List of heirs to the Monegasque throne
These are the individuals who, at any given time, were considered next in line to inherit the throne of Monaco, should the incumbent monarch die. Those who actually succeeded (at any time) are shown in bold. Stillborn children and infants surviving less than a month are not shown.
This list begins with the sole reign of Catalan, Lord of Monaco, whose father Jean (or Giovanni) I first set out a law of succession in his will in 1454. Until 1427 Monaco was effectively a condominium with up to three rulers simultaneously; after Jean I became sole ruler he sought to keep the throne for one person, of the Grimaldi family.[1] This succession included the stipulation that while a woman could inherit if there were no male heirs in her immediate family, she must marry a Grimaldi cousin to keep the inheritance in the family. The first Lady of Monaco, Claudine Grimaldi, abdicated in favour of her cousin and later married him; a later Princess of Monaco, however, would defy this law. It was ignored, however, and the throne continued to pass to their descendants, who adopted the name Grimaldi in place of their own.
Lords of Monaco (1454 to 1612)
Heir | Relationship to Monarch | Became heir | Reason | Ceased to be heir | Reason | Next in succession | Monarch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lamberto Grimaldi | cousin | July 1457 | cousin became Lady | 1458 | became Lord | Gaspare Grimaldi d'Antibes brother | Claudine |
Gaspare Grimaldi d'Antibes | brother | 1458 | brother became Lord | 1468 | son born to Lord | Nicola Grimaldi d'Antibes brother | Lamberto |
Jean Grimaldi | eldest son | 1468 | born | March 1494 | became Lord | Gaspard Grimaldi d'Antibes 1468–1482, uncle | |
Augustine Grimaldi 1482–1494, brother | |||||||
Augustine Grimaldi | brother | 1494 | brother became Lord | before 1505 | became abbot and bishop | Lucien Grimaldi brother | Jean II |
Lucien Grimaldi | brother | before 1505 | brother gave up his succession rights | 1505 | became Lord | Nicholas II, Lord d'Antibes first cousin | |
Nicholas II, Lord d'Antibes | first cousin | 1505 | cousin became Lord | 1519 | died | Gaspard Grimaldi d'Antibes son | Lucien |
Gaspard II, Lord d'Antibes | first cousin once removed | 1519 | father died | 16 December 1522 | son born to Lord | Renato Grimaldi d'Antibes son | |
Honoré Grimaldi | eldest son | 16 December 1522 | born | 22 August 1523 | became Lord | Gaspard II, Lord d'Antibes second cousin | |
Gaspard II, Lord d'Antibes | second cousin | 22 August 1523 | cousin became Lord | 1555 | son born to Lord | Renato Grimaldi d'Antibes | Honoré I |
Charles Grimaldi | eldest son | 1555 | born | 7 October 1581 | became Lord | Gaspard II, Lord d'Antibes 1555–1557, second cousin once removed | |
François Grimaldi 1557–1581, brother | |||||||
François Grimaldi | brother | 7 October 1581 | brother became Lord | 1586 | died | Hercule Grimaldi brother | Charles II |
Hercule Grimaldi | brother | 1586 | brother died | 17 May 1589 | became Lord | Renato, Lord d'Antibes third cousin | |
Renato, Lord d'Antibes | third cousin | 17 May 1589 | cousin became Lord | 1594 | died | Honoré Grimaldi d'Antibes son | Hercule |
Honoré I, Lord d'Antibes | third cousin once removed | 1594 | father died | 24 December 1597 | son born to Lord | Alexandre Grimaldi d'Antibes brother | |
Honoré Grimaldi | eldest son | 24 December 1597 | born | 29 November 1604 | became Lord | Giovanna Grimaldi sister |
Princes of Monaco (1612–present)
Heir | Relationship to Monarch | Became heir | Reason | Ceased to be heir | Reason | Next in succession | Monarch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Princess Giovanna Grimaldi | sister | 29 November 1604 | brother became Lord | 26 December 1623 | son born to Prince | Honoré I, Lord d'Antibes 1604–1618, fourth cousin | Honoré II |
Jean-Henri, Lord d'Antibes 1618–1623, fourth cousin once removed | |||||||
Prince Ercole, Marquis of Baux | son | 26 December 1623 | born | 2 August 1651 | died | Giovanna Grimaldi 1623–1642, aunt | |
Prince Louis Grimaldi 1642–1651, son | |||||||
Prince Louis, Marquis of Baux | grandson | 2 August 1651 | father died | 10 January 1662 | became Prince | Princess Maria Ippolita Grimaldi 1651–1661, sister | |
Prince Antoine Grimaldi 1661–1662, son | |||||||
Prince Antoine, Marquis of Baux | son | 10 January 1662 | father became Prince | 3 January 1701 | became Prince | Princess Maria Teresa Grimaldi 1662–1669, sister | Louis I |
Prince François Grimaldi 1669–1691, brother | |||||||
