Are there still royals in Monaco?
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Prince Albert II is one of the wealthiest royals in the world, with assets valued at more than $1 billion, which include land in Monaco and France. Although Prince Albert does not own the Prince's Palace of Monaco, he does own shares in the "Société des bains de mer de Monaco", which operates Monaco's casino and other entertainment properties in the principality.
Princess Florestine of Monaco
Florestine, according to the rules governing succession to the throne of Monaco, was able to marry without relinquishing her rights. When her grandnephew Louis II, Prince of Monaco, ascended to the Monegasque throne, Florestine's son Wilhelm claimed his rights for his succession to the princely throne of Monaco and the Grimaldi noble titles. However, France had undergone two wars against Germany and did not wish to see German princes ruling the Principality of Monaco. Therefore, France reached an agreement with the principality allowing the illegitimate daughter of Louis II, Charlotte, to be his heir presumptive to the princely throne and Grimaldi noble titles. Charlotte renounced and ceded her rights to the princely throne on 30 May 1944 to her son Rainier who became Rainier III, Prince of Monaco.
Succession to the Monegasque throne
This possibility had two implications, namely that "a") that the throne might fall vacant and Monaco might officially become a protectorate of France should Prince Albert inherit the crown and then die without fathering or adopting a legitimate heir or "b") Prince Albert might adopt an unrelated person as his heir, thereby breaking the genealogical line of the House of Grimaldi. In 2002, changes were made to the Constitution of Monaco which eliminated that concern by excluding adopted children from the line of succession and providing that, if the sovereign has no legitimate child, the crown passes to one of the dynastic siblings of the sovereign or, if not living, to one of their legitimate descendants.
Monégasque dialect
Standard Italian is also a major language in Monaco. Italian nationals make up some 20% of Monaco's 35,000 permanent residents. Italian was the official language of Monaco when it was a protectorate of the Kingdom of Sardinia, from 1814 to 1861, leaving a legacy in some Monégasque words. Indeed, for a long time after the Renaissance, Monaco was the most westerly part on the Mediterranean coast of the Republic of Genoa.
Council of Government
The Council of Government of Monaco is the Prince's governing body.
It consists of six members:
Princess Marie Amelie of Baden
In 1869, her only daughter Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton married Prince Albert (later Albert I), son and heir of Charles III, Prince of Monaco. The union was unhappy, however, and Mary left Monaco and her husband after giving birth to an heir, Louis II. The marriage was annulled in 1880. She later married the Hungarian magnate Prince Tasziló Festetics, living from that point onwards mainly in her husband's native country. Through Mary, Marie is the great-great-grandmother of the current reigning prince of Monaco, Albert II. 
The Duke and Duchess of Hamilton had the following issue, two sons and one daughter:
Prince's Palace of Monaco
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the palace and its owners became symbols of the slightly risqué glamour and decadence that were associated with Monte Carlo and the French Riviera. Glamour and theatricality became reality when the American film star Grace Kelly became chatelaine of the palace in 1956. In the 21st century, the palace remains the residence of the current Prince of Monaco.
Military of Monaco
Of a similar size to the Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers, the Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince has a total force of 116, consisting of three officers, 15 non-commissioned officers and 98 enlisted men (there are also 14 civilian employees). The officers have usually trained and served with the French military. Its primary duty is the defence of the Prince and the Prince's Palace in the Monaco-Ville (old town) quartier of Monaco. By extension, it also has a role in guarding members of the judiciary, who administer justice in the name of the Prince.
France–Monaco relations
In 1962, Monaco's refusal to impose a tax on both its residents and international businesses caused problems in relations. However, it was resolved with an agreement that French citizens with less than five years of residence in Monaco and companies doing more than 25 percent of their business outside the country would be taxed at French rates. The crisis also led a new constitution and the restoration of the National Council. Amongst the edicts of the new constitution are the prince's nomination of a Council of Government that consists of a Minister of State who is a French citizen and selected for a three-year term from a group of senior French civil servants selected by the French government. They are the prince's representative and are in charge of foreign relations, directs executive services, the police and the Council of Government. They also choose three council members: one to take care of the economy and finances; one for Home Affairs; and, one for social affairs. All ministers are accountable to Monaco's prince.
Louis II, Prince of Monaco
Louis II (12 July 1870 – 9 May 1949) was Prince of Monaco from 1922 to 1949.
Caroline, Princess of Hanover
Albert's lack of legitimate children until the 2010s prompted Prince Rainier III to change the constitution so as to ensure there would be a successor to the throne, which strengthened the places of Caroline and her descendants in the line of succession. On 2 April 2002, Monaco passed Princely Law 1.249, which provides that if the Sovereign Prince assumes the throne and then dies without a legitimate direct heir, the throne will pass to his dynastic siblings and their descendants according to the rule of male-preference cognatic primogeniture. The law was then ratified by France, as required by a 1918 Franco-Monégasque Treaty, on 4 October 2005. Before this change, the crown of Monaco could pass only to a descendant of the last reigning prince, excluding such collateral relations as siblings, nephews, and nieces.Caroline is usually referred to and addressed by the female form of the higher style attributed (by tradition) to her husband, i.e. "Her Royal Highness The Princess of Hanover", rather than by her own legal but lower title that, until 10 December 2014, was "Her Serene Highness The Hereditary Princess of Monaco". Historically, styles associated with kingdoms, such as Ernst August's, have been deemed of higher rank and status than those associated with principalities.
