by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Honoré III, Prince of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

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, on the left, with his siblings; Credit – Wikipedia

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 had become 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 of 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.

The Hôtel de Matignon where Honoré lived in Paris; Credit – By ScareCriterion12 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62918157

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 who was now technically Honoré III, Prince of Monaco. Antonio Grimaldi, Chevalier de Grimaldi became Governor-General of Monaco, 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.

Maria Caterina Brignole, Honoré’s wife; Credit – Wikipedia

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 because of 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

Louis Joseph de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, the lover of Maria Caterina; Credit – Wikipedia

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 which made 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 his death in 1819.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• De.wikipedia.org. 2022. Honoré III. (Monaco) – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor%C3%A9_III._(Monaco)> [Accessed 8 March 2022].
• 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].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Jacques I, Prince of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

Jacques was the husband of Louise-Hippolyte, Sovereign Princess of Monaco and was briefly the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. From a wealthy French noble family, Jacques François Leonor Goyon de Matignon was born at the de Goyon de Matignon family chateau, Château des Matignon, in Torigni-sur-Vire in Normandy, France, on November 21, 1689. He was the elder of the two sons and the second of the three children of first cousins 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).

• Catherine Elisabeth de Goyon de Matignon (1677 – 1706), married Louis Jean Baptiste de Goyon de Matignon, Count of Gacé and de Montmartin
• Male, name unknown (1690 – 1694)

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, so it would not be unusual for Antonio I, Prince of Monaco, to look for a prospective husband for his elder surviving daughter Louise-Hippolyte, among young men from noble French families.

Louise-Hippolyte, Sovereign Princess of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise-Hippolyte occupied an unprecedented position in the Princely Family of Monaco. The greatest concern of Antonio I, Prince of Monaco was the future of the House of Grimaldi. Because Antonio’s only legitimate children were all daughters, the heir to the throne was his only brother François Honoré Grimaldi, a Catholic priest with the title Monsieur l’Abbé de Monaco, later Archbishop of Besançon. In 1715, François Honoré renounced his claims to the throne of Monaco and Antonio’s elder surviving daughter Louise Hippolyte became his heir. Antonio decided, with the permission of King Louis XIV of France, that Louise Hippolyte’s husband would take the surname Grimaldi and jointly rule Monaco with her.

However, Antonio I, Prince of Monaco and his wife, born Marie of Lorraine, a daughter of Louis of Lorraine, Count of Armagnac, a member of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine, who held the rank of prince étranger at the French court, butted heads over prospective husbands for their elder daughter. Marie, supported by her family, refused to consent to Antonio’s choice. This resulted in a conflict that lasted for two years and greatly angered King Louis XIV of France. Marie told Louise-Hippolyte to refuse her father’s choice resulting in Antonio confining Louise-Hippolyte in a convent for two years. When Antonio discovered that his marriage plans for his daughter were not favored at the French court, he was forced to release Louise-Hippolyte from her convent confinement and forgo his marriage plans. However, Marie had another trick up her sleeve. She arranged for the Duchess de Lude to suggest the wealthy Jacques François Leonor Goyon de Matignon as a husband for Louise-Hippolyte, and Antonio agreed. When Antonio later found out that Marie had manipulated his choice by having the Duchess de Lude suggest Jacques Goyon, Count of Matignon, his already poor relationship with Marie and Antonio further worsened.

On October 20, 1715, 26-year-old Jacques married 18-year-old Louise-Hippolyte, the heir to the throne of Monaco, with the promise that he would jointly reign with her as Jacques I, Prince of Monaco.

The children of Jacques and Louise-Hippolyte; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise-Hippolyte and Jacques had nine children but only four 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
• Honoré III, Prince of Monaco (1720 – 1795), married Maria Caterina Brignole, had two sons including Honoré IV, Prince of Monaco
• 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

The Hôtel de Matignon, Jacques’ Paris residence, now the official residence of the Prime Minister of France; Credit – By ScareCriterion12 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62918157

Because of the poor relationship between Louise-Hippolyte’s parents, the couple 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. Highly unusual for the time, Jacques was faithful to his wife and the marriage was happy.

