The House of Grimaldi ( , also , , ) is the current reigning house of the

Principality of Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque dialect, Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a Sovereign state, sovereign city-state and European microstates, microstate on the French Riv ...

. The house was founded in 1160 by

Grimaldo Canella Grimaldo Canella (d. ''c.'' 1184) was the youngest son of Otto Canella and Consul of Genoa in 1162, 1170, and 1184. Grimaldo is considered the progenitor and eponym of the House of Grimaldi. Origins Canella was probably born in Genoa around 11 ...

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...

and became the ruling house of Monaco when Francesco Grimaldi captured Monaco in 1297. The House of Grimaldi has produced every Prince of Monaco. During much of the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

, the family resided in the French court, where from 1642 to 1715 they used the title of Duke of Valentinois. The current head of the house is

Albert II of Monaco Albert II – Website of the Palace of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, since 2005. Albert was born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, and he is the second child and only son of Prince Ra ...

, Sovereign Prince of Monaco, who is the son and successor of Prince

Rainier III Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005) was Prince of Monaco from 1949 to his death in 2005. Rainier ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest-ruling m ...

and the Princess consort Grace of Monaco, formerly known as Grace Kelly. Fuerstenhof zu Monaco

Beginnings in Genoa

The Grimaldis descend from Grimaldo, a Genoese consul who lived during the time of the early

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...

. He may have been a son of

Otto Canella Otto Canella (born in the middle of the 11th century, died in 1143) was Consul of the Republic of Genoa in 1133, and an ancestor of the House of Grimaldi, the family that currently rules Monaco. According to the 19th-century historian Gustave S ...

, an earlier

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...

of the

Republic of Genoa The Republic of Genoa ( lij, Repúbrica de Zêna ; it, Repubblica di Genova; la, Res Publica Ianuensis) was a medieval and early modern maritime republic from the 11th century to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast. During the La ...

. His numerous descendants led

maritime Maritime may refer to: Geography * Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps * Maritime Region, a region in Togo * Maritime Southeast Asia * The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Pri ...

expeditions throughout the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

, the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...

, and the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian ...

. They quickly became one of the most powerful families of Genoa. The Grimaldis feared that the head of a rival Genoese family could break the fragile balance of power in a '' coup'' and become lord of Genoa, as had happened in other Italian cities. They entered into a Guelphic alliance with the

Fieschi The Fieschi were a noble merchant family from Genoa, Italy, from whom descend the Fieschi Ravaschieri Princes of Belmonte. Of ancient origin, they took their name from the progenitor ''Ugo Fliscus'', descendants of the counts of Lavagna. The fam ...

family. In 1271, the Guelphs were banned from Genoa, and the Grimaldi took refuge in their castles in

Liguria Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...

and

Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bo ...

. They signed a treaty with Charles of Anjou,

King of Sicily The monarchs of Sicily ruled from the establishment of the County of Sicily in 1071 until the "perfect fusion" in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in 1816. The origins of the Sicilian monarchy lie in the Norman conquest of southern Italy which occ ...

and Count of Provence to retake control of Genoa. In 1276, they accepted a peace under the

auspices Augury is the practice from ancient Roman religion of interpreting omens from the observed behavior of birds. When the individual, known as the augur, interpreted these signs, it is referred to as "taking the auspices". "Auspices" ( Latin ''aus ...

of the Pope, but the civil war continued. Not all the Grimaldis chose to return to Genoa and settled in their

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...

doms, where they could raise armies. In 1299, the Grimaldis and their allies launched a few

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be u ...

s to attack the port of Genoa before taking refuge on the Western

Riviera ''Riviera'' () is an Italian word which means "coastline", ultimately derived from Latin , through Ligurian . It came to be applied as a proper name to the coast of Liguria, in the form ''Riviera ligure'', then shortened in English. The two area ...

. During the following years, the Grimaldis entered into different alliances that would allow them to return to power in Genoa. This time, it was the turn of their rivals, the

Spinola family The House of Spinola, or Spinola family, was a leading Italian political family centered in the Republic of Genoa. Their influence was at its greatest extent in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Important members Guido Spinola was one o ...

, to be exiled from the city. During this period, both the

Guelphs and Ghibellines The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, r ...

took and abandoned the castle of Monaco, which was ideally located to launch political and military operations against Genoa. Therefore, the tale of Francis Grimaldi and his faction – who took the castle of Monaco disguised as

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the ...

s in 1297 – is largely

anecdotal Anecdotal evidence is evidence based only on personal observation, collected in a casual or non-systematic manner. The term is sometimes used in a legal context to describe certain kinds of testimony which are uncorroborated by objective, indepen ...