Monaco succession crisis of 1918
Duke Wilhelm von Urach, along with the other adult descendants of Princess Florestine, renounced their dynastic rights in 1924, but did so in favor of a French cousin, Léonor Guigues de Moreton, "comte" de Chabrillan, who was descended from Prince Joseph of Monaco. The count was a more remote, female-line descendant of the Grimaldi dynasty, and was next in line to the Monégasque throne after the Urachs according to the pre-1920 order of succession. Thus, while the duke voluntarily withdrew as a claimant to Monaco's throne (he had also been considered for the thrones of Lithuania and Alsace-Lorraine, although these monarchical opportunities never materialized), he did not choose to recognize Monaco's "selected" heir – perhaps unsurprisingly, since the 1918 law and treaty directly intruded upon his hereditary rights, excluding him from a throne for no personal act of dereliction on his part, and without compensation ("cf." Prince Ingolf of Denmark).
Prince's Palace of Monaco
By the time of Charles III's death in 1889, Monaco and Monte Carlo were synonymous as one and the same place, and had acquired, through gambling, a reputation as a louche and decadent playground of the rich. It attracted everyone from Russian grand dukes and railway magnates, often with their mistresses, to adventurers, causing the small country to be derided by many including Queen Victoria. In fact so decadent was Monaco considered that from 1882, when she first began visiting the French Riviera, Queen Victoria refused to make a courtesy social call at the palace. The contemporary writer Sabine Baring-Gould described the habituées of Monaco as "the moral cesspool of Europe."
Vehicle registration plates of Monaco
Vehicle registration plates of Monaco are unusually small (a few centimeters smaller than an American license plate), and are composed of four numbers and/or letters. The plates are colored blue font on a white background and have the coat of arms of Monaco on the left side with the year number (on the rear plate only) to attest that tax has been paid. All plates starting with "000" belong to the family of Albert II, Prince of Monaco.
Monaco
The official language of Monaco is French, while Italian is spoken by the principality's sizeable community from Italy. Thus, French and Italian supplants Monegasque, the vernacular language of the Monegasques, which is not recognized as an official language; English is used by American, British, Anglo-Canadian, and Irish residents.
The Grimaldi, princes of Monaco, have Ligurian origin, thus, the traditional national language is Monégasque, a variety of Ligurian, now spoken by only a minority of residents and as a common second language by many native residents. In Monaco-Ville, street signs are printed in both French and Monégasque.
Honoré IV, Prince of Monaco
Honoré IV (17 May 1758 – 16 February 1819) was Prince of Monaco and Duke of Valentinois from 12 March 1795 to 16 February 1819. He was the son of Prince Honoré III by his wife, Maria Caterina Brignole, a Genoese noblewoman. After the fall of Napoleon I, he regained control of the principality thanks to a clause added by Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord at the Congress of Vienna stating that, " "the Prince of Monaco should return to his estates"", and passed on his titles to his eldest son, Honoré V, Prince of Monaco.
Monaco
Monaco's total population was 38,400 in 2015. Monaco's population is unusual in that the native Monégasques are a minority in their own country: the largest group are French nationals at 28.4%, followed by Monégasque (21.6%), Italian (18.7%), British (7.5%), Belgian (2.8%), German (2.5%), Swiss (2.5%) and U.S. nationals (1.2%).
Succession to the Monegasque throne
Under the constitution of Monaco, the crown passes according to male-preference cognatic primogeniture. Only persons descended from the reigning monarch and the reigning monarch's siblings and their descendants, whose parents have been married at some point with the monarch's approval, and who are Monegasque citizens are eligible. Children born as a result of adultery are permanently excluded. A dynast forfeits succession rights if he or she marries without the monarch's permission, along with descendants of the unapproved marriage, but can be restored into the line of succession if the marriage produces no issue and ends before the demise of the crown.
History of Monaco
In 2002, a new treaty between France and Monaco clarifies that if there are no heirs to carry on the dynasty, the Principality will remain an independent nation, rather than be annexed by France. Monaco's military defense, however, is still the responsibility of France.
Prince's Palace of Monaco
The Grimaldi's occupation of their palace is also unusual because, unlike other European ruling families, the absence of alternative palaces and land shortages have resulted in their use of the same residence for more than seven centuries. Thus, their fortunes and politics are directly reflected in the evolution of the palace. Whereas the Romanovs, Bourbons, and Habsburgs could, and frequently did, build completely new palaces, the most the Grimaldi could achieve when enjoying good fortune, or desirous of change, was to build a new tower or wing, or, as they did more frequently, rebuild an existing part of the palace. Thus, the Prince's Palace reflects the history not only of Monaco, but of the family which in 1997 celebrated 700 years of rule from the same palace.
Napoleon Museum (Monaco)
The museum, which was attached to the Prince of Monaco's palace, contained a collection assembled by Prince Louis II, the great grandfather of the present Prince of Monaco. The collection contained numerous possessions of the Emperor including letters and documents pertaining to his reign and conquest of Europe and relics from his exile and imprisonment on Saint Helena. Also included in the collection was clothing that belonged to Napoleon's son, the King of Rome.
Monaco succession crisis of 1918
In 1930 the Chicago Daily Tribune reported that Wilhelm's third son Albrecht had met with French officials in Paris, hoping to be approved by them as Louis' heir. " 'He believes that the scandal surrounding Princess Charlotte's divorce "will help him win his case." He is now in Paris in "an attempt to make good his claim". .. The Urach branch of the family assert "that according to the Monaco constitution such an adoption becomes illegal until all members of the family approve it." The Urachs, a "German branch of the family," said they were never asked for their approval and "never approved of the adoption".' "
Monaco
Under the 1962 constitution, the prince shares his veto power with the unicameral National Council. The 24 members of the National Council are elected for five-year terms; 16 are chosen through a majority electoral system and 8 by proportional representation. All legislation requires the approval of the National Council, which is currently dominated by the conservative Rally and Issues for Monaco (REM) party which holds 20 seats. Union Monégasque holds three seats while Renaissance holds one seat. The principality's city affairs are directed by the Communal Council, which consists of 14 elected members and is presided over by a mayor. Unlike the National Council, councillors are elected for four-year terms, and are strictly non-partisan; however, oppositions inside the council frequently form.
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.
