The sovereign prince of Monaco (French: prince de Monaco; Monégasque: príncipe de Mónaco) is the monarch and head of state of the Principality of Monaco. All reigning princes and princesses have taken the name of the House of Grimaldi. When Prince Rainier III died in 2005, he was Europe's longest reigning monarch. The Grimaldi family, which has ruled Monaco for eight centuries, is Europe's longest-ruling royal family.
The reigning prince is Albert II, who ascended in April 2005.
The minister of state (French: Ministre d'État; Monégasque: Ministru de Statu) is the head of government of Monaco, appointed by and subordinate to the Prince of Monaco, following a proposal by the Government of France.
During their term of office, the officeholder is responsible for directing the work of the government and in charge of foreign relations. As the monarch's representative, the prime minister also presides (with voting powers) over the Council of Government, directs the executive services and commands the police and military.
The House of Grimaldi is the reigning house of the Principality of Monaco. The house was founded in 1160 by Grimaldo Canella in Genoa and became the ruling house of Monaco when Francesco Grimaldi captured Monaco in 1297.
Every Prince of Monaco has been a member of the House of Grimaldi. Since the 18th century, the princes have been agnatic descendants of other families that have inherited through the female line and adopted the Grimaldi name. In 1715, Jacques Goyon de Matignon married Louise Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco, the last Grimaldi agnatic heir. He and his male line descendants, adopting the Grimaldi name, ruled as princes of Monaco from 1731 to 1949. During much of the Ancien Régime, the family resided in the French court, where from 1642 to 1715, they used the title of Duke of Valentinois.
The Prince's Palace of Monaco (French: Palais princier de Monaco; Monégasque: Palaçi principescu) is the official residence of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco. Built in 1191 as a Genoese fortress, during its long and often dramatic history it has been bombarded and besieged by many foreign powers. Since the end of the 13th century, it has been the stronghold and home of the Grimaldi family who first captured it in 1297. The Grimaldi ruled the area first as feudal lords, and from the 17th century as sovereign princes, but their power was often derived from fragile agreements with their larger and stronger neighbours.
Thus while other European sovereigns were building luxurious, modern Renaissance and Baroque palaces, politics and common sense demanded that the palace of the Monegasque rulers be fortified. This unique requirement, at such a late stage in history, has made the palace at Monaco one of the most unusual in Europe. Indeed, when its fortifications were finally relaxed during the late 18th century, it was seized by the French and stripped of its treasures, and fell into decline, while the Grimaldi were exiled for over 20 years.
The Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince (Monégasque: Cumpagnia d'i Carrabiniei d'u Prìncipu; "Prince's Company of Carabiniers") is the Infantry branch of the Force Publique, and one of the limited number of militaries that recruits foreigners. Although Monaco's defence is the responsibility of France, Monaco maintains a small force for the protection of the Sovereign and the Prince's Palace. Formed by Prince Honoré IV in 1817, the unit was re-organized in 1909.
The company numbers 124 officers and men. Whilst the NCOs and soldiers are local, the officers have served in the French Army or the Republican Guard. Along with the Corps des Sapeurs-Pompiers, the Carabiniers form Monaco's total public forces.
This article lists the consorts of the sovereign prince or princess of Monaco during their reign. Until 1612, the title was held by the spouse of the lord of Monaco.
Since her marriage to Albert II on 1 July 2011, Charlene has been princess consort of Monaco.
The wedding of Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, and Grace Kelly took place on 18 and 19 April 1956 at the Prince's Palace of Monaco and the Saint Nicholas Cathedral. The groom was the sovereign prince of the Principality of Monaco. The bride was an American film star.
The wedding was watched by over 30 million viewers on live television, broadcast by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, along with 9 television networks broadcasting to Télé Monte-Carlo via Eurovision. The marriage was met with mass attention from the public, described as the "wedding of the century" and the "world's most anticipated wedding" by the media, as well as "the first modern event to generate media overkill" by biographer Robert Lacey.