The Château des Matignon, Jacques’ family home in Torigni-sur-Vire in Normandy, France; Credit – Par Selbymay Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62739796

On February 20, 1731, at the age of 70, Jacques’ father-in-law Antonio I, Prince of Monaco died. His wife Louise-Hippolyte was now the Sovereign Princess of Monaco, and Jacques was to co-reign. However, Louise-Hippolyte traveled alone from Paris to Monaco, arriving on April 4, 1731, when the people of Monaco received her enthusiastically. Louise-Hippolyte immediately took the oath of loyalty but there was no mention of her husband Jacques. According to the decision made years earlier by Louise-Hippolyte’s father, her husband would take the surname Grimaldi (which Jacques had done) and jointly rule Monaco with her as Jacques I, Prince of Monaco. However, Louise-Hippolyte decreed that she would be the sole ruler, all documents would be issued in her name only, and her husband and children would stay in France.

While historians have differing opinions about what caused Louise-Hippolyte’s behavior, it appears likely that she was not really happy with her marriage. Jacques and their children came to Monaco a few weeks after Louise-Hippolyte had taken the oath of loyalty but he stayed for a short time before returning to France alone. The rumors at the French court said that Jacques had wished to be named along with his wife in the official proclamation of accession, and when that was denied, the couple separated.

Louise-Hippolyte had a very short reign of ten months. Several weeks before Christmas of 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, Jacques, now the legal guardian of their eldest son Honoré, returned to Monaco with 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 their fathers’ land they had inherited through their mothers. Although the plan was initially accepted, it met with increasing opposition. It is possible that Louise-Hippolyte had suspected her husband was power-hungry and that was why she denied him being named as her co-ruler.

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 son who was now technically Honoré III, Prince of Monaco. Antonio Grimaldi, Chevalier de Grimaldi became Governor-General of Monaco, 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, even after Honoré returned to Monaco.

Jacques spent the last nineteen years of his life living at his Paris mansion, the Hôtel de Matignon, and the de Goyon de Matignon family chateau, Château des Matignon, in Torigni-sur-Vire in Normandy, France, in addition to spending time at the French court at the Palace of Versailles. In 1740, a second marriage was proposed for Jacques with Louise-Françoise de Bourbon-Maine, a granddaughter of King Louis XIV of France and his mistress Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquise of Montespan. However, the marriage never occurred and Jacques never remarried.

Église Saint-Laurent, the church where Jacques was buried; Credit – Wikipedia

The former Jacques I, Prince of Monaco, died, aged 61, on April 23, 1751, at his Paris home, the Hôtel de Matignon. He was buried at the Église Saint-Laurent, the burial site of Jacques’ birth family, in Torigni-sur-Vire in France, but his remains were lost during the French Revolution.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Edwards, Anne, 2017. The Grimaldis of Monaco. Blue Ridge Summit: Lyons Press.
• En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Jacques I, Prince of Monaco – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_I,_Prince_of_Monaco> [Accessed 25 February 2022].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Louise Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Hippolyte,_Princess_of_Monaco> [Accessed 25 February 2022].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Unofficial Royalty. [online] Louise-Hippolyte, Sovereign Princess of Monaco. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/louise-hippolyte-sovereign-princess-of-monaco/> [Accessed 25 February 2022].
• geni_family_tree. 2022. Jacques I, V. prince de Monaco. [online] Available at: <https://www.geni.com/people/Jacques-I-V-prince-de-Monaco/5294705825110117665> [Accessed 25 February 2022].
• Sv.wikipedia.org. 2022. Louise-Hippolyte av Monaco – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise-Hippolyte_av_Monaco> [Accessed 25 February 2022].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Louise-Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

Born on November 10, 1697, at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco, Louise-Hippolyte was the second but the eldest surviving of the six daughters of Antonio I, Prince of Monaco and Marie of Lorraine. Louise-Hippolyte’s paternal grandparents were Louis I, Prince of Monaco and Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont, who was from a French noble family. Her maternal grandparents were Louis of Lorraine, Count of Armagnac and Catherine de Neufvill. Her maternal grandfather was a member of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine, and held the rank of prince étranger at the French court.