Princess Caterina Charlotte Grimaldi 1691–1696, daughter | |||||||
Prince François Grimaldi 1696–1697, brother | |||||||
Princess Louise Hippolyte Grimaldi 1697–1701, daughter | |||||||
Princess Louise Hippolyte Grimaldi | daughter | 3 January 1701 | father became Prince | 20 February 1731 | became Princess | Princess Elisabeth Grimaldi 1701–1702, sister | Antoine I |
Princess Margherita Grimaldi 1702–1717, sister | |||||||
Prince Antoine, Marquis of Baux 1717–1718, son | |||||||
Princess Margherita Grimaldi 1718–1719, sister | |||||||
Princess Charlotte Grimaldi 1719–1720, daughter | |||||||
Prince Honoré Grimaldi 1720–1731, son | |||||||
Prince Honoré, Marquis of Baux | son | 20 February 1731 | mother became Princess | 7 November 1733 | became Prince | Prince Charles, Count of Carladès brother | Louise Hippolyte |
Jacques I | |||||||
Prince Charles, Count of Carladès | brother | 7 November 1733 | brother became Prince | 24 August 1749 | died | Prince Charles-Maurice, Count of Valentinois brother | Honoré III |
Prince Charles-Maurice, Count of Valentinois | brother | 24 August 1749 | brother died | 17 May 1758 | son born to Prince | no further eligible heirs of the House of Grimaldi | |
Prince Honoré, Marquis of Baux | son | 17 May 1758 | born | 21 March 1795 | became Prince | Prince Charles-Maurice, comte de Valentinois 1758–1763, uncle | |
Prince Joseph Grimaldi 1763–1778, brother | |||||||
Prince Honoré Grimaldi 1778–1795, son | |||||||
Prince Honoré, Marquis of Baux | son | 21 March 1795 | father became Prince | 16 February 1819 | became Prince | Prince Florestan Grimaldi brother | Honoré IV |
Prince Florestan Grimaldi | brother | 16 February 1819 | brother became Prince | 2 October 1841 | became Prince | Prince Charles Grimaldi, son | Honoré V |
Prince Charles, Marquis of Baux | son | 2 October 1841 | father became Prince | 20 June 1856 | became Prince | Princess Florestine Grimaldi 1841–1848, sister | Florestan I |
Prince Albert Grimaldi 1848–1856, son | |||||||
Hereditary Prince Albert | son | 20 June 1856 | father became Prince | 10 September 1889 | became Prince | Princess Florestine, Duchess of Urach 1856–1870, aunt | Charles III |
Prince Louis Grimaldi 1870–1889, son | |||||||
Hereditary Prince Louis | son | 10 September 1889 | father became Prince | 26 June 1922 | became Prince | Princess Florestine, Duchess of Urach 1889–1897, great-aunt | Albert I |
Prince Wilhelm, Duke of Urach 1897–1918, first cousin once removed | |||||||
no further eligible heirs of the House of Grimaldi[2] | |||||||
Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois 1919–1922, (legitimated) daughter | |||||||
Hereditary Princess Charlotte | daughter | 26 June 1922 | father became Prince | 30 May 1944 | renounced her rights | Princess Antoinette Grimaldi 1922–1923, daughter | Louis II |
Prince Rainier Grimaldi 1923–1944, son | |||||||
Hereditary Prince Rainier | grandson | 30 May 1944 | mother ceded her rights | 9 May 1949 | became Prince | Princess Antoinette Grimaldi sister | |
Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois | mother | 9 May 1949 | son became Prince | 23 January 1957 | daughter born to Prince | Princess Antoinette Grimaldi[3] daughter | Rainier III |
Hereditary Princess Caroline | daughter | 23 January 1957 | born | 14 March 1958 | son born to Prince | Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois grandmother | |
Hereditary Prince Albert | son | 14 March 1958 | born | 6 April 2005 | became Prince | Princess Caroline, Princess of Hanover sister | |
Hereditary Princess Caroline, Princess of Hanover | sister | 6 April 2005 | brother became Prince | 10 December 2014 | twin daughter and son born to Prince | Andrea Casiraghi son | Albert II |
Hereditary Prince Jacques | son | 10 December 2014 | born | incumbent | Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès sister |
See also
References
- ↑ The House of Grimaldi: A Branch Set Root Permanently in Monaco
- ↑ The Constitution of Monaco from 1918 to 2002 allowed only descendants of the Sovereign Prince to take the throne on his death, therefore excluding Wilhelm and everyone after him from the line of succession.
- ↑ The Constitution of Monaco from 1918 to 2002 allowed only descendants of the Sovereign Prince to take the throne on his death. This case is an exception; when Charlotte renounced her rights it was on the condition that her son outlive her, so hypothetically if he died she might have become Princess with her daughter Antoinette as her heir. As Rainier had heirs and outlived his mother, this scenario was never tested.