Crown jewels
Monaco features a heraldic crown on its coat-of-arms, but does not possess any crown jewels or regalia per se.
Prince's Palace of Monaco
Albert was succeeded in 1922 by his son Louis II. Louis II had been brought up by his mother and stepfather, HSH Prince Tasziló Festetics de Tolna, in Germany, and did not know Monaco at all until he was 11. He had a distant relationship with his father and served in the French Army. While posted abroad, he met his mistress Marie Juliette Louvet, by whom he had a daughter, Charlotte Louise Juliette, born in Algeria in 1898. As Prince of Monaco, Louis II spent much time elsewhere, preferring to live on the family estate of Le Marchais close to Paris. In 1911 Prince Louis had a law passed legitimising his daughter so that she could inherit the throne, in order to prevent its passing to a distant German branch of the family. The law was challenged and developed into what became known as Monaco succession crisis. Finally in 1919 the prince formally adopted his illegitimate daughter Charlotte, who became known as Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois. Louis II's collection of artefacts belonging to Napoleon I form the foundation of the Napoleon Museum at the palace, which is open to the public.
List of Monégasque consorts
Consorts of Monaco were women married to the Lords of Monaco and later the Sovereign Princes of Monaco during their reigns.
Succession to the Monegasque throne
Until 2002, the crown of Monaco could only pass to the direct descendants, including adopted children, of the reigning prince. As a result, Princess Antoinette was not in the line of succession and Princesses Caroline and Stéphanie would have lost their places in line at the moment of Prince Albert's accession, and there would be no further dynasts eligible to succeed to the throne.
Devota
The “Legend of Saint Devota” is one of the Principality of Monaco’s oldest traditions – it has influenced national culture in fields as diverse as religion, folklore and popular beliefs, history, literature, the arts, painting, music, coins and stamps. This legend, passed on through a medieval document, holds a special place in the heart of Monaco's people and over the centuries has been awarded a permanent place in the city's history.
Reports of miracles soon sprung in connection with the tomb. During incursions by Moors, Devota's relics were translated to safety at the monastery of Cimiez. They were returned to Monaco, to a church restored much later by Antonio I, prince of Monaco.
Monaco
Rainier III, who ruled until 2005, succeeded to the throne following the death of his grandfather, Prince Louis II, in 1949. On 19 April 1956, Prince Rainier married the American actress Grace Kelly; the event was widely televised and covered in the popular press, focusing the world's attention on the tiny principality.
Military of Monaco
Two full-time militarized armed forces exist under the control of the Department of the Interior. One is the Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers de Monaco, and the other is the Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince. Both units are key to the "ORMOS Red Plan" which makes provision for the evacuation of Monaco in case of natural disaster or civil emergency.
Politics of Monaco
The politics of Monaco take place within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, with the Prince of Monaco as head of state, with some powers devolved to several advisory and legislative bodies.
Orders, decorations, and medals of Monaco
There are four orders and four decorations of Monaco. These are:These are awarded by the Prince of Monaco, currently Albert II, Prince of Monaco.
Louis II, Prince of Monaco
While Prince Louis' sympathies were strongly pro-French, he tried to keep Monaco neutral during World War II but supported the Vichy France government of his old army colleague, Marshal Pétain. Nonetheless, his tiny principality was tormented by domestic conflict partly as a result of Louis' indecisiveness and also because the majority of the population was of Italian descent and they supported the fascist regime of Italy's Benito Mussolini. In 1943, the Italian Army invaded and occupied Monaco. Shortly thereafter, following Mussolini's collapse in Italy, the German army occupied Monaco and began the deportation of the Jewish population. Among them was René Blum, founder of the Opera, who died in Auschwitz, a Nazi concentration camp. Under Prince Louis' secret orders, the Monaco police, often at great risk to themselves, warned people in advance that the Gestapo was about to arrest them.
Louis II, Prince of Monaco
Following the liberation of Monaco by the Allied forces, the 75-year-old Prince Louis did little for his principality and it began to fall into severe neglect. By 1946, he was spending most of his time in Paris and on 24–27 July of that year, he married in Monaco for the first time. His wife was Ghislaine Dommanget (1900–91), a French film actress and former wife of actor André Brulé. Absent from Monaco during most of the final years of his reign, he and his wife lived at Marchais, the family estate near Paris.
Rainier III, Prince of Monaco
Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005) ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest ruling monarchs in European history.
Though internationally known for his marriage to American actress Grace Kelly, he was also responsible for reforms to Monaco's constitution and for expanding the principality's economy beyond its traditional casino gambling base. Gambling accounts for only approximately three percent of the nation's annual revenue today; when Rainier ascended the throne in 1949, it accounted for more than 95 percent.
History of Monaco
The Prince of Monaco was an absolute ruler until the Monegasque Revolution of 1910 forced him to proclaim a constitution in 1911.
A Look at Monaco
The film includes a tour of the Prince's Palace of Monaco conducted by Princess Grace, a visit to the Monaco Zoo with the Princess and her family, the princely couple attending the Opéra de Monte-Carlo with his father, Prince Pierre, and his sister, Princess Antoinette. The film also shows Grace visiting an orphanage and Grace and Rainier attending mass at the Monaco Cathedral.
Monaco
In 2002, a new treaty between France and Monaco specified that, should there be no heirs to carry on the Grimaldi dynasty, the principality would still remain an independent nation rather than revert to France. Monaco's military defence, however, is still the responsibility of France.
Prince's Palace of Monaco
Monaco's history predates the Roman occupation of AD 122. Its large natural harbour ensured a steady stream of visitors from Byblos, Tyre, and Sidon. Later the Phoenicians came to trade silk, oil, and spices with the natives. It was the Phoenicians who introduced to this area of the Mediterranean their god Melkart, later known by the Romans as "Hercules Monoikos". It was after this god that the Romans renamed the area "Portus Hercules Moneici", which has evolved to the present name of Monaco.