Louise-Hippolyte as a child

Louise-Hippolyte had five sisters but only one survived to adulthood:

• Caterina Charlotte, Mademoiselle de Monaco (1691 – 1696), died in chilhood
• Elisabetta Charlotte, Mademoiselle de Valentinois (1698 – 1702), died in childhood
• Margherita Camilla, Mademoiselle de Carlades (1700 – 1758), married Louis de Gand de Mérode de Montmorency, Prince of Isenghien (his third marriage), no children
• Maria Devota, Mademoiselle des Baux (1702 – 1703), died in childhood
• Maria Paolina Theresa Devota, Mademoiselle de Chabreuil (1708 – 1726), unmarried, died at age 18

Louise-Hippolyte’s father Antonio I, Prince of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

The greatest concern of Antonio I, Prince of Monaco was the future of the House of Grimaldi. Because Antonio’s only legitimate children were all daughters, the heir to the throne was his only brother François Honoré Grimaldi, a Catholic priest with the title Monsieur l’Abbé de Monaco, later Archbishop of Besançon. In 1715, François Honoré renounced his claims to the throne of Monaco and Antonio’s elder surviving daughter Louise Hippolyte became his heir. Antonio decided, with the permission of King Louis XIV of France, that Louise Hippolyte’s husband would take the surname Grimaldi and jointly rule Monaco with her.

In 1641, during the reign of Honoré II, Monaco had become 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.

Marie of Lorriane, Louise-Hippolyte’s mother; Credit – Wikipedia

The marriage of Louise-Hippolyte’s parents Antonio and Marie was not happy, and they butted heads over prospective husbands for their elder daughter. Marie, supported by her family, refused to consent to Antonio’s choice. This resulted in a conflict that lasted for two years and greatly angered King Louis XIV of France. Marie told Louise-Hippolyte to refuse her father’s choice which resulted in Antonio having Louise-Hippolyte confined in a convent for two years. When Antonio discovered that his marriage plans for his daughter were not favored at the French court, he was forced to release Louise-Hippolyte from her convent confinement and forgo his marriage plans. However, Marie had another trick up her sleeve. She arranged for the Duchess de Lude to suggest the wealthy Jacques François Leonor Goyon de Matignon as a husband for Louise-Hippolyte, and Antonio agreed. When he later found out that Marie had manipulated his choice by having the Duchess de Lude suggest Jacques Goyon, Count of Matignon, the relationship between Marie and Antonio further worsened.

Louise-Hippolyte’s husband Jacques Goyon de Matignon ; Credit – Wikipedia

On October 20, 1715, 18-year-old Louise-Hippolyte married 26-year-old French noble Jacques François Leonor Goyon de Matignon, the son of first cousins Jacques III Goyon de Matignon, Count of Thorigny (1644 – 1725) and Charlotte de Goyon de Matignon, Countess of Thorigny (1657 – 1721).

The children of Louise-Hippolyte and Jacques; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise-Hippolyte and Jacques had nine children but only four 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
• Honoré III, Prince of Monaco (1720 – 1795), married Maria Caterina Brignole, had two sons including Honoré IV, Prince of Monaco
• 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

Jacques’ mansion in Paris, the Hôtel de Matignon; Credit – By ScareCriterion12 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62918157

Because of the poor relationship of her parents, Louise-Hippolyte and her husband 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. Highly unusual for the time, Jacques was faithful to his wife and the marriage was happy.

