Albert II, Prince of Monaco, reigned 2005 – present; Credit – Wikipedia
Monaco, a microstate on the French Riviera in Western Europe, borders France on three sides and the Mediterranean Sea on the other side. It has an area of .78 square miles / 2 km square, making it the second-smallest country in the world after Vatican City. Monaco’s succession follows male-preference cognatic primogeniture – a female can succeed if she has no living brothers and no deceased brothers who left surviving legitimate descendants.
The House of Grimaldi descends from Otto Canella, a 12th-century Genoese statesman, and takes its name from his son Grimaldo Canella. Grimaldo had a son Oberto, known as “Oberto, son of Grimaldo” or “Oberto Grimaldi,” making him the first of the family known to use the surname of Grimaldi.
In 1297, François Grimaldi dressed a Franciscan monk, seized the Rock of Monaco. His cousin Rainier I, Lord of Cagnes was the first Grimaldi ruler of the area now known as Monaco. However, there have been several periods of occupation by Genoa, Milan, and France. The first rulers were Lords of Monaco. From 1612 onward, the rulers were Sovereign Princes. Monaco has had one Sovereign Princess, Louise Hippolyte, who reigned for ten months in 1731 before she died from smallpox.
Below is an indexed listing with links to biographical articles about the Princely Family of Monaco at Unofficial Royalty. If it says “Notable Issue” before a name, that means not all of the children for the parent of that person are listed. Also listed below are links to Monaco Royal Wedding articles and links to the various Monaco Content Areas.
House of Grimaldi (1297 – present)
Sovereign Princes of Monaco (1612 – present)
Family of Prince Honoré II of Monaco
- Honoré II, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1612 – 1662)
- Ippolita Trivulzio, Princess of Monaco (wife of Honoré III, had one son who predeceased his father)
Family of Prince Louis I of Monaco
- Louis I, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1662 – 1701), grandson of Honoré II
- Catherine Charlotte de Gramont, Princess of Monaco (wife of Louis I)
- Notable Issue: Antonio I, Prince of Monaco (see below)
Family of Prince Antonio I of Monaco
- Antonio I, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1701 – 1731)
- Marie of Lorraine, Princess of Monaco (wife of Antonio I)
- Notable Issue: Louise Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco (see below)
Family of Princess Louise Hippolyte of Monaco
- Louise Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco (reigned February 20, 1731-December 29, 1731, died from smallpox)
- Jacques François Goyon, Count de Matignon (husband of Louise Hippolyte, later Jacques I, Prince of Monaco, see below)
- Notable Issue: Honoré III, Prince of Monaco (see below)
Family of Prince Jacques I of Monaco
- Jacques I, Prince of Monaco (husband of Louise Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco, reigned 1731 – 1733)
- Louise Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco (reigned February 20, 1731-December 29, 1731, died from smallpox, see above)
- Notable Issue: Honoré III, Prince of Monaco (see below)
Family of Prince Honoré III of Monaco
- Honoré III, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1733 – 1793)
- Maria Caterina Brignole, Princess of Monaco (wife of Honoré III, separated)
- Notable Issue: Honoré IV, Prince of Monaco (see below)
Annexed by France – 1793-1814
Family of Prince Honoré IV of Monaco
- Honoré IV, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1814 – 1819)
- Louise d’Aumont, Hereditary Princess of Monaco (wife of Honoré IV, divorced)
- Notable Issue: Honoré V, Prince of Monaco (see below)
- Notable Issue: Florestan, Prince of Monaco (see below)
Prince Honoré V of Monaco
- Honoré V, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1819 – 1841, unmarried)
Family of Prince Florestan III of Monaco
- Florestan, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1841 – 1856)
- Maria Caroline Gibert de Lametz, Princess of Monaco (wife of Florestan)
- Charles III, Prince of Monaco (see below)
Prince Charles III of Monaco
- Charles III, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1856 – 1889)
- Antoinette de Mérode, Princess of Monaco (wife of Charles III)
- Albert I, Prince of Monaco (see below)
Family of Prince Albert I of Monaco
- Albert I, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1889 – 1922)
- Lady Mary Victoria Hamilton, Hereditary Princess of Monaco (1st wife of Albert I, marriage annulled and dissolved)
- Louis II, Prince of Monaco (see below)
- Alice Heine, Princess of Monaco (2nd wife of Albert I, no issue)
Family of Prince Louis II of Monaco
- Louis II, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1922 – 1949)
- Ghislaine Dommanget, Princess of Monaco (wife of Louis II, no issue)
- Marie Juliette Louvet (mistress)
- Princess Charlotte of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois
- Prince Pierre of Monaco, Duke of Valentinois (Count Pierre de Polignac, husband of Princess Charlotte)
- Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness de Massy
- Alexandre-Athenase Noghès (lover and husband of Princess Antoinette)
- Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (see below)
Family of Prince Rainier III of Monaco
- Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (reigned 1949 – 2005)
- Princess Grace of Monaco (Grace Kelly, wife of Rainier III)
- Princess Caroline of Monaco, Princess of Hanover
- Ernst August, Prince of Hanover (third husband of Princess Caroline)
- Albert II, Prince of Monaco (below)
- Princess Stéphanie of Monaco
Family of Prince Albert II of Monaco
- Albert II, Prince of Monaco (reigned 2005 – present)
- Princess Charlene of Monaco (Charlene Wittstock, wife of Albert II)
Monaco Royal Ceremonies and Events
- Accession to the Throne
- Saint Dévote’s Day (January 27)
- National Day of Monaco (November 19)
Monaco Royal Weddings
- Wedding of Prince Rainier III and Grace Kelly (1956)
- Wedding of Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock (2011)
Monaco Miscellaneous Articles
Monaco Content Areas
- Line of Succession to the Throne of Monaco
- Monegasque In Memoriam
- Monegasque Links
- Monegasque Orders and Honours
- Monegasque Royal Burial Sites
- Monegasque Royal Christenings
- Monegasque Royal Dates
- Monegasque Royal Residences
- Monegasque Royal Weddings
- Profiles of the Princely Family of Monaco
- Rulers of Monaco