" marriage -we have heard them all, all of them from "anonymous sources", all of them impossible to verify, all of them denied by the Palace, the Prince, the Princess and the Wittstock family. Who could blame even the famously "nice guy" Prince of Monaco for finally saying enough is enough?

Upon returning to the palace on the rock, Albert II met with three French journalists to voice his disapproval of the treatment he and his new princess consort have been subjected to. To quote angry Albert:

We want to express our indignation at these rumors… It’s unbearable. What’s regrettable is that the media pick up these rumours without verifying the information…We are honestly feeling aggrieved by the current rumours. It is simply not acceptable anymore.


I find that unworthy on the part of your colleagues. I’ve always respected freedom of expression. But publishing false information is lamentable and subject to criminal penalties.

Such feelings are completely understandable and any who would be critical of the Prince on this occasion should ask themselves what they would do in his place. Given that, again, all of these ugly rumors that have been so carelessly splashed across the headlines of the world have had no named sources, no specific timeline to test against who we know to have been where and when and in short have presented no evidence to back them up and no specific information with which to verify the stories, I would certainly feel the same way as Prince Albert. You had your fun in trying to ruin a special day for two people, their families and the Principality of Monaco, at this point, it's time to put up or shut up. It should not be up to the Prince and Princess to disprove these rumors, it is the responsibility of those making the accusations to present the evidence to back them up. Otherwise this is simply slander and harassment.

Wedding Website Online

The Princely Palace now has on-line the official wedding website for the upcoming marriage of Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock (hurray hurray). It does not have quite as much info as some others out these days but was put together mostly for the benefit of the press to aid them in getting everything in order to cover the event on the big day. It also has the new official monogram for Albert and Charlene, which I at least had never seen before. According to the website, the details on the big day are:

"The civil wedding will take place on Friday 1 July at 5pm in the Throne Room in the Palace of Monaco. It will be celebrated by Philippe Narmino, Director of the Judicial Services and President of the Council of State.

Philippe Narmino is the Ruling Family's Registrar.

The religious ceremony will take place on Saturday 2 July at 5pm in the Main Courtyard of the Palace of Monaco, where Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Bernard Barsi.

The gates to the Palace will remain open to enable some 4,000 guests to be seated for the ceremony, which will be broadcast on giant screens.

On this occasion, Friday 1 July and Saturday 2 July, will be holidays."

The website is available in French and English so have a look at Mariage Princier Monaco 2011.

Today in Grimaldi History

It was one of the most controversial matches in Monegasque history and the search for a husband for Princess Louise-Hippolyte, daughter of Prince Antoine I of Monaco, was extremely contentious. The Princess was not supposed to have any say in the matter, her father had packed her off to the Convent of the Visitation at Aix-en-Provence for two years until he settled the matter for her. However, her mother, Princess Marie de Lorraine, slipped out of Monaco in the dark of night, without the knowledge of her husband (with whom she did not have the greatest relationship) and went to Paris where she and her father decided on the dashing nobleman Jacques de Mantignon, Comte de Thorigny. He was wealthy, 25-years-old and from a very good family and they considered him the best choice. However, Marie de Lorraine knew Prince Antoine I would oppose any choice she made so she and her father approached the Duchess of Lude to approach the Sovereign Prince of Monaco on the subject.

Prince Antoine was totally duped. The Duchess convinced him that Jacques was her own suggestion and not only did he agree but he extracted a promise from the duchess to keep the name “secret” from his wife. He thought he had put one over on his wife, not knowing she was behind the whole affair. Antoine wrote to Marie de Lorraine to inform her that the choice had been made and if King Louis XIV of France agreed (necessary because of the place the Grimaldis held in the French aristocracy) Jacques de Mantignon would be married to their daughter. Needless to say, Princess Marie wrote back to her husband congratulating him on such an excellent choice and asking to come back to Monaco. The marriage negotiations got underway but things came to a halt when King Louis XIV, who had been a great friend of Monaco, passed away. But, after his death, the young King Louis XV and his regent signed the marriage contract on September 5 and on October 20, 1715 the marriage of 18-year-old Princess Louise-Hippolyte and Jacques de Mantignon took place.