When Louise-Hippolyte’s mother Marie died in 1724, she left her possessions and a sizable monetary inheritance to her elder daughter Louise-Hippolyte. Antonio I, Prince of Monaco, who was always in financial difficulties, contested his deceased wife’s will. Naturally, this caused a strained relationship between Antonio and his daughter and her husband. By 1730, the lawsuit still had not been settled and Antonio’s health was failing. Louise-Hippolyte and her second surviving son eight-year-old Charles, Count of Carlades traveled from France to visit Antonio. During a six-week visit, Antonio and Louise Hippolyte reconciled.

On February 20, 1731, at the age of 70, Antonio I, Prince of Monaco died. Louise-Hippolyte was now the Sovereign Princess of Monaco. She traveled alone from Paris to Monaco, arriving on April 4, 1731, where the people of Monaco received her enthusiastically. Louise-Hippolyte immediately took the oath of loyalty but there was no mention of her husband Jacques. According to the decision made years earlier by Louise-Hippolyte’s father, her husband would take the surname Grimaldi (which Jacques had done) and jointly rule Monaco with her as Jacques I, Prince of Monaco. However, Louise-Hippolyte decreed that she would be the sole ruler, all documents would be issued in her name only, and her husband and children would stay in France.

While historians have differing opinions about what caused Louise-Hippolyte’s behavior, it appears likely that she was not really happy with her marriage. Jacques and their children came to Monaco a few weeks after Louise-Hippolyte had taken the oath of loyalty but he stayed for a short time before returning to France alone. The rumors at the French court said that Jacques had wished to be named along with his wife in the official proclamation of accession, and when that was denied, the couple separated.

Entrance to the common vault where the Grimaldi family members originally buried at the Church of St. Nicholas are buried; Credit – www.findagrave.com

Louise-Hippolyte had a very short reign of ten months.  Several weeks before Christmas of 1731, a smallpox epidemic spread through the Mediterranean coastal areas. Louise-Hippolyte died from smallpox at the age of 34, on December 29, 1731, and was buried at the Church of Saint Nicholas in Monaco. During the late 19th century, a new and larger church, the Cathedral of Monaco, was built on the site of the Church of Saint Nicholas. The original church was demolished in 1874 but the current cathedral was built over the areas of the previous church and the old burial site so that the sovereign princes and consorts originally buried at the Church of Saint Nicholas are now buried in the Cathedral of Monaco.

Upon Louise-Hippolyte’s death, her husband Jacques, now the legal guardian of their eldest son Honoré, returned to Monaco with 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. It is possible that Louise-Hippolyte suspected her husband was power-hungry and that was why she denied him being named as her co-ruler.

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 son who was now technically Honoré III, Prince of Monaco. Antonio Grimaldi, Chevalier de Grimaldi became Governor-General of Monaco, 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, even after Honoré returned to Monaco.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Edwards, Anne, 2017. The Grimaldis of Monaco. Blue Ridge Summit: Lyons Press.
• En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Jacques I, Prince of Monaco – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_I,_Prince_of_Monaco> [Accessed 25 February 2022].
• En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Louise Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Hippolyte,_Princess_of_Monaco> [Accessed 25 February 2022].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Antonio I, Prince of Monaco. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/antonio-i-prince-of-monaco/> [Accessed 24 February 2022].
• Sv.wikipedia.org. 2022. Louise-Hippolyte av Monaco – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise-Hippolyte_av_Monaco> [Accessed 25 February 2022].

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2022

Marie of Lorraine, Princess of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

Born in Paris, France, on August 12, 1674, Marie of Lorraine was the wife of Antonio I, Prince of Monaco. She was the ninth of the fourteen children and the fifth of the seven daughters of Louis of Lorraine, Count of Armagnac and Catherine de Neufville. Marie’s father was a member of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine, and held the rank of prince étranger at the French court. He was the Grand Squire of France, one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France, and a member of the Household of King Louis XIV of France. Marie’s grandparents were all members of the French nobility. Her paternal grandparents were Henri of Lorraine, Count of Harcourt and Marguerite Philippe du Cambout. Her maternal grandparents were Nicolas de Neufville, Duke of Villeroy, a Marshal of France and the governor of King Louis XIV of France during his childhood, and Madeleine de Blanchefort de Créquy.

