by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Honoré III, Prince of Monaco is the longest-reigning sovereign of Monaco but the French Revolution had dire consequences for his family and caused the Principality of Monaco to be annexed to France from 1793 until the defeat of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French in 1814. Honoré Camille Léonor Grimaldi was born on November 10, 1720, in Paris, France. He was the third of the nine children and the second but the eldest surviving of the six sons of Louise-Hippolyte, Sovereign Princess of Monaco for ten months before her death from smallpox, and Jacques I, briefly the Sovereign Prince of Monaco, born Jacques François Leonor Goyon de Matignon. Honoré’s maternal grandparents were Antonio I, Prince of Monaco and Marie of Lorraine. His paternal grandparents were the French nobles Jacques III Goyon de Matignon, Count of Thorigny, a Lieutenant General in the French army, (1644 – 1725) and Charlotte de Goyon de Matignon, Countess of Thorigny (1657 – 1721).

Honoré III had eight siblings but only three survived to adulthood:

• Antoine-Charles, Marquis des Baux and Count de Matignon, (1717 – 1718), died in infancy
• Charlotte Thérèse Nathalie (1719 – 1790), a nun at the Convent of the Visitation in Paris, France
• Charles, Count de Carladés and Count de Matignon (1722 – 1749), unmarried, died from smallpox at the age of 27
• Jacques (born and died 1723), died in infancy
• Louise Françoise, Mademoiselle des Baux (1724 – 1729), died in childhood
• François-Charles, Count of Thorigny (1726 – 1743), died in his teens
• Charles-Maurice, Count de Valentinois (1727 – 1798), married Marie Christine Chrétienne de Rouvrois, no children
• Marie Françoise Thérése, Mademoiselle d’Estouteville (1728 – 1743), died in her teens

In 1641, during the reign of Honoré II, Monaco became a French protectorate, and the Princes of Monaco became vassals of the Kings of France while remaining sovereign princes. Many successive Princes of Monaco and their families spent most of their lives in France and intermarried with French and Italian noble families.

Honoré III’s parents Louise-Hippolyte and Jacques; Credit – Wikipedia

Because of the poor relationship of his maternal grandparents, Honoré III’s parents Louise-Hippolyte and Jacques decided to live in France. They spent their time between Jacques’ mansion in Paris, the Hôtel de Matignon, now the official residence of the Prime Minister of France, and Torigni-sur-Vire in Normandy, France where the de Goyon de Matignon family chateau, Château des Matignon, was located. Honoré was mostly raised at the French court under the supervision of Anne Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon, Duchess of Maine, the wife of Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, Duke of Maine, King Louis XIV’s legitimized son by his official mistress Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquise of Montespan.

On February 20, 1731, Honoré III’s maternal grandfather Antonio I, Prince of Monaco died and his mother Louise-Hippolyte was now the Sovereign Princess of Monaco. Louise-Hippolyte had a very short reign of ten months. Several weeks before Christmas 1731, a smallpox epidemic spread through the Mediterranean coastal areas. Louise-Hippolyte died from smallpox at the age of 34, on December 29, 1731.

Upon Louise-Hippolyte’s death, her husband Jacques was now the legal guardian of their ten-year-old eldest son Honoré and had a plan. Jacques should rule as Prince of Monaco until Honoré reached his twenty-fifth birthday. At that time, Honoré would abdicate in favor of his father following the example of sons who gave up to their fathers land they had inherited through their mothers. Although the plan was initially accepted, it met with increasing opposition.

Finally, in May 1732, Jacques handed over the rule of Monaco to his brother-in-law Antonio Grimaldi, Chevalier de Grimaldi, an illegitimate son of Antonio I, Prince of Monaco. Jacques’ official abdication date was November 7, 1733, but he had long since returned to Paris with his eldest son, now technically Honoré III, Prince of Monaco. Antonio Grimaldi, Chevalier de Grimaldi became Governor-General of Monaco and was the de facto ruler of Monaco from 1732 until he died in 1784, and ably served as regent for more than fifty years for his nephew Honoré III. Honoré resided at his father’s Paris home the Hôtel de Matignon and spent much time at the French court at the Palace of Versailles. His father Jacques lived the remainder of his life in France, dying aged 61, on April 23, 1751, at his Paris home, the Hôtel de Matignon.

As Colonel of the Regiment of Monaco, part of the French army, Honoré III took part in the War of the Austrian Succession (1740 – 1748) and was wounded at the 1746 Battle of Rocoux and then at the 1747 Battle of Lawfeld. Honoré had close ties to the French kings Louis XV and Louis XVI. In 1756, Honoré decreed that Monaco would be ceded to the King of France if the Grimaldi dynasty was to die out.

