List of rulers of Monaco explained

The following is a list of rulers of Monaco. Most belong to the House of Grimaldi; exceptions, which consist primarily of the principality's administrators under periods of foreign occupation, are noted.

History

The House of Grimaldi, descended from Otto Canella, a statesman from the Republic of Genoa, and taking their name from his son Grimaldo, were an ancient and prominent Guelphic Genoese family. Members of this family, in the course of the civil strife in Genoa between the Guelphs and Ghibellines, were banned from Genoa in 1271 and took refuge in Monaco.

François Grimaldi seized the Rock of Monaco in 1297, starting the Grimaldi dynasty, under the Genoese sovereignty. 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 by the Franco-Monégasque Treaty in 1861.

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.

Rulers of Monaco

width=150Name
width=60pxPortraitwidth=100Reign startwidth=100Reign endNotes
François Grimaldi
8 January 129710 April 1301
  • François Grimaldi was the leader of a group of Genoese that seized the Rock of Monaco.
  • His cousin Rainier was the first Grimaldi ruler of the area now known as Monaco.
Rainier I, Lord of Cagnes
Under Genoese control from 10 April 1301 to 12 September 1331
Lords of Monaco
Charles I
12 September 133115 August 1357
  • Son of Rainier I, he retook the Rock from the Genoese.
  • Won Menton (1346) and Roquebrune (1355).
  • After 29 June 1352 co-rulership with
Anthony I
29 June 1352
  • Co-ruler
Rainier II
  • Son of Charles I
  • Co-ruler since 29 June 1352
  • Yielded Monaco to the besieging Genoese for 20,000 fl. but retained Menton and Roquebrune.
Gabriel
  • Co-ruler
Under Genoese control from 15 August 1357 to January 1395
Louis
January 139519 December 1395
  • Son of Charles I
  • Ruled jointly with Jean I
Jean I
  • Son of Rainier II
  • Ruled jointly with Louis
Under Genoese control from 19 December 1395 to 11 May 1397
Louis
11 May 13975 November 1402 
Under Genoese control from 5 November 1402 to 5 June 1419
Jean I
5 June 14198 May 1454
  • Sons of Rainier II, Jean, Ambroise and Antoine, bought back Monaco from Genoa and ruled it jointly until 1427. After Antoine's death, Jean bought out his brothers in exchange for the rule over Menton and Roquebrune.
  • Monaco was occupied by the Duchy of Milan under the governorship of Genoese Biagio Assereto from 3 October to November 1436.
  • On 20 November 1441, Jean gained sovereignty for Monaco.
  • Jean's testament replaced the Lex Salica with Male-preference primogeniture, thus allowing for female succession (then British system).
Ambroise
1427
Anthony II
Catalan
8 May 1454July 1457 
Claudine
July 145716 March 1458
  • Under the regency of her paternal grandmother Pomellina Fregoso
  • Abdicated in favour of her cousin Lamberto, whom she married in 1465.
Lamberto
16 March 1458March 1494 
Jean II
March 149411 October 1505
  • Son of Lamberto and Claudine
  • Murdered by his brother, Lucien
Lucien
11 October 150522 August 1523
  • Son of Lamberto and Claudine
  • Murdered his brother, Jean II
  • Murdered by his nephew, Bartholomew Doria of Dolceacqua
Honoré I
22 August 15237 October 1581
  • Son of Lucien
  • During his minority under the regency of
    • Augustine Grimaldi, bishop of Grasse, 22 August 1523 – 14 April 1532
    • Nicholas Grimaldi, 14–23 April 1532
    • Blanche Grimaldi, baronne de Tourette (co-regent), 14 April– 1 July 1532.[1]
    • Étienne Grimaldi, 23 April 1532 – 16 December 1540
Charles II
7 October 158117 May 1589
  • Son of Honoré I
Ercole
17 May 158929 November 1604
  • Son of Honoré I
  • Murdered
Honoré II
29 November 160410 January 1662
  • Son of Ercole
  • Until 1616 under the regency of Prince Francis Landi of Valdetare
  • Starting in 1612, Honoré II was the first Monegasque ruler to adopt the personal style of Prince, to which the Grimaldi rulers of Monaco were already entitled to through their possession in Italy. Monaco was recognized as a sovereign principality by Philip IV of Spain in 1633 and by Louis XIII of France in the Treaty of Péronne of 1641.
Sovereign Princes of Monaco
Louis I
10 January 16622 January 1701
  • Grandson of Honoré II
Antonio I
2 January 170120 February 1731
  • Son of Louis I
Louise Hippolyte
21 February 173129 December 1731
  • Daughter of Antonio I
Jacques I
29 December 17317 November 1733
  • Husband of Louise Hippolyte
  • Left the country on 20 May 1732, with his brother-in-law, Antoine Grimaldi acting as regent.
  • Abdicated on 7 November 1733.
Honoré III
7 November 173319 January 1793
  • Son of Jacques I and Louise Hippolyte
  • Until 28 November 1784 under the regency of his uncle, Antoine Grimaldi
French occupation (19 January 1793 – 17 May 1814)
National Convention19 January 179324 February 1793President: Joseph Barriera
Annexed by France24 February 179317 May 1814Governed by:
Allied occupation (17 May – 17 June 1814)
Honoré IV
30 May 181416 February 1819
  • Son of Honoré III
  • Titular prince since 21 March 1795
  • Under the regency of
    • Joseph Grimaldi, his brother, 17–23 June 1814
    • the State Council, 23 June 1814 – 4 March 1819
    • Honoré Grimaldi, his son, 3 March 1815 – 16 February 1819
Honoré V
16 February 18192 October 1841
  • Son of Honoré IV
  • Regent for his father since 3 March 1815
Florestan
2 October 184120 June 1856
  • Son of Honoré IV
Charles III
20 June 185610 September 1889
  • Son of Florestan
Albert I
10 September 188926 June 1922
  • Son of Charles III
Louis II
26 June 19229 May 1949
  • Son of Albert I
Rainier III
9 May 19496 April 2005
  • Grandson of Louis II
  • From 31 March to 6 April 2005 under the regency of his son, Albert
Albert II
6 April 2005Incumbent
  • Son of Rainier III
  • Regent for his father from 31 March to 6 April 2005