Marie had thirteen siblings:

• Henri of Lorraine, Count of Brionne (1661 – 1713), married Marie Madeleine d’Épinay, had two children
• Marguerite of Lorraine (1662 – 1730) married (third wife) Nuno Álvares Pereira de Melo, 1st Duke of Cadaval, had ten children
• Françoise of Lorraine (born and died 1664), died in infancy
• François Armand of Lorraine, Abbot of Royaumont. Bishop of Bayeux (1665 – 1728), Catholic priest
• Camille of Lorraine, Count of Chamilly (1666 – 1715), unmarried
• Armande of Lorraine (1668 – 1681), died at age 13
• Isabelle of Lorraine (born and died 1671), died in infancy
• Philippe of Lorraine (1673 – 1677), died in childhood
• Louis Alphonse of Lorraine (1675 – 1704), unmarried, French naval officer died at the naval Battle of Vélez-Málaga during the War of the Spanish Succession
• Charlotte of Lorraine, Mademoiselle d’Armagnac (1678 – 1757), unmarried
• François of Lorraine, Abbot of the Abbey of La Chaise Dieu (1680 – 1712)
• Marguerite of Lorraine (born and died 1681), died in infancy
• Charles of Lorraine, Count of Armagnac, Lieutenant General of the King’s Armies (1684 – 1751), married Françoise Adélaide de Noailles, daughter of Adrien Maurice de Noailles, duc de Noailles, no children

Marie and her sister Charlotte; Credit – Wikipedia

Monaco had become a French protectorate in 1641, 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.

Marie’s husband, Antonio I, Prince of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 13, 1688, in the Chapel Royal at the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France 14-year-old Marie married 27-year-old Antonio, the future Prince of Monaco, the son of Louis I, Prince of Monaco and Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont, from a French noble family. Both King Louis XIV and his morganatic second wife Françoise d’Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon approved of the marriage. Louis XIV gave the couple a chateau just outside of Paris as a wedding gift.

Antonio and Marie had six daughters but only two survived to adulthood. The elder surviving daughter Louise-Hippolyte succeeded her father as the reigning Princess of Monaco.

• Caterina Charlotte, Mademoiselle de Monaco (1691 – 1696), died in childhood
• Louise-Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco (1697 – 1731), married Jacques François Goyon, Count de Matignon, later Jacques I, Prince of Monaco, had nine children including Honoré II, Prince of Monaco
• Elisabetta Charlotte, Mademoiselle de Valentinois (1698 – 1702), died in childhood
• Margherita Camilla, Mademoiselle de Carlades (1700 – 1758), married Louis de Gand de Mérode de Montmorency, Prince of Isenghien (his third marriage), no children
• Maria Devota, Mademoiselle des Baux (1702 – 1703), died in childhood
• Maria Paolina Theresa Devota, Mademoiselle de Chabreuil (1708 – 1726), unmarried, died at age 18

The marriage was not happy. In what seems to have become a Grimaldi tradition, Antonio had several illegitimate children from different affairs. Marie responded by finding lovers of her own. Louis de Rouvroy, Duke of Saint-Simon, a soldier, diplomat, and memoirist, said of Marie, that she “was a charming young thing… spoilt by her parents’ fondness for her and by the attentions of the courtiers who frequented the Lorraine household…Her husband, very sensibly, realized he hadn’t the upper hand.”