The seat of the Prince of Monaco was established on the Rocher de Monaco ("Illustration 5") as a fortress in 1191 when the harbour, that is today lined by Monte Carlo, was acquired by the Republic of Genoa. The harbour and its immediate area were given to the Genoese by the Emperor Henry IV with the proviso that the Genoese protect the coastline from piracy. Further territory was ceded to the new owners by the Council of Peille and the Abbaye de Saint Pons. In 1215 work began on a new fortress, comprising four towers connected by ramparts protected by a curtain wall. This forms the core of the present palace.
Monaco
Of interest to numismatists, in Monaco the euro was introduced in 2002, having been preceded by the Monégasque franc. In preparation for this date, the minting of the new euro coins started as early as 2001. Like Belgium, Finland, France, the Netherlands, and Spain, Monaco decided to put the minting date on its coins. This is why the first euro coins from Monaco have the year 2001 on them, instead of 2002, like the other countries of the Eurozone that decided to put the year of first circulation (2002) on their coins. Three different designs were selected for the Monégasque coins. However, in 2006, the design was changed after the death of ruling Prince Rainier to have the effigy of Prince Albert.
Rainier III, Prince of Monaco
As Prince of Monaco, Rainier was also responsible for the principality's new constitution in 1962 which significantly reduced the power of the sovereign. (He suspended the previous constitution in 1959, saying that it "has hindered the administrative and political life of the country.") The changes ended autocratic rule, placing power with the prince and a National Council of eighteen elected members.
Rainier III, Prince of Monaco
Rainier was born at Prince's Palace in Monaco, the only son of Prince Pierre of Monaco, Duke of Valentinois and his wife, the Monegasque Hereditary Princess, Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois. Rainier was the first native-born hereditary prince of Monaco since Honoré IV in 1758. Rainier's mother was the only child of Prince Louis II of Monaco and Marie Juliette Louvet; she was later legitimized through formal adoption and subsequently named heir presumptive to the throne of Monaco. Rainier's father was a half-French, half-Mexican who adopted his wife's surname, Grimaldi, upon marriage and was made a prince of Monaco by Prince Louis, his father-in-law. Rainier had one sibling, Princess Antoinette, Baroness of Massy.
Prince's Palace of Monaco
Honoré II was a francophile. Following his education in Milan, he had been cultivated by the intellectual salons of Paris. Thus, having close affinities with France both culturally and politically, he rebelled against the Spanish presence in Monaco. While he realised that Monaco needed the protection of another power, France was Honoré II's favoured choice. In 1641, heavily supported by the French, he attacked the Spanish garrison and expelled the Spanish, declaring "the glorious liberty of Monaco". The liberty mentioned was entirely dependent on France, as Monaco now entered a period as a protectorate of France which would last until 1814. As a result of this action Honoré II is today regarded as the hero of Monaco.
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
Under the current constitution neither Jazmin nor Alexandre is in the line of succession as they are not Prince Albert's legitimate children, and he emphasized their ineligibility to inherit the throne in statements confirming his paternity. Monegasque law stipulates that any non-adulterine illegitimate child is legitimised by the eventual marriage of his/her parents, thereupon obtaining the rights to which that child would have been entitled if born in lawful marriage. Thus Alexandre would have become Monaco's heir apparent under current law if Albert were to marry his son's mother. But in a 2005 exchange with American reporter Larry King, Albert stated that this would not happen.
Prince's Palace of Monaco
Prince Rainier III was responsible for not only turning around the fortune and reputation of Monaco but also for overseeing the restoration of the palace. Upon his accession in 1949 Prince Rainier III immediately began a program of renovation and restoration. Many of the external frescoes on the courtyard were restored, while the southern wing, destroyed following the French revolution, was rebuilt. This is the part of the palace where the ruling family have their private apartments. The wing also houses the Napoleon Museum and the archives.
Fürst
The present-day rulers of the sovereign principality of bear the title of ', and the title is also used in German when referring to the ruling princes of Monaco. The hereditary rulers of the one-time principalities of Bulgaria, Serbia, Montenegro, and Albania were also all referred to in German as ' before they eventually assumed the title of "king" (").
Burial sites of European monarchs and consorts
Principality since 1633. All princes were buried in Monaco cathedral. Some graves no longer exist, as the former cathedral had been destroyed.
Prince's Palace of Monaco
The Prince's Palace of Monaco is the official residence of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. Built in 1191 as a Genoese fortress, during its long and often dramatic history it has been bombarded and besieged by many foreign powers. Since the end of the 13th century, it has been the stronghold and home of the Grimaldi family who first captured it in 1297. The Grimaldi ruled the area first as feudal lords, and from the 17th century as sovereign princes, but their power was often derived from fragile agreements with their larger and stronger neighbours.
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
As Rainier III's health declined, his son's lack of legitimate children became a matter of public and political concern owing to the legal and international consequences. Had Prince Albert succeeded his father and died without lawful heirs, it would have triggered Article 3 of the 1918 Franco-Monegasque Treaty, according to which the Principality of Monaco would become a protectorate of the French Republic. Prior to 2002, Monaco's constitution stipulated that only the last reigning prince's "direct and legitimate" descendants could inherit the crown.
Monaco
Monaco is so old that it has outlived many of the nations and institutions that it has had relations with. The Crown of Aragon and Republic of Genoa became a part of other countries, as did the Kingdom of Sardinia. Honoré II, Prince of Monaco secured recognition of his independent sovereignty from Spain in 1633, and then from Louis XIII of France by the Treaty of Péronne (1641).
City-state
The Principality of Monaco is an independent city-state. Monaco-Ville (the ancient fortified city) and Monaco's well-known area Monte Carlo are districts of a continuous urban zone, not distinct cities, though they were three separate municipalities ("communes") until 1917. The Principality of Monaco and the city of Monaco (each having specific powers) govern the same territory. Though they maintain a small military, they would still have to rely on France for defence in the face of an aggressive world power.
