Jacques I (Jacques François Léonor Goyon de Matignon Grimaldi; 21 November 1689 – 23 April 1751) was

Prince of Monaco The sovereign prince (french: prince de Monaco) is the monarch and head of state of the Principality of Monaco. All reigning princes have taken the name of the House of Grimaldi, although some have belonged to other families (Goyon de Matignon or ...

from 1731 to 1733. He was also Duke of Valentinois from 1716 until 1733, and

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York ...

of Thorigny.

Life and reign

Jacques came from an ancient Norman family. "Thorigny" is now called

Torigni-sur-Vire Torigni-sur-Vire (, literally ''Torigni on Vire'') is a former commune in the Manche department, Normandy, northwestern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Torigny-les-Villes.Mairie'' is the former family chateau. His uncle was

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...

Charles Auguste de Goÿon de Matignon. He was a son of Jacques Goÿon de Matignon, ''

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 ...

'' Comte de Thorigny, and Charlotte Goyon de Matignon, Comtesse de Thorigny ''

suo jure ''Suo jure'' is a Latin phrase, used in English to mean 'in his own right' or 'in her own right'. In most nobility-related contexts, it means 'in her own right', since in those situations the phrase is normally used of women; in practice, especi ...

''. When

Antonio I of Monaco Antonio I (25 January 1661 – 20 February 1731) was the sovereign Prince of Monaco from 1701 to 1731. He was the elder son of Louis I of Monaco and Catherine Charlotte de Gramont. In 1683, Antonio was named lieutenant in the Régiment du Roi ...

and his wife Marie de Lorraine-Armagnac were looking for a consort for their daughter and heir Louise Hippolyte of Monaco, the family proposed him as a candidate. His candidacy was supported by King

Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of ...

, who wanted to solidify French influence in Monaco. Jacques and Louise Hippolyte married on 20 October 1715 and had nine children. The wedding ceremony was the first official act that the five-year-old king,

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...

, carried out during the

Regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (Philippe Charles; 2 August 1674 – 2 December 1723), was a French prince, soldier, and statesman who served as Regent of the Kingdom of France from 1715 to 1723. He is referred to in French as ''le Régent''. H ...

. The marriage wasn't very happy. Jacques preferred to stay more in

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...

, where he had several mistresses, than in Monaco. After the death of Antonio I of Monaco, Louise Hippolyte traveled from Paris to Monaco on 4 April 1731 and received an enthusiastic reception by the population. When Jacques joined her several times later, the reception was much colder. Jacques served as

regent A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...

for his wife from 21 February 1731 to her death. At the end of 1731, Louise Hippolyte died of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...

. Jacques I neglected the affairs of state and, under pressure from the population, had to leave the country in May 1732. He abdicated in favor of his son Honoré the next year. He spent the last years of his life in Versailles and

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. It was at Versailles that Louise-Françoise de Bourbon-Maine, a grand daughter of

Louis XIV Louis XIV (Louis Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was List of French monarchs, King of France from 14 May 1643 until his death in 1715. His reign of 72 years and 110 days is the Li ...

and his mistress,

Madame de Montespan Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ( ...

, was proposed as a wife for the widowed prince; despite having a large dowry, (she was the daughter of the Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine and his wife,

Anne Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in th ...

) the marriage never materialised and the prince never married again. His Paris residence was named after him

Hôtel Matignon The Hôtel Matignon or Hôtel de Matignon () is the official residence of the Prime Minister of France. It is located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, at 57 Rue de Varenne. "Matignon" is often used as a metonym for the governmental action o ...

and is today the official residence of the

Prime Minister of France The prime minister of France (french: link=no, Premier ministre français), officially the prime minister of the French Republic, is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of the Council of Ministers. The prime minister i ...

. Prior to his death, he was a frequent visitor to

with his son.

Issue

#Antoine Charles Marie (16 December 1717 – 4 February 1718), " Marquis des Baux Comte de Matignon". # Charlotte Thérèse Nathalie (19 March 1719 – 1790), nun at the Convent of Visitation in

. # Honoré III Camille Léonor (10 November 1720 – 21 March 1795), successor of his father. #Charles Marie Auguste (1 January 1722 – 24 August 1749), "Count of Carladés". #Jacques (9 June 1723 – June 1723). #Louise Françoise (15 July 1724 – 15 September 1729), ''Mademoiselle des Baux''. #François Charles (4 February 1726 – 9 December 1743), "Comte de Thorigny". #Charles Maurice (14 May 1727 – 18 January 1798), ''Count of Valentinois''; married on 10 November 1749 to Marie Chrétienne de Rouvroy; no issue. #Marie Françoise Anne Thérése (20 July 1728 – 20 June 1743), ''Mademoiselle d'Estouteville''.

References

1689 births 1751 deaths 18th-century Princes of Monaco Peers created by Louis XV 18th-century viceregal rulers People from Manche House of Grimaldi Princes of Monaco Monarchs who abdicated Monegasque princes Regents of Monaco Dukes of France Dukes of Valentinois Counts of France {{Monaco-bio-stub