Unfortunately, problems seemed to plague the young couple from the very start. Before they were married even a year they lost a child, a tragic event for all concerned, and to make matters worse Prince Antoine and Princess Marie were at odds again. After having established something of a truce Prince Antoine found out how he had been fooled into accepting Marie’s candidate for husband to their daughter and he was furious. Always known for his short-temper, Antoine made things so heated that Princess Louise-Hippolyte and Prince Jacques could not stand the atmosphere in Monaco and moved to Paris. Prince Antoine also came into conflict with his daughter and (more so) his son-in-law after the death of his wife in 1724. Marie de Lorraine (as per her own marriage agreement) left her fortune to her daughter and the cash-strapped Prince Jacques sued for control of the estate of his late wife, accomplishing nothing in the end but making some lawyers wealthier and himself all the poorer.

Princess Louise-Hippolyte and Prince Jacques would go on to have plenty of problems of their own, ended only when the life of the Princess was cut short not long after succeeding her father as Sovereign Princess of Monaco. However, the marriage was an extremely significant event as it made Princess Louise-Hippolyte the mother of a whole new branch of the Grimaldi princely house. Despite their problems Princess Louise-Hippolyte and Prince Jacques had nine children together, though two did not long survive. Because of their marriage the rule of the Grimaldi family in Monaco would go on in the person of their oldest (surviving) son who in due time became Prince Honore III of Monaco.

The Date is Set

HSH Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock have officially set a date for their upcoming wedding. The happy event will start next year on July 8 with a civil ceremony, at the Princely Palace we presume, with a religious ceremony the following day, July 9, presumably at St Nicholas Cathedral. The staff at the palace are already very busy making the preparations for what will be the first such event held in the principality in decades. We can only hope that a proper balance will be struck to share the happy occasion with everyone while keeping it intimate and joyful for the happy couple as well. As many know the wedding of the late Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, while it looked very glamorous and so like a fairy tale from the outside, was not a very pleasant experience for the couple who, they revealed later, felt positively suffocated by all the cameras, photographers and general horde of media that descended on their little Mediterranean paradise. We can hope for things to be at least a little bit calmer this time around considering that Charlene does not have the same pre-marriage celebrity status that Princess Grace did as an international movie star and, perhaps, because Charlene is already a familiar face around Monaco having been part of their lives, as she has been part of that of the Sovereign Prince for some time now. In any event, we can only hope things go smoothly, the time will certainly fly by for those doing the planning and we can all look forward to a grand wedding in true Monegasque style which has long been wished for by many.

Spouse Searching in Monaco

With everyone gearing up for the day when HSH Prince Albert II makes Miss Charlene Wittstock his Princess consort of Monaco, it might be fun to look back on how some of the past lords of ‘The Rock’ have hit or missed their mark in trying to find that certain special lady. The first lords of Monaco all stuck to their same background and did not go too far to find romance, most marrying the daughters of the prominent families of the Italian Riviera. After Prince Honore II aligned Monaco with France this trend began to change as he was intent on arranging a French marriage for his son and heir Prince Louis I. The final choice was Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont, a very lively, famously beautiful and high born girl.

She was one of the more colorful princesses of Monaco to say the least. In time their marriage existed almost exclusively in law but the couple did have six children together so the succession was secured at the very least. The next was Marie de Lorraine, another well bred French beauty who seemed the total opposite of her husband, the formidable Prince Antoine I. They had no male heirs and both had their affairs but in those days divorce was almost unspeakable and they finally settled down together. The marriage of their daughter, heiress to the Monegasque throne, was arranged to Jacques de Mantignon. Their marriage was a fruitful one, seemingly ideal, but actually far from happy.

Prince Honore III reverted to marrying an Italian lady, and one he went to great lengths to capture. There were children but, alas, not a happy marriage as the princess ended up running away with the Prince de Conde after the outbreak of the French Revolution. Next, however, a French princess returned in the person of Maria Caroline Gibert de Lametz, the first Princess of Monaco to be an actress which is how she met Prince Florestan I, himself a player on the stage. She was a remarkable woman and a pillar of strength for her husband but greatly underappreciated by the population at large. Nonetheless, she played a *major* role in the long-term success of the principality.

Next, Monaco received its first Belgian consort with Antoinette de Merode-Westerloo who had a very successful and happy marriage with Prince Charles III, to whom she was infinitely devoted. Prince Albert I became the first Prince of Monaco to marry a British national when he wed Lady Mary Victoria Douglas-Hamilton, though she was never consort as their short marriage fell apart before Albert came to the throne. His next wife was the first American princess of Monaco, Alice Heine of New Orleans, who made Monaco a social and cultural center in Europe but whose marriage also ended in divorce. The next princess consort was one of the shortest when the aging Prince Louis II married the French actress Ghislaine Marie Françoise Dommanget whom he doted on for the last three years of his life. She was not too enthusiastically received by the rest of the family.