. In the early 14th century, the Aragonese raided the shores of Provence and Liguria, challenging Genoa and King Robert of Provence. In 1353, the combined fleet of eighty

Venetian Venetian often means from or related to: * Venice, a city in Italy * Veneto, a region of Italy * Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area Venetian and the like may also refer to: * Venetian language, a Romance language s ...

and Aragonese galleys gathered in

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label= Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, aft ...

to meet the fleet of sixty galleys under the command of Anthony Grimaldi. Only nineteen Genoese vessels survived the battle. Fearing an invasion, Genoa requested the protection of the Lord of Milan. Several of the oldest feudal branches of the House of Grimaldi appeared during these conflicts, such as the branches of

Antibes Antibes (, also , ; oc, label= Provençal, Antíbol) is a coastal city in the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France, on the Côte d'Azur between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is in the commune of Antibes and the Sop ...

Beuil Beuil (; oc, Buelh; it, Boglio) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Geography Beuil is a village located in the Maritime Alps, away from Nice. It is the gateway to the Mercantour National Park. A stop-off ...

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative ...

, Puget, and

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

. In 1395, the Grimaldis took advantage of the discords in Genoa to take possession of Monaco, which they then ruled as a

condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership structure whereby a building is divided into several units that are each separately owned, surrounded by common areas that are jointly owned. The term can be applied to the building or complex ...

. This is the origin of today's principality. As was customary in Genoa, the Grimaldis organised their family ties within a corporation called . In the political reform of 1528, the Grimaldi became one of the 28 of the Republic of Genoa, which included the Doria and

Pallavicini The House of Pallavicini, also known as Pallavicino and formerly known as Pelavicino, is an ancient Italian noble family founded by Oberto II ''Pelavicino'' of the Frankish Obertenghi family. The Pallavicini of Genoa The first recorded member o ...

families, and to which other families were formally invited to join. The House of Grimaldi provided several doges, cardinals, cabinet ministers, and

military officers An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent contextu ...

of historical note.

French influences

became a part of the Kingdom of France from 1486, and occasionally the Grimaldi relied upon French support to preserve their independence from the Republic of Genoa and the

Duchy of Savoy The Duchy of Savoy ( it, Ducato di Savoia; french: Duché de Savoie) was a country in Western Europe that existed from 1416. It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy for Amadeus VIII. The du ...

. In the process they married into the

French nobility The French nobility (french: la noblesse française) was a privileged social class in France from the Middle Ages until its abolition on June 23, 1790 during the French Revolution. From 1808 to 1815 during the First Empire the Emperor Napol� ...

in the 1600s, inherited French estates, and often lived in Paris, latterly at the Hôtel Matignon, until the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

of 1789. Monaco and the neighbouring County of Nice was taken by the revolutionary army in 1792, and were French-controlled until 1815. Nice passed back to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1815; then it was ceded to France by the

Treaty of Turin (1860) The Treaty of Turin ( it, Trattato di Torino; french: Traité de Turin) concluded between France and Piedmont-Sardinia on 24 March 1860 is the instrument by which the region of Savoy and the County of Nice were annexed to France, ending the ce ...

. Monaco was re-established by the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon ...

in 1815, with a brief Italian occupation in 1940–43.

Modern succession

By convention, sovereign European houses are male primogeniture. Therefore, since 1731, it has been determined genealogically that it was in fact the French noble House of Goyon-Matignon that ruled as Princes of Monaco until 1949. However, one of the terms of James de Goyon de Matignon becoming Prince of Monaco ''

jure uxoris ''Jure uxoris'' (a Latin phrase meaning "by right of (his) wife"), citing . describes a title of nobility used by a man because his wife holds the office or title '' suo jure'' ("in her own right"). Similarly, the husband of an heiress could beco ...

'' was that he adopt the name and arms of Grimaldi so that the house would be preserved on the throne, and the right of succession was through his wife Louise-Hippolyte Grimaldi, who abdicated in her husband's favor. Similarly, when Charlotte Louvet was legitimised in 1911 and made successor to Monaco, her husband, Count Pierre de Polignac, adopted, as a condition of the marriage, the name and arms of Grimaldi, but from this moment all his direct descendants Grimaldi would also have the title of Counts of Polignac. In this way the "Grimaldi" name and arms were continued. Until 2002, a treaty between Monaco and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

stated that if the

reign A reign is the period of a person's or dynasty's occupation of the office of monarch of a nation (e.g., Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Andorra), of a people (e.g., the Franks, the Zulus) or of a spiritual community (e.g., Catholicism, Tibetan Buddhism ...

