| Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois |
| Born |
30 September 1898(1898--)
 Constantine, Algeria |
| Died |
15 November 1977 (aged 79)
 Paris, France
|
| Title |
Princess of Monaco, Duchess of Valentinois, Countess of Polignac |
| Spouse |
Pierre de Polignac (1920-1933) |
| Children |
Princess Antoinette, Rainier III |
| Parents |
Louis II of Monaco and Marie
Juliette Louvet |
Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois, Countess of Polignac (Charlotte Louise Juliette de Grimaldi, née Louvet) (30 September 1898 – 15 November 1977), styled HSH The
Princess Charlotte, was the daughter of Louis II, Prince of
Monaco, and the mother of Prince Rainier
III. From 1922 until 1944, she was the Hereditary Princess of Monaco, heiress to the throne.
Birth and adoption
Born Charlotte Louvet in Constantine, Algeria, she was the illegitimate daughter
of Marie Juliette Louvet, a cabaret singer, and Prince Louis II. On the death of Prince Louis II, theretofore without a legitimate heir, the throne
of Monaco was due to pass to Wilhelm, the German Duke of Urach, Louis II's cousin, a son of Princess Florestine of Monaco; to forestall this event, on
15 May 1911 a law was passed recognizing Charlotte as Louis's
daughter, and making her a member of the sovereign family. Though it was later held to be invalid under the 1882 statutes, an
Ordinance of 30 October, 1918 allowed her to be adopted. Louis
adopted Charlotte in Paris on 16 May, 1919, bestowing on her
the surname Grimaldi and the title Duchess of Valentinois; she was thus his
heir apparent as Hereditary Princess from 1922 until 30
May 1944 (see below).
Legality of Adoption
A shadow of doubt exists over the legality of this adoption. The Monegasque Civil Code (Articles 240 and 243) required that
the adopting party to be at least fifty and the adoptee twenty-one. The 1918 Ordinance changed the age limit to eighteen
(Charlotte was twenty at the time) but not the other age limit and Louis was only 48.
Marriage
In 1920, Louis arranged Charlotte's marriage to Count Pierre de Polignac of Guidel, Morbihan, Brittany, France who, by the
Prince's ordinance, took the surname Grimaldi and became a Prince of Monaco. The couple had two children:
Their marriage was not, however, a happy one; they separated in 1930 when Charlotte left him to
live with her Italian lover, Del Masso. The couple were divorced in 1933.
Late life
On 30 May 1944, the day before her son's 21st birthday and in
full agreement with her father, Charlotte ceded her rights to the throne to her son Rainier, subject to the stipulation that he
did not predecease her. From this date she was no longer Hereditary Princess of Monaco, though she retained the titles of
Princess of Monaco and Duchess of Valentinois.
Late in life she went to college, obtaining a degree in social work. After her son
assumed the throne, Princess Charlotte moved to live at Le Marchais, the Grimaldi estate outside of Paris. Despite the objections of her children who feared for her safety, she turned the estate into
a rehabilitation centre for ex-convicts. She lived at the estate with her lover, a noted French former jewel thief named
René Girier and nicknamed "René la Canne" (René the Cane).
In 1977, Princess Charlotte died in Paris, France.
External links
|
Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois
Born: 30 September 1898 Died: 15 November 1977 |
| Monegasque royalty |
Preceded by
Louis II |
Hereditary Princess of
Monaco
1922 – 1944 |
Succeeded by
Rainier III |
Marquise of Baux
1922 – 1944 |
| Titles of nobility |
Preceded by
Albert I |
Duchess of
Valentinois
1919 – 1977 |
Succeeded by
Rainier III |
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Constantine, Algeria
Paris, 