Finally, and most famously, came the second American and third actress to be Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly. It would be hard to overstate her impact on Monaco, not so much because of any particular thing she did but simply by the international attention, glamour and famous names she attracted to the principality. A legend in her own time, famously sacrificing career for family, her tragic death ensured that her memory would achieve mythic status in Monaco and around the world (there was even a short-lived effort to canonize her).

Now, the world is waiting anxiously for the day the Charlene Wittstock joins the ranks of the princess consorts of Monaco. She will be the first princess to be born on the African continent and the first to come from a primarily athletic background. How she will fill the part remains to be seen but she has already put in a great deal of effort preparing for the ‘job’ and after so much time together both Charlene and her Prince should certainly know each other well enough to know what to expect from each other. May they have nothing but the best and I do hope that the future Princess Charlene of Monaco will be the best consort she possibly can be.　

A Happy Anniversary

It was on this day in 1956 that Hollywood icon and American sweetheart Miss Grace Kelly of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was married to HSH Prince Rainier III, Sovereign Prince of Monaco. Both have departed this life, but that moment remains etched in time, the moment when what seemed like the whole world suddenly descended upon the tiny Principality of Monaco with a fascinated interest. Fortunately, the marriage of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace would go down as one of the most happy and successful in the history of the Grimaldi dynasty.

The Princely Relationship

Any time it seems that a member of the mainstream media scores and interview with Prince Albert, as much as he would like to concentrate on global warming and the polar ice caps the conversation always has to include some talk about marriage and the "pressure" of Albert to marry his girlfriend of 3-years now Charlene Wittstock. Well, I will chime in with my two cents on this most popular of subjects. I am an admittedly old-fashioned sort and there is nothing I would like better than to see Prince Albert properly married and having a family of his own, ideally with a son to succeed him on the Princely throne. However, I am also not going to criticize the Prince because this has not happened. Because, to be blunt about it, my opinion does not matter and what I would prefer makes no difference.

The question has been asked whether I (with my traditional values) approve of the Prince's behavior. My response to this is always the same; does he want or require my approval? Obviously, most definitely not, nor that of any other person. Further, as much as I would like to see the Prince married and having a family of his own, I would be much more distressed to see yet another failed Grimaldi marriage, another divorce and another divided family. It seems to me that it would be better for the Prince to remain unmarried if that is a state in life he is not prepared for or not fully committed to. The Prince is also much younger than most of the other sovereigns of Europe and has grown up in an atmosphere very different than that of the previous generation which emphasized duty first and foremost. Today the prevailing attitude is to emphasize personal happiness above all else. Now, one can agree or disagree with this change in attitudes, but that change is not the fault of Prince Albert nor can he be blamed for the prevailing climate his generation was born to.

In short, I can have my preferences for what I would like to see for Albert II, for Monaco and the Grimaldi monarchy but at the end of the day it is not for me, or anyone else, to judge. He and Charlene are unmarried, no one is cheating on anyone else, no families are being broken up, no one is being hurt by them keeping their relationship a little on the casual side and I see no reason why anyone should get too worked up about it. I say it would be better for him to be married but it would also be better for him to be unmarried than to be married and divorced or married without being truly committed to it. I have also been asked whether or not the Prince, as an officially Catholic monarch, is setting a good example (invariably by people who already know the answer). That is a little sticky because, we do not know what goes on behind closed doors, nor should we (it is nobody's business but his own) but I would add that, while we are all supposed to do our best to set a good example we are also told in the Good Book not to put our faith in princes. If you're looking for an example to follow, follow Jesus -He was perfect and will never disappoint. Any mere mortal, royal or common, is invariably bound to.

I wish nothing but the best for the Sovereign Prince and while I am in favor of marriage I am also glad that he is not one of those who rush into it unprepared. It is not a decision to take lightly and again, at the end of the day, despite what preferences I may have, it is the Prince's decision, it is his life, his business and the personal lives of others are not for us to judge.