Monaco
In 1793, Revolutionary forces captured Monaco and it remained under direct French control until 1814, when the Grimaldi family returned to the throne.
Hereditary Prince of Monaco
The Hereditary Prince(ss) of Monaco is the title given to the heir apparent or heir presumptive of the Monegasque throne, since its official creation on 15 May 1882. Traditionally, a male Hereditary Prince is also given the title Marquis of Baux. Like the Reigning Sovereign Prince and all other members of the Princely Family, the Hereditary Prince or Hereditary Princess is styled His or Her Serene Highness.
List of rulers of Monaco
The Grimaldis used the title of Lord until 1612. Then, Lord Honoré II started using the title of Prince, thereby becoming the first Prince of Monaco. Afterwards, Honoré II secured recognition of his independent sovereignty from Spain in 1633, and then from France by the Treaty of Péronne in 1641. Since then the area has remained under the control of the Grimaldi family to the present day, except when under French control from 24 February 1793 to 17 May 1814.
Politics of Monaco
There are no first-order administrative divisions in the principality, which is instead traditionally divided into four quarters (French: "quartiers", singular "quartier"): Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville and Monte-Carlo, with the suburb Moneghetti (part of La Condamine) colloquially seen as an unofficial, fifth quarter. They have a joint Communal Council of Monaco.
National Day of Monaco
The National Day of Monaco (, literally Prince's holiday) also known as The Sovereign Prince's Day is currently annually celebrated on 19 November.
Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation
The Prince Albert II Foundation (Official name: Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco ) is a Monaco-based charity which has donated millions in various environmental projects. The Foundation was initially created in 2006 by Prince Albert II of Monaco and it concentrates on environmental protection, sustainable development, climate change and the promotion of renewable energies as well as biodiversity. The Foundation supports also projects which develop water resource management or desertification control technologies.
Wilhelm Karl, Duke of Urach
Through his mother, Wilhelm was a legitimate heir to the throne of Monaco. Wilhelm's cousin Prince Albert I of Monaco had only one son, Louis, who was unmarried and had no legitimate children. The French Republic, however, was reluctant to see a German prince ruling Monaco. Under French pressure, Monaco passed a law in 1911 recognising Louis's illegitimate daughter, Charlotte, as heir; she was adopted in 1918 by her grandfather Prince Albert I as part of the Monaco Succession Crisis of 1918. Wilhelm was relegated to third in line to Monaco's throne, behind Louis and Charlotte. Furthermore, in July 1918 France and Monaco signed the Franco-Monegasque Treaty; it required all future princes of Monaco to be French or Monegasque citizens and secure the approval the French government to succeed to the throne. After the accession of Prince Louis II in 1922, Wilhelm renounced his rights of succession to the throne of Monaco in favour of distant French cousins, the counts de Chabrillan, in 1924.
Albert I, Prince of Monaco
Within a year of their marriage, the couple's only child (Louis) was born, but Mary, from the hills of Scotland, disliked Monaco and everything Mediterranean. While Albert was away fighting in the Franco-Prussian war, she left Monaco permanently. The couple divorced and their marriage was annulled by the Church on 3 January 1880, although a special provision was made by the Vatican to allow Louis to remain legitimate in the eyes of the Church. Civilly, the marriage was dissolved on 28 July 1880 by the Order of Prince Charles III. That same year, the former Princess of Monaco remarried in Florence, Italy, to a Hungarian nobleman, Prince Tassilo Festetics von Tolna.
Monaco
Monaco exhibits a wide range of architecture, but the principality's signature style, particularly in Monte Carlo, is that of the Belle Epoque. It finds its most florid expression in the 1878–9 Casino and the Salle Garnier created by Charles Garnier and Jules Dutrou. Decorative elements including turrets, balconies, pinnacles, multi-coloured ceramics and caryatids and borrowed and blended to create a picturesque fantasy of pleasure and luxury, and an alluring expression of how Monaco sought, and still seeks, to portray itself. This capriccio of French, Italian and Spanish elements was incorporated into hacienda villas and apartments. Following major development in the 1970s, Prince Rainier III banned high-rise development in the principality. However, his successor, Prince Albert II, overturned this Sovereign Order. In recent years the accelerating demolition of Monaco's architectural heritage, including its single-family villas, has created dismay. The principality currently has no heritage protection legislation.
Duke of Valentinois
Duke of Valentinois (French: "Duc de Valentinois"; ), formerly Count of Valentinois, is a title of nobility, originally in the French peerage. It is currently one of the many hereditary titles claimed by the Prince of Monaco despite its extinction in French law in 1949. Though it originally indicated administrative control of the Duchy of Valentinois, the duchy has since become part of France, making the title simply one of courtesy.
Monaco at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Monaco competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.
For the first time since 1984, the team did not include Prince Albert of Monaco, who became the ruler of the Principality following the death of his father Rainier III.
Prince's Palace of Monaco
During World War II, Louis attempted to keep Monaco neutral, although his sympathies were with the Vichy French Government. This caused a rift with his grandson Rainier, his daughter's son, and the heir to Louis' throne, who strongly supported the Allies against the Nazis.
Public holidays in Monaco
At times, other public holidays are declared for certain occasions. The birth of Prince Albert II's twins, Princess Gabriella and Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco, has been celebrated in a similar fashion to National Day and 7 January 2015 was declared a public holiday.
List of rulers of Monaco
François Grimaldi seized the Rock of Monaco in 1297, starting the Grimaldi dynasty, under the sovereignty of the Republic of Genoa. The Grimaldis acquired Menton in 1346 and Roquebrune in 1355, enlarging their possessions. These two towns (some 95% of the country's territory) were eventually ceded to France in 1861, according to the Franco-Monegasque Treaty.
