Albert II, Prince of Monaco
As Monaco's head of state, Prince Albert II is depicted on coins, including collectors' coins, with very rare exceptions. One of the most recent examples is the €5 silver Prince Albert II commemorative coin, the first commemorative coin with his effigy on it, minted in 2008. On the obverse, the prince is depicted in profile with his name on the top of the coin. On the reverse, the Grimaldi coat of arms appears; around it, the words "Principauté de Monaco" (Principality of Monaco) also appear along with the nominal monetary value of the coin.As the prince, his official shortened title is "His Serene Highness Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco"; this does not include the many other styles claimed by the Grimaldi family.
List of heirs to the Monegasque throne
This list begins with the sole reign of Catalan, Lord of Monaco, whose father Jean (or Giovanni) I first set out a law of succession in his will in 1454. Until 1427 Monaco was effectively a condominium with up to three rulers simultaneously; after Jean I became sole ruler he sought to keep the throne for one person, of the Grimaldi family. This succession included the stipulation that while a woman could inherit if there were no male heirs in her immediate family, she must marry a Grimaldi cousin to keep the inheritance in the family. The first Lady of Monaco, Claudine Grimaldi, abdicated in favour of her cousin and later married him; a later Princess of Monaco, however, would defy this law. It was ignored, however, and the throne continued to pass to their descendants, who adopted the name Grimaldi in place of their own.