More Bad Signs for the Hanovers

New signs that the marital situation of the Prince and Princess of Hanover are even worse and not about to improve. HRH Prince Ernst August V was photographed again recently with his pramour, now identified as Moroccan publicity-event manager Myriam I. age 41 (the Prince is 55). The two were spotted getting romantic at an elite Austrian ski resort and the Prince is said to be taking legal action against the magazine that first published photos of the pair frolicking in the surf at Phuket, Thailand. It should be noted that the Prince and Princess of Hanover's 11th wedding anniversary is only a few days away and is also Princess Caroline's 53rd birthday. Something tells me this year's anniversary will not be a cause for much celebration for the Hanoverian couple. This has sparked new rumblings about if or when one of the two will file for divorce. It is a shame any time any marriage falls apart, especially when children are involved (thankfully in this case Princess Alexandra seems happy and sheltered with her mother in Monaco) but as far as Prince Ernst's deplorable public flaunting of his wedding vows, unfortunately Mad for Monaco is not the least surprised. Whether the pair divorce or come to some sort of an understanding and remain simply apart, I only hope they can remain cordial and act in such a way as to minimize the damage to Princess Alexandra. Whereas my sympathies are quite naturally with Princess Caroline, it has to be said that she should have known what sort she was getting when she became involved with him in the first place. There's more truth than poetry in the old saying, 'if he cheats with you, he will cheat on you'.

"One day, but not today"

In a recent interview HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco was again asked the question about marriage and his longtime girlfriend Charlene Wittstock. The Prince's response was, "One day, but not today". This is only the latest dodge of the question for the middle-aged monarch who many if not most have given up hope of ever marrying and having a family of his own. Still, given how long his association with Wittstock has lasted there are still those who think that later if not sooner she will be his bride. As for this observer, it is a case of once biten twice shy. Some time ago when there were rumors of an impending engagement and wedding plans underway at the Princely Palace I took the bait and thought this time it would really happen. Of course that turned out to be completely incorrect.

However, when considering this issue it is important to keep a few things in mind. Although it can be debated whether or not young Andrea is being properly prepared to rule or not there is no doubt that, for the time being, the succession is secure with Princess Caroline, Andrea and Pierre all waiting in line. I would also caution against anyone trying to find a case of victimhood between Albert and Charlene. No one is forcing them to do anything and if either of them was unhappy with their relationship I have to believe it would have ended some time ago. There is something to be said for royal-watchers to simply relax and let the Sovereign Prince and his beloved determine their own course -it is their life after all.

Yet, I would also shy away from those who constantly dismiss the whole issue as unimportant and far from pressing. It may not be positively crucial as in times past, but Albert II is no longer a young man. Not an old man certainly, but still not a young man anymore. Were he to marry and have children at this point they would not be of age to succeed on their own for quite some time in which case a regent might be required anyway (and in which case I would think Princess Caroline the ideal choice if, God willing, she's still with us at that distant and hypothetical date). I would like to see the Prince married with children and have a traditional Princely Family for Monaco again as much as anyone; the golden days of Rainier and Grace still live on for that very reason. However, Prince Albert has also learned the hard way that not everyone he trusts has proven themselves trustworthy (not that I am implying anything about miss Wittstock at all!) and that may make him hesitant to walk to the altar as perhaps might the unhappy marriages of others in his family. He may remain the bachelor prince forever or he may follow the example of his late great-grandfather Prince Louis II and surprise everyone with a very late-in-life marriage.

Is the Wettin-Grimaldi Match Over?

The royal rumor mills are getting crowded with stories that the Prince and Princess of Hanover (aka Ernst August V of Hanover and Caroline of Monaco) are on the road to the big "d" (and that's not Dallas, TX). Several magazines and tabloids have already published predictions that the royal marriage is over. Princess Caroline did testify for her husband in his legal trouble with the hotel owner but she has not been seen together with her prince since June and that she and the children have left the family chateau. Princess Caroline has been spending more time in Monaco as of late and considering the romantic record of the Grimaldis another divorce would probably not be earth-shattering news to most people (though we hope each time they will find domestic happiness). The Royal Representative calls to mind the old legend about Lord Rainier I raping a woman who turned out to be a witch and put a curse on the Grimaldi clan that they would never find happiness in love; though this would be good story to come up with to explain things after the fact. The marriage between Caroline and Ernst took some by surprise and may not have been entirely planned as it was a "shotgun marriage" to use the old term, Caroline already being pregnant with Princess Alexandra. I would hope that everything works out and that the rumor mills are wrong again but the stories are getting harder to dismiss. It is, however, nice to see the Hereditary Princess spending more time in Monaco. We will be watching.