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
On 10 December 2014, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene welcomed their first and second child, twins Gabriella Thérèse Marie and Jacques Honoré Rainier. The twins were born at Princess Grace Hospital in La Colle, Monaco. Jacques, as his father's heir-apparent, bears the titles Hereditary Prince of Monaco and Marquis of Baux while Albert has granted Gabriella the title of Countess of Carladès.
Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince
The Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince (Prince's Company of Carabiniers) is the Infantry branch of the "Force Publique", and one of the limited number of militaries that recruits foreigners. Although Monaco's defense is the responsibility of France, Monaco maintains a small force for the protection of the Sovereign and the Prince's Palace. Formed by Prince Honoré IV in 1817, the unit was reorganized in 1909. The company numbers 119 officers and men – while the NCOs and soldiers are local, the officers have generally served in the French Army or the Republican Guard. Along with the "Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers", the Carabiniers form Monaco's total public forces.
Jazmin Grace Grimaldi
Out-of-wedlock children are not in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne according to Article 10 of the Constitution of Monaco, which specifies that only "direct and legitimate" descendants of Monaco's monarch (or of the monarch's siblings) may inherit the throne. Because her mother's divorce proceedings were not finalized by the time of Grimaldi's birth, Grimaldi is legally the product of adultery and cannot be legitimated through the subsequent marriage of her biological parents.
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
On 2 April 2002, Monaco promulgated Princely Law 1.249, which provides that if a reigning prince dies without surviving legitimate issue, the throne passes to his legitimate siblings and their legitimate descendants of both sexes, according to the principle of male-preference primogeniture. Following Albert's accession, this law took full effect in 2005 when ratified by France, pursuant to the Franco-Monégasque Treaty regulating relations between the Principality and its neighbor. Prince Albert's sisters and their legitimate children thereby retained the right to inherit the Monegasque throne, which they would have otherwise lost upon the death of Prince Rainier.
Monarchy of Monaco
The Prince is styled "His Serene Highness". Although used only formally, the Prince also bears several other hereditary titles, some of which are occasionally bestowed on his relatives or their spouses. Some of these titles have merged with the Crown of Monaco as a result of the Grimaldi family's acquisition of various fiefs; they no longer imply ownership or territorial authority, although the Princes of Monaco have long been substantial owners of land and in France. Most were granted or recognised by the Kingdom of France or the Papal States and could only pass through the male line; they therefore became extinct as French dignities on the death of Albert's great-grandfather Prince Louis II in 1949. Thereafter, some of these titles were implicitly re-created as distinctly Monegasque titles. The father of Prince Rainier III was Pierre Grimaldi, Duke of Valentinois, "né" Count Pierre de Polignac, whose legitimate male-line descendants (including Rainier III "et al.") remain remotely in the line of succession for the French dukedom of Polignac).
Monaco succession crisis of 1918
The duke, a descendant through a morganatic marriage of the royal family of Württemberg, was the elder son of Albert's aunt, Princess Florestine of Monaco. Although he was ineligible to inherit the crown of his patrilineal ancestors in Germany, given the line of succession to the Monegasque throne at that time, there was every likelihood that the principality would pass by lawful inheritance into Wilhelm's "German hands" upon the death of Prince Louis. However, given the bitter relations between France and Germany at that time – a socio-political legacy of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71 and then of World War I – France deemed it unacceptable for a country over which it had exercised "de facto" or "de jure" hegemony, intermittently since the 17th century and consistently for half a century, to fall into the hands of a German aristocrat.
Prince's Palace of Monaco
Jean II was succeeded by his brother Lucien I. Peace did not reign in Monaco for long; in December 1506 14,000 Genoese troops besieged Monaco and its castle, and for five months 1,500 Monégasques and mercenaries defended the Rocher before achieving victory in March 1507. This left Lucien I to walk a diplomatic tightrope between France and Spain in order to preserve the fragile independence of the tiny state which was in truth subject to Spain. Lucien immediately set about repairing the ravages of war to the fortified palace which had been damaged by heavy bombardment. To the main wing (see "Illustrations 3 & 7" – H to M ), built by Prince Lambert and extended during the reign of Jean II, he now added a large wing (H to C) which today houses the state apartments.
House of Grimaldi
By convention, sovereign European houses are reckoned in the male line. Therefore, since 1731, it has been determined genealogically that it was in fact the French noble that ruled as Princes of Monaco until 1949. However, one of the terms of James de Goyon de Matignon becoming Prince of Monaco "jure uxoris" was that he adopt the name and arms of Grimaldi so that the house would be preserved on the throne, and the right of succession was through his wife Louise-Hippolyte Grimaldi, who abdicated in her husband's favour. Similarly, when Charlotte Louvet was legitimised in 1911 and made successor to Monaco, her husband, Count Pierre de Polignac, adopted, as a condition of the marriage, the name and arms of Grimaldi. In this way the "Grimaldi" name and arms were continued. There is a branch of the Grimaldi family in England who believe they have more right to the throne as they are descended from an all-male line from Alessandro Maria Grimaldi, an exile from Genoa, himself a direct descendant of Otto Canella, the father of Grimaldo Canella, who started the patronymic "Grimaldi."
Monarchy of Monaco
The Prince or Princess of Monaco exercises his or her authority in accordance with the Constitution and laws. He or she represents the Principality in foreign relations and any revision, either total or partial, of the Constitution must be jointly agreed to by the Prince and the National Council.
Louis II, Prince of Monaco
For a number of months in 1944, communists participated in the Liberation administration of Monaco and it is a moot point to debate how strong a position Louis II was in, in 1944, to resist any attempts to abolish the monarchy in Monaco.