ing Prince ever failed to leave dynastic offspring, then

sovereignty Sovereignty is the defining authority within individual consciousness, social construct, or territory. Sovereignty entails hierarchy within the state, as well as external autonomy for states. In any state, sovereignty is assigned to the perso ...

over the Grimaldi realm would revert to France. The 2002 agreement modified this to expand the pool of potential heirs to dynastic collaterals of the reigning Prince (excluding adoptive heirs, hitherto allowed, e.g. Princess Charlotte and her descendants), guaranteeing Monegasque independence. Article I of Monaco's

house law House law or House laws (''Hausgesetze'') are rules that govern a royal family or dynasty in matters of eligibility for succession to a throne, membership in a dynasty, exercise of a regency, or entitlement to dynastic rank, titles and styles ...

requires that the reigning Prince or Princess bear the surname of Grimaldi. The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

of the House of Grimaldi is simply described as ''fusily argent and gules'', i.e., a red and white diamond pattern, with no further modifiers.

Main living members

, Sovereign Prince of Monaco, son and successor of

and Grace Kelly. * Charlène de Monaco, Princess Consort of Monaco. ** Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco, Marquis of Baux, Count of Polignac, son of Albert II and Charlène. ** Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès, Mademoiselle of Polignac, daughter of Albert II and Charlène. *

Caroline, Princess of Hanover Princess Caroline of Monaco (Caroline Louise Marguerite; born 23 January 1957) is, by her marriage to Prince Ernst August, the Princess of Hanover. As the eldest child of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and Grace Kelly, she is the elder sist ...

, Mademoiselle of Polignac, older sister of Albert II and Stéphanie. ** Andrea Casiraghi, Charlotte Casiraghi, and

Pierre Casiraghi Pierre Rainier Stefano Casiraghi (born 5 September 1987) is the younger son and youngest of three children of Caroline, Princess of Hanover, and her second husband, Stefano Casiraghi. He is the maternal-line grandson of Rainier III, Prince of ...

, children of Caroline and her late husband,

Stefano Casiraghi Stefano Casiraghi (8 September 1960 – 3 October 1990) was an Italian offshore powerboat racer, socialite, and businessman. He was the second husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco; he died during a racing accident defending his 1990 Class ...

. ** Princess Alexandra of Hanover, daughter of Caroline and her present husband, Ernst August, Prince of Hanover. * Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, Mademoiselle of Polignac, younger sister of Albert II and Caroline. ** Louis Robert Paul Ducruet, Pauline Grace Maguy Ducruet, and Camille Marie Kelly Gottlieb, children of Stéphanie. *

Christian Louis de Massy Baron Christian Louis de Massy (born 17 January 1949) is the son of Princess Antoinette, Baroness of Massy, Princess Antoinette of Monaco, Baroness de Massy, and her husband, international tennis champion Alexandre-Athenase Noghès. His grandfath ...

, cousin of Albert II. Married four times and with offspring.

Family tree

Select list of Grimaldis

Albert II Prince of Monaco Senate of Poland 02

, consul of the

, founder of this House *

Hubert Grimaldi Hubert is a Germanic masculine given name, from ''hug'' "mind" and ''beraht'' "bright". It also occurs as a surname. Saint Hubertus or Hubert (c. 656 – 30 May 727) is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians, and metalworkers. ...

, first to bear the Grimaldi patronymic name *

Luca Grimaldi Luca Grimaldi (fl. 1240–1275) was a Genoese troubadour and Guelph politician and diplomat. None of his poetic work survives. Jean de Nostredame listed one ''Luco ou Lucas de Grymaud, natif de Grymauld en Provence'' as a Provençal troub ...

, troubadour and podestà of Milan and Ventimiglia * Rainier I, lord of Cagnes, admiral of France *

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

, lord of Monaco, Cagnes, and Menton * Anthony, lord of Monaco, admiral of Genoa *

Luc and Marc Grimaldi of Antibes Luc or LUC may refer to: Places * Luc, Hautes-Pyrénées, France, a commune * Luc, Lozère, France, a commune * Le Luc, France, a commune * Luč, Baranja, Croatia, a settlement People and fictional characters * Luc (given name) * Luc (surname) ...