Over the years, Honoré III had declined many marriage proposals. In 1755, a marriage was proposed between 35-year-old Honoré and 18-year-old Maria Caterina Brignole, daughter of Giuseppe Brignole, Marquis di Groppoli, the Ambassador to France from the Republic of Genoa, now in Italy, and Maria Anna Balbi. Maria Caterina’s parents came from two of the most powerful families in the Republic of Genoa. Her paternal grandfather Anton Giulio Brignole Sale, 5th Marquis of Groppoli had been Ambassador of the Republic of Genoa to France.  Two of her paternal uncles were Doges of the Republic of Genoa. Maria Caterina’s maternal grandfather Francesco Maria Balbi also had been a Doge of the Republic of Genoa.

Honoré III had previously been the lover of Maria Caterina’s mother but wished to marry to provide an heir to the throne of Monaco. However, Maria Caterina’s father opposed the marriage because of Honoré’s bad reputation and his fear that Honoré might inherit his fortune. In 1756, only after the intervention of King Louis XV of France and his mistress Madame de Pompadour did Maria Caternina’s father consent to the marriage.

The wedding of Honoré III and Maria Caterina was to occur on July 5, 1757, in Monaco, and it got off on a bad foot. Maria Caterina traveled to Monaco by boat accompanied by a contingent of Genovese nobility. When they arrived, Honoré did not come aboard the ship to welcome his bride. He said his status as a monarch demanded that Maria Caterina come to him. The Genovese contingent refused, saying that Maria Caterina was a member of a ruling family of the Republic of Genoa. The ship was stranded offshore for several days while a bridge was built between the port and Maria Caterina’s ship. Honoré and Maria Caterina walked towards each other at the same distance and met each other over the sea.

Honoré III and Maria Caterina had two sons:

• Honoré IV, Prince of Monaco (1758 – 1819), married Louise d’Aumont, had two sons Honoré V, Prince of Monaco and Florestan, Prince of Monaco, divorced 1798
• Prince Joseph of Monaco, Regent of Monaco (1763 – 1816), married (1) Marie Thérèse de Choiseul, had three children, guillotined during the French Revolution (2) Frances Margaret Powell, no children

Honoré III and Maria Caterina initially lived in Monaco but by 1760, Honoré was dissatisfied with his life there, and returned to France without his wife, spending time with his mistresses at his French homes. Eventually, Maria Caterina was allowed to come to France. However, Honoré continued his affairs and Maria Caterina began an affair, that would become long-term, with Louis Joseph de Bourbon, Prince of Condé. In 1770, Louis Joseph used his influence to obtain a legal separation for Maria Caterina from Honoré and the right to manage her own finances. Honoré finally realized his relationship with Maria Caterina was over and eventually accepted Maria Caterina’s relationship with Louis Joseph de Bourbon, Prince of Condé. Three years after Honoré’s death, Maria Caterina and Louis Joseph were married but their marriage was kept secret for ten years.

The French Revolution had dire consequences for Honoré III and his family. The Grimaldi family lost all aristocratic privileges in France and was dispossessed of their French property. In January 1793, Honoré III was officially declared deposed and the Principality of Monaco was annexed by France. During the Reign of Terror, in September 1793, Honoré III was arrested and imprisoned in Paris. Honoré III’s son Honoré (IV) was also arrested as were Honoré (IV)’s wife Louise d’Aumont and his son Florestan. Honoré (IV) was released after fifteen months in prison and his wife and son were saved by their family doctor.

The last victims of the Reign of Terror on their way to the guillotine – Among them was Honoré III’s daughter-in-law Marie Thérèse de Choiseul

The wife of Honoré III’s other son Joseph was not as lucky. Joseph spent most of his time abroad negotiating foreign loans, making him a suspect of counter-revolutionary activities. Joseph did become involved in a counter-revolution in Vendée. His wife Marie Thérèse was arrested in the absence of her husband, condemned to death, and guillotined in 1794, one of the last victims before the end of the Reign of Terror.

Honoré III was eventually released from prison. He died soon afterward in Paris on March 21, 1795, at the age of 74, but his burial place is unknown. At 59 years, the reign of Honoré III remains the longest in the history of Monaco. Following the defeat of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French in 1814, Honoré III’s son Honoré IV, aged 56 and in ill health since his imprisonment during the Reign of Terror, returned to Monaco where he reigned as Sovereign Prince until he died in 1819.

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Works Cited

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• Edwards, Anne, 2017. The Grimaldis of Monaco. Blue Ridge Summit: Lyons Press.
• En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Honoré III, Prince of Monaco – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor%C3%A9_III,_Prince_of_Monaco> [Accessed 8 March 2022].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Maria Caterina Brignole – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Caterina_Brignole> [Accessed 8 March 2022].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Jacques I, Prince of Monaco. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/jacques-i-prince-of-monaco/> [Accessed 8 March 2022].
• Fr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Honoré III (prince de Monaco) — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor%C3%A9_III_(prince_de_Monaco)> [Accessed 8 March 2022].