Prince's Palace of Monaco
The successive rulers of Monaco tended to live elsewhere and visit their palace only occasionally. Charles III was succeeded in 1889 by Albert I. Albert married Lady Mary Victoria Douglas-Hamilton, a daughter of Scotland's 11th duke of Hamilton, and his German wife, a princess of Baden. The couple had one son, Louis, before their marriage was annulled in 1880. Albert was a keen scientist and founded the Oceanographic Institute in 1906; as a pacifist he then founded the International Institute of Peace in Monaco. Albert's second wife, Alice Heine, an American banking heiress who was the widow of a French duke, did much to turn Monte Carlo into a cultural centre, establishing both ballet and the opera in the city. Having brought a large dowry into the family she contemplated turning the casino into a convalescent home for the poor who would benefit from recuperation in warm climes. The couple, however, separated before Alice was able to put her plan into action.
Prince's Palace of Monaco
During the late 17th century and early 18th century, while Monaco was officially an independent state, it was in reality a province of France. Its rulers spent much of their time at the French court, in this way resembling the absentee landlords so prevalent at the time amongst the French aristocracy. The lure of Versailles was greater than that of their own country.
Orders, decorations, and medals of Montenegro
The Kingdom of Montenegro issued its own royal awards up until the monarchy's abolition in 1918. Today, the head of Montenegrin Royal House, Prince Nicholas of Montenegro, has continued to award dynastic honours and this practice is recognised by the Montenegrin State. The three dynastic Orders bestowed by the Royal House are:
Alice Heine
The Prince and Princess of Monaco separated judicially on May 30, 1902 (Monaco) and June 3, 1902 (France), but remained married. Upon the prince's death 20 years later, Alice became the Dowager Princess of Monaco. She did not remarry.
List of diplomatic missions in Monaco
This page lists diplomatic missions resident in Monaco. At present, the Principality hosts three embassies. Due to the renegotiation of the treaty governing relations with France, Monaco is now able to receive and send ambassadors in its own right rather than being restricted to consular relations with other countries. Monaco is therefore in the process of establishing full diplomatic relations with other countries, and grants accreditation to new ambassadors on a regular basis. Some countries, while accrediting an ambassador from Paris, conduct day-to-day relations and provide consular services from Consulates General in nearby French cities, such as Marseille or Nice, or employ Honorary Consuls.
List of political parties in Monaco
The following is a list of political parties in Monaco. Traditionally Monaco is a one party dominant state with the National and Democratic Union (now, Rally & Issues) in power. Opposition parties were widely considered nonexistent. However, following the 2003 parliamentary election, the Union for Monaco (now, Union Monegasque), a coalition of two parties, won 21 of the 24 seats in the National Council. Following the 2013 parliamentary election, however, Horizon Monaco, a coalition of, Rally & Issues, Synergie Monegasque and Union for the Principality, held the majority of parliamentary seats. Since 2016 a majority of the former ruling coalition have defected from the Horizon Monaco coalition and formed the New Majority coalition in partnership with Renaissance and this coalition now controls the National Council under the leadership of Christophe Steiner.
Prince's Palace of Monaco
In 1701, Prince Antoine succeeded Louis I and inherited an almost bankrupt Monaco, though he did further embellish the Royal Room. On its ceiling, Gregorio de Ferrari and Alexandre Haffner depicted a figure of Fame surrounded by lunettes illustrating the four seasons.
Antoine's marriage to Marie of Lorraine was unhappy and yielded only two daughters. Monaco's constitution confined the throne to members of the Grimaldi family alone, and Antoine was thus keen for his daughter Princess Louise-Hippolyte ("Illustration 11") to wed a Grimaldi cousin. However, the state of the Grimaldi fortunes, and the lack of (the politically necessary) approval from King Louis XIV, dictated otherwise. Louise-Hippolyte was married to Jacques de Goyon Matignon, a wealthy aristocrat from Normandy. Louise-Hippolyte succeeded her father as sovereign of Monaco in 1731 but died just months later. The King of France, confirming Monaco's subservient state to France, ignored the protests of other branches of the Grimaldi family, overthrew the Monégasque constitution, and approved the succession of Jacques de Goyon Matignon as Prince Jacques I.
Law enforcement in Monaco
Law enforcement in Monaco is provided by an armed national police force consisting of 515 men and women. With 515 police officers for 35,000 people in 1.98 km², Monaco has the largest police force and police presence in the world on both a per-capita and per-area basis. Its police includes a specialist unit which operates patrol and surveillance boats. There is also a militarized bodyguard unit for the Prince and his palace called the Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince which numbers exactly 116 officers and men, and is equipped with modern weapons including M16 rifles and 9mm pistols, and an armed and well-trained Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers, which provides an extensive civil defense service in support of law enforcement, in addition to its fire and rescue services. In 2006 the assault rate was 407.2 per 100,000 and the rape rate 5.8 per 100,000. The murder rate was 2.91 per 100,000 in 2006.
Albert II, Prince of Monaco
On 31 March 2005, following consultation with the Crown Council of Monaco, the Palais Princier announced that Rainier's son, Hereditary Prince Albert, would take over the duties of his father as regent since Rainier was no longer able to exercise his royal functions. On 6 April 2005, Rainier III died and Albert succeeded him as Albert II.
Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste
On 26 October 2006, Albert II gave an interview to USA television personality Larry King during which he said his children would not be in line for the Monegasque throne but that they would be taken care of financially. They are also heirs to Prince Albert's personal fortune, estimated at more than one billion dollars: Upon joining the Council of Europe on 5 October 2004, Monaco became subject to the European Convention on Human Rights regulations on inheritance rights, in addition to its own national laws, which guarantees familial inheritance for children born out of wedlock.
Prince's Palace of Monaco
Honoré IV died shortly after his throne was restored to him, and structural restoration of the palace began under Honoré V and was continued after his death in 1841 by his brother Prince Florestan. However, by the time of Florestan's accession, Monaco was once again experiencing political tensions caused by financial problems. These resulted from its position as a protectorate of Sardinia, the country to which it had been ceded by France following the end of the Napoleonic wars. Florestan, an eccentric (he had been a professional actor), left the running of Monaco to his wife, Maria Caroline Gibert de Lametz. Despite her attempts to rule, her husband's people were once again in revolt. In an attempt to ease the volatile situation Florestan ceded power to his son Charles, but this came too late to appease the Monégasques. Menton and Roquebrune broke away from Monaco, leaving the Grimaldi's already small country hugely diminished—little more than Monte Carlo.