Timeline

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from: 1297 till: 1301 color:s from: 1301 till: 1331 color:w from: 1331 till: 1357 color:s from: 1357 till: 1395 color:w from: 1395 till: 1395 color:s from: 1395 till: 1397 color:w from: 1397 till: 1402 color:s from: 1402 till: 1419 color:w from: 1419 till: 1793 color:s from: 1793 till: 1814 color:w from: 1814 till: end color:s text:House of Grimaldi

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from: 1297 till: 1301 color:s text:"François" from: 1297 till: 1301 color:s text:"Rainier I" from: 1301 till: 1331 color:w text:"Republic of Genoa" from: 1331 till: 1357 color:s text:"Charles I" from: 1352 till: 1357 color:s text:"Rainier II" from: 1357 till: 1395 color:w text:"Republic of Genoa" from: 1395 till: 1395 color:s text:"Louis" from: 1395 till: 1395 color:s text:"Jean I" from: 1395 till: 1397 color:w text:"Republic of Genoa" from: 1397 till: 1402 color:s text:"Louis" from: 1402 till: 1419 color:w text:"Republic of Genoa" from: 1419 till: 1427 color:s text:"Ambroise" from: 1419 till: 1427 color:s text:"Antoine" from: 1419 till: 1454 color:s text:"Jean I" from: 1454 till: 1457 color:s text:"Catalan" from: 1457 till: 1458 color:s text:"Claudine" from: 1458 till: 1494 color:s text:"Lamberto" from: 1494 till: 1505 color:s text:"Jean II" from: 1505 till: 1523 color:s text:"Lucien" from: 1523 till: 1581 color:s text:"Honoré I" from: 1581 till: 1589 color:s text:"Charles II" from: 1589 till: 1604 color:s text:"Ercole" from: 1604 till: 1662 color:s text:"Honoré II" from: 1662 till: 1701 color:s text:"Louis I" from: 1701 till: 1731 color:s text:"Antonio I" from: 1731 till: 1731 color:s text:"Louise Hippolyte" from: 1731 till: 1733 color:s text:"Jacques I" from: 1733 till: 1793 color:s text:"Honoré III" from: 1793 till: 1804 color:w text:"First French Republic" from: 1804 till: 1814 color:w text:"First French Empire" from: 1814 till: 1819 color:s text:"Honoré IV" from: 1819 till: 1841 color:s text:"Honoré V" from: 1841 till: 1856 color:s text:"Florestan" from: 1856 till: 1889 color:s text:"Charles III" from: 1889 till: 1922 color:s text:"Albert I" from: 1922 till: 1949 color:s text:"Louis II" from: 1949 till: 2005 color:s text:"Rainier III" from: 2005 till: end color:s text:"Albert II" barset:skipLineData = layer:front

See also

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Book: Saige. Gustave. Monaco: Ses Origines et Son Histoire. 1897. Imprimerie de Monaco. 8 April 2019.

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