Honoré II, Prince of Monaco

Lord/Prince of Monaco from 1604 to 1662

Honoré II

Portrait by Philippe de Champaigne

Prince of Monaco
Reign| 1612 – 10 January 1662
Predecessor| Himself (as Lord of Monaco)
Successor| Louis I
Lord of Monaco
Reign| 21 November 1604 – 1612
Predecessor| Hercule
Successor| Himself (as Prince of Monaco)

Born| (1597-12-24)24 December 1597
Monaco
Died| 10 January 1662(1662-01-10) (aged 64)
Monaco
Burial|

Saint Nicholas Cathedral

Spouse| Ippolita Trivulzio
Issue| Hercules, Marquis of Baux
House| Grimaldi
Father| Hercule, Lord of Monaco
Mother| Maria Landi

Honoré II (24 December 1597 – 10 January 1662) was Prince of Monaco from 1604 to 1662. He was the first to be called Prince (in 1612), but started his reign as Lord of Monaco.

## Early life[edit]

Honoré II was born on 24 December 1597. He was the son of Hercule, Lord of Monaco (24 September 1562 – 21 November 1604) and Maria Landi. His father was murdered when he was six, and he succeeded under the regency of his uncle, Frederico Landi, 4th Prince of Val di Taro. Landi was a loyal ally and friend of Spain and allowed the country to be occupied by Spanish troops in 1605. The inhabitants of Monaco were prohibited to carry arms and the Prince and his two sisters were moved to Milan. The Council of Monaco tried to limit Spanish power but the occupation lasted until 1614, and a strong Spanish influence remained until 1633, when it recognized Honoré as a sovereign prince.

## Adulthood[edit]

From adulthood, Honoré started to criticize Spain and turned to France for support. Louis XIII gave him the support he needed and this resulted in the Treaty of Péronne. This ended Spanish rule and put Monaco under French protection, recognizing and guaranteeing Monegasque sovereignty. As a consequence Honoré lost his Spanish and Italian possessions, but was compensated by King Louis XIII of France with the marquisate Les Baux and the title of Duke of Valentinois.

During his reign he did much to extend, rebuild and transform the Genoese fortress that was the Grimaldi's stronghold into what is today Monaco's Princely Palace.

## Marriage and family[edit]

On 13 February 1616 he married Ippolita Trivulzio (d. 1638). The couple had one son.

* Ercole Grimaldi, Marquis of Baux (1623 – 2 August 1651); married on 4 July 1641 to Maria Aurelia Spinola (d. 29 September 1670)
* Louis (25 July 1642 – 3 January 1701)
* Marie Hippolyte (8 May 1644 – 8 October 1694)
* Jeanne Marie (b. 4 June 1645)
* Thérèse Marie (4 September 1648 – 20 July 1723) ancestress of Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina

After Hercules (Ercole, age 27) was killed in firearms accident, Louis became Honoré's heir at the age of 9.[1]

## Death and legacy[edit]

Honoré died on 10 January 1662. He was interred in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas (it stood on the location of the current cathedral) in Monaco.

A collector's silver coin has been issued by the Treasury of Monaco portraying Honoré II on the occasion of the 400th anniversary (1612 – 2012) of the use of the title "Sovereign Prince." The silver coin has a €10 face value.

## References[edit]

1. ^ The Mad Monarchist (10 April 2012). "Whatever Happened to Hercules". Mad for Monaco. madformonaco.blogspot.com. Retrieved 17 September 2012.

Preceded by

Himself

as Lord of Monaco |  Sovereign Prince of Monaco
1612–1662  | Succeeded by

Louis I

|
|

New Creation  |  Duke of Valentinois
1642–1662
Preceded by

Hercule

|  Lord of Monaco
1604–1612  | Succeeded by

Himself as
Sovereign Prince of Monaco

* v
* t
* e

Rulers of Monaco

Lords|

* François
* Rainier I
* Charles I
* Antonio
* Rainier II
* Gabriel
* Louis
* Jean I
* Ambroise
* Antonie
* Catalan
* Claudine
* Lamberto
* Jean II
* Lucien
* Honoré I
* Charles II
* Ercole
* Honoré II

Sovereign Princes|

* Honoré II
* Louis I
* Antonio I
* Louise Hippolyte
* Jacques I
* Honoré III
* Honoré IV
* Honoré V
* Florestan
* Charles III
* Albert I
* Louis II
* Rainier III
* Albert II

* v
* t
* e

Monegasque princes

Generations are numbered from Honoré II, Prince of Monaco.

1st generation|

* Prince Ercole, Marquis of Baux

2nd generation|

* Louis I, Prince of Monaco

3rd generation|

* Antonio I, Prince of Monaco

4th generation|

* Jacques Goyon de Matignon*

5th generation|

* Honoré III, Prince of Monaco

6th generation|

* Honoré IV, Prince of Monaco
* Prince Joseph

7th generation|

* Honoré V, Prince of Monaco
* Florestan, Prince of Monaco

8th generation|

* Charles III, Prince of Monaco

9th generation|

* Albert I, Prince of Monaco

10th generation|

* Louis II, Prince of Monaco

11th generation|

* Pierre de Polignac*

12th generation|

* Rainier III, Prince of Monaco

13th generation|

* Albert II, Prince of Monaco

14th generation|

* Hereditary Prince Jacques, Marquis of Baux

* prince by marriage

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* France
* BnF data
* Germany
* Belgium

People|

* Deutsche Biographie

Other|

* IdRef

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