In 1692, when Antonio was serving in the French military, Marie was sent to Monaco. Upon Antonio’s discharge from the military, Marie insisted upon returning to France. She caused a great scandal when she claimed her father-in-law Louis I, Prince of Monaco had made unwanted sexual advances to her. Whether this was true or not, Marie and Antonio returned to the French court. Marie and Antonio’s relationship did not improve. They did reconcile in 1696, when their only child, five-year-old Caterina Charlotte, Mademoiselle de Monaco, died. Marie’s mother and King Louis XIV insisted that Marie and Antonio reunite to provide Monaco with an heir. From 1697 – 1712, Marie and Antonio lived in Monaco where Antonio spent most of his time in the Giardinetto, the cottage he had built for his mistress, and Marie lived in a summer house that she jokingly called Mon Desert (my desert). The couple had five daughters, but no sons, between 1697 and 1708 but only two survived to adulthood. During this period, on January 3, 1701, Antonio became Prince of Monaco upon the death of his father Louis I, Prince of Monaco.

Louise-Hippolyte, Marie and Antonio’s eldest surviving daughter and Antonio’s successor; Credit – Wikipedia

Marie and Antonio butted heads over the marriage of their elder surviving daughter and Antonio’s heir, Louise-Hippolyte. There was no disagreement over Antonio’s decision, with the permission of King Louis XIV, that Louise-Hippolyte’s husband would take the surname Grimaldi and jointly rule Monaco with her. However, there was a heated disagreement over prospective husbands. Marie, supported by her family, refused to consent to Antonio’s choice. This resulted in a conflict that lasted for two years and greatly angered King Louis XIV. Marie told Louise-Hippolyte to refuse her father’s choice which resulted in Antonio having Louise-Hippolyte confined in a convent. When Antonio discovered that his marriage plans for his daughter were not favored at the French court, he was forced to release Louise-Hippolyte from her convent confinement and forgo his marriage plans. However, Marie had another trick up her sleeve. She arranged for the Duchess de Lude to suggest Jacques Goyon, Count of Matignon as a husband for Louise-Hippolyte, and Antonio agreed. When he later found out that Marie had manipulated his choice by having the Duchess de Lude suggest Jacques Goyon, Count of Matignon, the relationship between Marie and Antonio further worsened.

The Cathedral of Monaco; Credit – Wikipedia

Marie spent the last years of her life quietly, frequently returning to the French court. She died at the Prince’s Palace in Monaco on October 30, 1724, at the age of 50, and was buried at the Church of Saint Nicholas in Monaco. During the late 19th century, a new and larger church, the Cathedral of Monaco, was built on the site of the Church of Saint Nicholas. The original church was demolished in 1874 but the current cathedral was built over the areas of the previous church and the old burial site so that the sovereign princes and consorts originally buried at the Church of Saint Nicholas are now buried in the Cathedral of Monaco.

Marie’s husband Antonio did not mourn her death at all. Marie left her possessions and a sizable monetary inheritance to her elder daughter Louise-Hippolyte. Antonio, who was always in financial difficulties, contested her will. Naturally, this caused a strained relationship between Antonio and his daughter and her husband. Antonio survived his wife by a little more than six years, dying on February 20, 1731, at the age of 70. He was succeeded by Louise-Hippolyte who had a very short reign of ten months. She died from smallpox at the age of 34, on December 29, 1731.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Christies.com. 1997. Portrait of Marie de Lorraine (1674-1724), Duchesse de Valentinois and her younger sister Charlotte de Lorraine (1678-1757), Mademoiselle d’Armagnac by Nicolas Fouché (1653-1733). [online] Available at: <https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-314260/?intObjectID=314260> [Accessed 20 February 2022].
• Edwards, Anne, 2017. The Grimaldis of Monaco. Blue Ridge Summit: Lyons Press.
• En.wikipedia.org. 2022. Marie of Lorraine – Wikipedia. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_of_Lorraine> [Accessed 20 February 2022].
• Flantzer, Susan, 2022. Antonio I, Prince of Monaco. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: <https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/antonio-i-prince-of-monaco/> [Accessed 20 February 2022].
• Fr.wikipedia.org. 2022. Marie de Lorraine — Wikipédia. [online] Available at: <https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_de_Lorraine> [Accessed 20 February 2022].