Florestan, Prince of Monaco
| Florestan I | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Prince of Monaco | |||||
| Reign | 2 October 1841 - 20 June 1856 (14 years, 262 days) | ||||
| Predecessor | Honoré V | ||||
| Successor | Charles III | ||||
| Spouse | Maria Caroline Gibert de Lametz | ||||
| Issue | Charles III, Prince of Monaco Florestine, Duchess of Urach | ||||
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| House | House of Grimaldi | ||||
| Father | Honoré IV, Prince of Monaco | ||||
| Mother | Louise d'Aumont | ||||
Florestan I, Prince of Monaco (Paris, 10 October 1785 – 20 June 1856) was the eighth sovereign Prince of Monaco and the eighth Duke of Valentinois from 2 October 1841 until his death. He was born Tancrède Florestan Roger Louis Grimaldi the second son of Prince Honoré IV and Louise d'Aumont Mazarin, and succeeded to the throne on the death of his brother, Honoré V.
Biography
Florestan was never prepared to assume the role of prince — he had been an actor in the Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique — and the real power during his reign lay in the hands of his wife, also an actress, Maria Caroline Gibert de Lametz, whom he married in Commercy on 27 November 1816. For some time, she was able to alleviate the difficult economic situation stemming from Monaco's new position as a protectorate of the Kingdom of Sardinia, then a regional power, rather than of France. The royal couple also attempted to meet local demands for greater democracy and offered two constitutions to the local population, but these were rejected, particularly by the people of Menton. When they saw that their efforts were doomed to failure, they handed over power to their son Charles (later Prince Charles III).
This was, however, too little, too late. Encouraged by the events of 1848, the towns of Menton and Roquebrune revolted, and declared themselves independent. They had hoped to be annexed by Sardinia, but this did not occur, and the towns remained in a state of political limbo until they were finally ceded to France in 1861, under Charles III.
Death and succession, 1856
Despite his good intentions, by the time of Florestan's death in Paris in 1856, Monaco was a country divided with few prospects for financial prosperity. It remained for his heir to remedy the situation.
Children
- Prince Charles III (1818-1889)
- Florestine Gabrielle Antoinette Grimaldi, Princess of Monaco (Fontenay, 2 October/22 October 1833 - Stuttgart, 4 April/24 April 1897), married in Monaco on 15 February 1863 as his second wife Wilhelm, 1st Duke of Urach, and was the mother of Wilhelm, who was a Presumptive Heir to the Throne of Monaco and reigned for a few months as King Mindaugas II of Lithuania.
External links
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