, lords of Menton, Cagnes, and Antibes *

Lamberto Grimaldi Lamberto Grimaldi (c. 1420 – March 1494) was Lord of Monaco from 16 March 1458. He was married to his cousin Claudine Grimaldi in 1465, per the wishes and legal Will and testament of her late brother, Catalan, and their father. Lamberto was o ...

and Claudia of Monaco * Augustin, archbishop * Nicolas, prince of Salerno * Louis I, prince of Monaco, ambassador of Louis IV *

Girolamo Girolamo is an Italian variant of the name Hieronymus. Its English equivalent is Jerome. It may refer to: * Girolamo Cardano (1501–1576), Italian Renaissance mathematician, physician, astrologer and gambler * Girolamo Cassar (c. 1520 – after ...

(died 1543). Created a Cardinal in 1527. He married Francisca Cattaneo of Genoese and had five children. After her death he entered holy orders. He was a Senator of Genoa. * Domenico, Archbishop of Avignon and uncle of Girolamo Grimaldi-Cavalleroni (see below) *

(1597–1683). Cardinal and Archbishop of Aix *

Elena Grimaldi Elena may refer to: People * Elena (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name * Joan Ignasi Elena (born 1968), Catalan politician * Francine Elena (born 1986), British poet Geography * Elena (town), a town in Veliko ...

, painted by

Anthony van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. The seventh ...

(1674–1733). Created a Cardinal 1731 * Alexander, doge of Genoa * John Baptist, doge of Genoa * Peter Francis, doge of Genoa * Honoré II, Prince of Monaco (1597–1662) * Jacques François Leonor Grimaldi. Prince of Monaco and father of Honoré III, Prince of Monaco * Nicola (1645–1717). Created cardinal deacon in the consistory of 17 May 1706 * Jerónimo Grimaldi, 1st Duke of Grimaldi (1710-1789) *

Louise-Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco Louise Hippolyte (10 November 1697 – 29 December 1731) was one of only two women to rule Monaco, reigning as Princess of Monaco from 20 February 1731 until her death in December the same year.Anne Edwards, ''The Grimaldis of Monaco'', 1992 Bio ...

- mother of Honoré III, Prince of Monaco * Honoré III, Prince of Monaco (1720–1795) * Honoré IV, Prince of Monaco (1758–1819) *

Honoré V, Prince of Monaco Honoré V (Honoré Gabriel Grimaldi; 13/14 May 1778 – 2 October 1841) was Prince of Monaco and Duke of Valentinois. He was the first son of Honoré IV of Monaco and Louise d'Aumont. Regent Illnesses resulting from his imprisonment incapacitat ...

(1778–1841) *

Florestan I, Prince of Monaco Florestan (Tancrède Florestan Roger Louis Grimaldi; 10 October 1785, in Paris – 20 June 1856) was Prince of Monaco and Duke of Valentinois from 2 October 1841 until his death. He was the second son of Prince Honoré IV and Louise d'Aumont ...

(1785–1856) * Charles III, Prince of Monaco (1818–1889) * Albert I, Prince of Monaco (1848–1922) *

Louis II, Prince of Monaco Louis II (Louis Honoré Charles Antoine Grimaldi; 12 July 1870 – 9 May 1949) was Prince of Monaco from 26 June 1922 to 9 May 1949. Early years Born in Baden-Baden, (Germany), he was the only child of Albert I, Prince of Monaco (1848–1922) ...

(1870–1949) * Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois (1898–1977) * Prince Pierre, Count of Polignac (1895–1964) * Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (1923–2005) *

Princess Antoinette, Baroness of Massy Princess Antoinette, Baroness of Massy (Antoinette Louise Alberte Suzanne Grimaldi; 28 December 1920 – 18 March 2011) was a member of the princely family of Monaco. She was the elder sister of Prince Rainier III. Her parents were Count Pierre ...

(1920–2011) * Caroline Louise Marguerite Grimaldi (born 1957) *

Albert II, Prince of Monaco Albert II – Website of the Palace of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, since 2005. Albert was born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, and he is the second child and only son of Prince Rai ...

(born 1958) * Stéphanie Marie Elisabeth Grimaldi (born 1965) * Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco (born 2014) * Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès (born 2014)

References and further reading

* Edwards, Anne. ''The Grimaldis of Monaco''. William Morrow, 1992. * Maclaga, Michael and Louda, Jiri. ''LINES OF SUCCESSION''; Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe. MacDonald & Co., 1981; Little, Brown & Co., 1999; Time Warner Books, UK, 2002 * Maurizio Ulino, ''L'Età Barocca dei Grimaldi di Monaco nel loro Marchesato di Campagna'', Giannini editore, Napoli 2008.

External links

Grimaldi family tree

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Grimaldi, House of History of Monaco Republic of Genoa families Italian noble families Roman Catholic families Lists of Monegasque people Monegasque families