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The line of succession to the throne of Monaco is male-preference primogeniture, where males take precedence over the females and older children take precedence over younger ones. Up until 2002, the succession could only pass to direct descendants of the reigning prince. This was changed to allow the throne to be inherited by the reigning prince’s siblings and their legitimate descendants. Illegitimate children have no succession rights, however, if their parents marry, they would be legitimized. If there is no heir using these rules, the Crown Council selects a new reigning prince from the more distant members of the family who are Monegasque citizens.
Members of the Sovereign Family must have the consent of the Sovereign Prince to marry. Those who marry without consent lose succession rights for themselves and their descendants. If a family member marries without the consent of the Sovereign Prince and no children are born and the marriage is dissolved, then that person will regain succession rights.
Upon the accession of Prince Albert II on April 6, 2005, his aunt Princess Antoinette (died 2011) and her descendants lost their places in the line of succession. If a child of Prince Albert II succeeds to the throne, Princess Caroline, Princess Stephanie, and their descendants would lose their places in the line of succession. However, if any line died out, Princess Caroline, Princess Stephanie, their descendants, or the descendants of Princess Antoinette could be selected as the sovereign of Monaco by the Crown Council of Monaco.
Princess Stephanie’s younger daughter Camille Gottlieb is not in the line of succession because she was born out of wedlock and her parents did not marry. However, Princess Stephanie’s other children, who were also born out of wedlock, are in the line of succession because their parents did marry although they later divorced. Charlotte Casiraghi’s eldest son Raphaël Elmaleh is not in the line of succession because he was born out of wedlock and his parents did not marry.
For more information see Line of Succession to the Monegasque Throne
For more information about the Monegasque Princely Family, past and present, see Unofficial Royalty: Monaco Index.
Prince Albert II, the only son of Prince Rainier III of Monaco, is the sovereign of the Principality of Monaco.
The current order of succession is:
- HSH Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco (born 2014), son of Prince Albert II
- HSH Princess Gabriella of Monaco, born 2014, daughter of Prince Albert II
- HRH The Princess of Hanover (Princess Caroline of Monaco), born 1957, eldest daughter of Prince Rainier III
- Andrea Casiraghi, born 1984, eldest son of the Princess of Hanover
- Alexandre “Sacha” Casiraghi, born 2013, eldest son of Andrea Casiraghi
- Maximilian Casiraghi, born 2018, second son of Andrea Casiraghi
- India Casiraghi, born 2015, daughter of Andrea Casiraghi
- Pierre Casiraghi, born 1987, second son of the Princess of Hanover
- Stefano Casiraghi, born 2017, eldest son of Pierre Casiraghi
- Francesco Casiraghi, born 2018, second son of Pierre Casiraghi
- Charlotte Casiraghi, born 1986, eldest daughter of the Princess of Hanover
- Balthazar Rassam, born 2018, younger son of Charlotte Casiraghi
- HRH Princess Alexandra of Hanover, born 1999, second daughter of the Princess of Hanover
- HSH Princess Stephanie of Monaco, born 1965, second daughter of Prince Rainier III
- Louis Ducruet, born 1992, son of Princess Stephanie
- Victoire Ducruet, born 2023, daughter of Louis Ducruet
- Constance Ducruet, born 2024, daughter of Louis Ducruet
- Pauline Ducruet, born 1994, daughter of Princess Stephanie