Did the spell of a medieval witch doom the royal family of Monaco for centuries to come?
Nestled in the south of France is one of Europe’s smallest sovereign states. The Principality of Monaco has a reputation as a luxury tourist destination, with the tiny area being ranked as one of the wealthiest places on Earth. With just under 40,000 inhabitants today, the state is governed by a constitutional monarchy. Since 1297, when the Genoese Francesco Grimaldi captured the castle of Monaco, the royal rulers of the state have all been members of the House of Grimaldi and while the Grimaldis are known as one of the oldest royal houses of Europe, they have also become famous for the notorious curse that is said to haunt the family.
The story of the curse goes something like this: in the 13th century, Rainier I (the cousin of Francesco Grimaldi and the first sovereign ruler of Monaco) captured a Flemish maiden after he and his naval fleet had fought a successful battle against Flanders. The abduction and subsequent rape of the young woman saw her harmed and humiliated and, in retaliation for the attack, she placed a hex on Rainier and his descendants. The curse allegedly stated that no Grimaldi would ever have a happy marriage. Whether or not this story is true, or if the curse is real, can never really be proven. But, in their long and illustrious history, the House of Grimaldi have, in accordance with the legend of the curse, tended to be unlucky in love, and have experienced generations of tragic events. Here are the stories of just a few of the Grimaldis that, after reading, may just convince you of the
The Tragic
LADY CLAUDINE’S HUSBAND DENIED HER THE TITLE THAT WAS RIGHTFULLY HERS
Though the marriage of Claudine, Lady of Monaco was described by her contemporaries as a happy one, the relationship between her and her husband, Lambert Grimaldi di Antibes, was certainly contentious. In 1457, at the age of six, Claudine ascended to the throne of Monaco after the deaths of both her parents. As the only child of Catalan Grimaldi and his wife Blanche del Carretto, it was far from ideal that she was a girl. However, the rules of succession, as laid out by Claudine’s grandfather Jean I, stated that a female Grimaldi could rule if they kept the Grimaldi name. As a result, the Grimaldi name would be passed down to her children, and her husband would be required to adopt the family name himself. In Claudine’s case, this was not a problem with Lambert being her distant cousin and already carrying the Grimaldi title.
As Claudine was six years old when she came to power, a regent was appointed to oversee her duties until she became of age. Claudine’s grandmother, Pomellina Fregoso, had been name
