Monaco: Ordinances conferring titles on the princely twins

The Sovereign Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife Charléne became parents to the twins Princess Gabriella and Hereditary Prince Jacques on Wednesday 10 December 2014. In the press bulletin it was informed that Hereditary Prince Jacques was to receive the title of Marquis of Baux, while Princess Gabriella was to receive the title of Countess of Carladès.

The ordinances conferring the said titles were published in the Monegasque Official Gazette, Journal de Monaco. Bulletin Officiel de la Principauté on Friday 12 December 2014:

• Ordonnance Souveraine n° 5.105 du 11 décembre 2014 conférant le titre de Marquis des Baux à S.A.S. le Prince Héréditaire Jacques
• Ordonnance Souveraine n° 5.106 du 11 décembre 2014 conférant le titre de Comtesse de Carladès à S.A.S. la Princesse Gabriella

Monaco: Twins born

Princess Charlène of Monaco, wife of Prince Albert II, gave birth to twins at the Maternity of the Princess Grace Hospital Monaco today (10 December 20114). The following press bulletin was issued:

LL.AA.SS. le Prince et la Princesse de Monaco ont l’immense bonheur d’annoncer la naissance de Leurs enfants prénommés :

• Gabriella, Thérèse, Marie (née à 17h04)
• Jacques, Honoré, Rainier (né à 17h06)

Ces naissances ont eu lieu, le 10 décembre 2014 à la maternité du Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace de Monaco.
La Princesse et les Enfants se portent bien.
Le Prince Jacques, Honoré, Rainier, a la qualité de Prince Héréditaire. Selon l’usage historique établi par le traité de Péronne (1641), Il reçoit le titre de Marquis des Baux (en Provence).
La Princesse Gabriella, Thérèse, Marie, deuxième enfant dans la ligne de succession, reçoit le titre de Comtesse de Carladès (en Auvergne). 

***

It is with immense joy that TT.SS.HH the Prince and Princess of Monaco have the great pleasure to announce the birth of Their children named: 

• Gabriella, Thérèse, Marie (born at 17h04)
• Jacques, Honoré, Rainier (born at 17h06)

The births took place on 10^th December 2014 at the Maternity of the Princess Grace Hospital Monaco.
The Princess and the Children are doing well.
The Prince Jacques, Honoré, Rainier is the Crown Prince. In accordance with the historic custom established by the treaty of Péronne (1641), He shall receive the title of Marquis of Baux (in Provence).
The Princess Gabriella, Thérèse, Marie, second child in the line of succession, shall receive the title of Countess of Carladès (in Auvergne).

Princess Charlène's pregnancy was announced on 30 May this year. On 9 October it was finally confirmed that she was carrying twins.

Although Princess Gabriella was born first, Prince Jacques is first in line of succession in accordance with the Constitution Article 10:

The succession to the throne, opened by death or abdication, takes place direct and legitimate issue of the reigning prince, by order of primogeniture with priority given to males within the same degree of kinship. 

 The updated line of succession to the Monegasque throne is as follows:

1. HSH Hereditary Prince Jacques, Marquis of Baux (b. 2014)
2. HSH Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès (b. 2014)
3. HRH The Princess of Hannover (Princess Caroline) (b. 1957)
4. Andrea Casiraghi (b. 1984)
5. Alexandre "Sasha" Casiraghi (b. 2013)*
6. Pierre Casiraghi (b. 1987)
7. Charlotte Casiraghi (b. 1986)
8. HRH Princess Alexandra of Hannover (b. 1999)
9. HSH Princess Stéphanie of Monaco (b. 1965)
10. Louis Ducruet (b. 1992)*
11. Pauline Ducruet (b. 1994)*

Prince Albert has two children from earlier relationships - Alexandre Coste (b. 24 August 2003) and Jazmin Grimaldi (b. 4 March 1992), who are not in the line of succession.

* Sasha, Louis and Pauline were born out of wedlock, but legitimized by their parents' marriage, cf. the the Monegasque Civil Code Article 227, and are thus in the line of succession unlike Louis' and Pauline's half-sister Camille Grimaldi (Gottlieb), b. 1998. 

Princess Antoinette of Monaco (1920-2011): Obituary in The Sunday Telegraph

Princess Antoinette of Monaco, b. Paris 28 December 1920, died at Monaco on 17 March 2011, 90 years old. She was the oldest child of Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois (1898-1977) and Count Pierre de Polignac (1895-1964) and thus the sister of Prince Rainier III (1923-2005) and the aunt of Prince Albert II.

The princess, who was married 3 times, left behind 2 children (Elisabeth and Christian), 6 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. Her youngest daughter Christine died in 1989.

The funeral service took place at the Cathedral of Monaco on Thursday 24 March 2011, followed by burial in the Chapelle de La Paix.

Princess Antoinette's obituary was published in The Sunday Telegraph on 27 March 2011. The obituary seems to contain at least one mistake. The paper states that she died on 18 March 2011. But the press release from the court was released on 18 March 2011 and said that "Following a long stay in hospital, Princess Antoinette of Monaco passed away last night in the Principality, at the age of 90, at the Princess Grace Hospital." So I think the date 17 March 2011 is correct.

Then there is the story about Princess Charlotte's mother Marie Juliette Louvet (1867-1930) being a washerwoman. I haven't done any original research on the question, so I can only say that most experts in the field say it was Princess Charlotte's grandmother who was the cleaning lady. I am not sure if this is the best question to put forward to the court, though... One could of course check out what the press wrote at the time Princess Charlotte was legitimated, but then one should also be pretty sure that the press at the time had got the facts right in the first place.

Monaco: New wedding date

The date of the religious ceremony for the wedding of Prince Albert II and Charlène Wittstock has been changed from 9 July to 3 July 2011, the Princely Court of Monaco announced last Sunday, 1 August 2010. The civil ceremony will take place on 2 July 2011.

The reason for the change of dates is that a meeting of the International Olympic Committee is scheduled to take place in Durban in the period of 5-9 July 2011, and "the couple wished for the presence of the Olympic family by their sides". I am not sure if this means that all members of the "Olympic family" will be invited to the wedding, or if this was a reference to the Monegasque presence at the meeting in Durban. Prince Albert II has been a member of the IOC since 1985.

The Prince also wanted that their first trip abroad as husband and wife should go to Ms. Wittstock's homeland, the Republic of South Africa.

(Updated on Friday 19 October 2010 at 0800 (link corrected).

Monaco: Wedding date set to 9 July 2011

The Princely Court of Monaco announced today, 22 July 2010, that the religious ceremony for the wedding between HSH Prince Albert II and Charlène Wittstock will take place on Saturday 9 July 2011.

The civil wedding will take place at the Palace on Friday 8 July 2011.

The engagement was announced on 23 June 2010.