Monaco
On 31 March 2005, Rainier III, who was too ill to exercise his duties, relinquished them to his only son and heir, Albert. He died six days later, after a reign of 56 years, with his son succeeding him as Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco.
Prince's Palace of Monaco
Thus while other European sovereigns were building luxurious, modern Renaissance and Baroque palaces, politics and common sense demanded that the palace of the Monegasque rulers be fortified. This unique requirement, at such a late stage in history, has made the palace at Monaco one of the most unusual in Europe. Indeed, when its fortifications were finally relaxed during the late 18th century, it was seized by the French and stripped of its treasures, and fell into decline, while the Grimaldi were exiled for over 20 years.
Louis II, Prince of Monaco
A political crisis loomed for the Prince because without any other heir, the throne of Monaco would pass to his first cousin Wilhelm, the Duke of Urach, a German nobleman who was a son of Prince Albert's aunt, Princess Florestine of Monaco. To ensure this did not happen, in 1911 a law was passed recognizing his illegitimate daughter, Charlotte, as Louis's acknowledged heir, and making her part of the princely family. This law was later held to be invalid under the 1882 statutes. Thus another law was passed in 1918 modifying the statutes to allow the adoption of an heir, with succession rights. Charlotte was formally adopted by Louis in 1919, and became Charlotte Louise Juliette Grimaldi, Princess of Monaco, and Duchess of Valentinois.
Albert I, Prince of Monaco
On 10 September 1889, Albert ascended the throne of Monaco on the death of his father. That same year in Paris, on 30 October, he married the Dowager Duchess de Richelieu, née Marie Alice Heine (1858–1925). The American daughter of a New Orleans building contractor of German-Jewish descent, Alice Heine had married the Duc de Richelieu but had been widowed by age 21 and left with a young son, Armand. Her marriage to Prince Albert proved an equal blessing for him and the tiny principality of Monaco, since Alice brought a strong business acumen, well in advance of her youth. Having helped put her husband's principality on a sound financial footing, she would devote her energies to making Monaco one of Europe's great cultural centers, with an opera, theater, and a ballet under the direction of the famed Russian impresario Serge Diaghilev.
History of Monaco
The current ruler, Prince Albert II, succeeded his father Prince Rainier III in 2005. Prince Rainier, in turn, had acceded to the throne following the death of his grandfather, Prince Louis II, in 1949.
Languages of Monaco
Princess Grace was born an American, and all three of her children (including the reigning Prince) grew up speaking English among other languages. The current princess of Monaco, Princess Charlene, is a native English speaker having been born a Rhodesian in now modern-day Zimbabwe.
Politics of Monaco
Historically, the princes of the ruling House of Grimaldi were autocrats of an absolute monarchy until the first Constitution of Monaco was adopted in 1911. A second constitution was granted by Prince Rainier III on December 17, 1962, outlining legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government, which consist of several administrative offices and a number of councils. The Prince as head of state retains most of the country's governing power; however, the principality's judicial and legislative bodies may operate independently of his control.
Monarchy of Monaco
Pursuant to Article 16 of the 1962 Constitution, the Sovereign Prince confers orders, titles and other distinctions (see Awards and decorations of Monaco) as the "fons honorum" of the Principality of Monaco.
Monaco Cemetery
On 27 August 2015 Albert II, Prince of Monaco dedicated a memorial stele in honour of foreign Jews who were taken from Monegasque hotels by the Nazis during the night of 27–28 August 1942.Two British soldiers of the First World War are buried at the cemetery; Private A. C. V. Dyer of the Royal Medical Corps, who died in May 1917 aged 22, and Captain Leo Lucas Ralli (of the Ralli baronets) of the Army Service Corps who died in April 1917 aged 33.
Music of Monaco
Monaco is a city and independent state located in the south of France, along the Mediterranean coast. The country has long been under the control of the Grimaldi family, who have encouraged musical development. Prince Rainier III introduced the Prince Rainier III Prize for Musical Composition to reward Monegasque musicians.
Monaco–European Union relations
EU membership for Monaco is unlikely, as aside from its size, unlike the constitutional monarchies within the EU the Prince of Monaco has considerable executive powers and is not merely a figurehead.
Monaco
The plan for casino gambling was drafted during the reign of Florestan I in 1846. Under Louis-Philippe's petite-bourgeois regime, however, a dignitary such as the Prince of Monaco was not allowed to operate a gambling house. All this changed in the dissolute Second French Empire under Napoleon III. The House of Grimaldi was in dire need of money. The towns of Menton and Roquebrune, which had been the main sources of income for the Grimaldi family for centuries, were now accustomed to a much improved standard of living and lenient taxation thanks to Sardinian intervention and clamored for financial and political concession, even for separation. The Grimaldi family hoped the newly legal industry would help alleviate the difficulties they faced, above all the crushing debt the family had incurred, but Monaco's first casino would not be ready to operate until after Charles III assumed the throne in 1856.
Crown Council of Monaco
Prince Albert's Regency lasted but a few days into April 2005, when Rainier III died at the age of 82. He was then formally succeeded as Monaco's sovereign by Albert in his own right as Prince Albert II.
Rock of Monaco
Today, the Rock is in the oldest of Monaco's four quarters, Monaco-Ville, which is also the location of Old Town, the oldest part of the city. This is not far from the Prince's Palace (), home of the current monarch Albert II and the princely family, the Cathedral and the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. The Rock of Monaco is a popular attraction where tourists view the palace and the changing of the guards.