Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois (Charlotte Louise Juliette Grimaldi, née Louvet) (30 September 1898 – 15 November 1977), styled HSH The Princess Charlotte, was the illegitimate daughter of Louis II, Prince of Monaco, and the mother of Prince Rainier III. From 1922 until 1944, she was the Hereditary Princess of Monaco, heiress to the throne. The House of Grimaldi is associated with the history of the Republic of Genoa and of the Principality of Monaco. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 92 days remaining. ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Louis II of Monaco (July 12, 1870 – May 9, 1949) was the Sovereign Prince of Monaco from June 26, 1922 until May 9, 1949. ... His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; May 31, 1923–April 6, 2005), styled HSH The Sovereign Prince of Monaco, ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost fifty-six years, making him one of the longest ruling monarchs of the 20th Century. ...

Birth and adoption

Born Charlotte Louvet in Constantine, Algeria, she was the illegitimate daughter of Marie Juliette Louvet, a cabaret singer, and Prince Louis II. On the death of Prince Louis II, theretofore without a legitimate heir, the throne of Monaco was due to pass to the German Duke of Urach, Louis II's cousin, son of Princess Florestine of Monaco; to forestall this event, on 15 May 1911 a law was passed recognizing Charlotte as Louis's daughter, and making her part of the sovereign family. Though it was later held to be invalid under the 1882 statutes, an Ordinance of 30 October 1918 allowed her to be adopted. Louis adopted Charlotte in Paris on 16 May 1919, bestowing on her the surname Grimaldi and the title Duchess of Valentinois; she was thus his heir apparent as Hereditary Princess from 1922 until 30 May 1944 (see below). Constantine or Qusantînah (Arabic: قسنطينة ) is the capital of Constantine Province (ولاية قسنطينة ) in north-east Algeria, slightly inland, at about 80 kilometers from the coast. ... Marie Juliette Louvet (May 9, 1867 – September 24, 1930) was partner of Prince Louis II of Monaco and was the mother of his only child, Princess Charlotte of Monaco. ... Louis II of Monaco (July 12, 1870 – May 9, 1949) was the Sovereign Prince of Monaco from June 26, 1922 until May 9, 1949. ... May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (137th in leap years). ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Duke of Valentinois (French: Duc de Valentinois; Italian: Duca Valentino), formerly Count of Valentinois, is an extinct title in the French peerage, and is currently one of the many hereditary titles of the Prince of Monaco. ... Contrasting with heir presumptive, an heir apparent is one who cannot be prevented from inheriting by the birth of any other person. ... May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ...

Legality of Adoption

A shadow of doubt exists over the legality of this adoption. The Monegasque Civil Code (Articles 240 and 243) required that the adopting party to be at least fifty and the adoptee twenty-one. The 1918 Ordinance changed the age limit to eighteen ( Charlotte was twenty at the time) but not the other age limit and Louis was only 48.

Marriage

In 1920, Louis arranged Charlotte's marriage to Count Pierre de Polignac of Guidel, Morbihan, Brittany, France who, by the Prince's ordinance, took the surname Grimaldi and became a Prince of Monaco. The couple had two children: 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 3 - Babe Ruth is traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for $125,000, the largest sum ever paid for a player at that time. ... Prince Pierre Grimaldi, duc de Valentinois, comte de Polignac (born Count Pierre Marie Xavier Raphael Antoine Melchior de Polignac) (24 October 1895 – 10 November 1964), was son of Count Maxence de Polignac (1857-1936) and his Mexican-born Spanish wife, Susana de la Torre y Mier (1858-1913). ... Morbihan is a département in the northwest of France named after the Morbihan (small sea in Breton), the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline. ... Traditional coat of arms This article is about the historical kingdom, duchy and French province, as well as one of the Celtic Nations . ...

• Antoinette Louise Alberte Suzanne (born 28 December 1920)
• Rainier III of Monaco (31 May 1923 - April 6, 2005)

Their marriage was not, however, a happy one; they separated in 1930 when Charlotte left him to live with her Italian lover Dr. Del Masso. The couple were divorced in 1933. Princess Antoinette, Baroness of Massy (born Antoinette Louise Alberte Suzanne Grimaldi) (born 28 December 1920) is a member of the princely family of Monaco and the elder sister of the late Prince Rainier III. Her parents were Count Pierre de Polignac and Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois. ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 3 - Babe Ruth is traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for $125,000, the largest sum ever paid for a player at that time. ... His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; May 31, 1923–April 6, 2005), styled HSH The Sovereign Prince of Monaco, ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost fifty-six years, making him one of the longest ruling monarchs of the 20th Century. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ... 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Late life

On 30 May 1944, the day before her son's 21st birthday and in full agreement with her father, Charlotte ceded her rights to the throne to her son Rainier, subject to the stipulation that he did not predecease her. From this date she was no longer Hereditary Princess of Monaco, though she retained the titles of Princess of Monaco and Duchess of Valentinois. May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... Duke of Valentinois (French: Duc de Valentinois; Italian: Duca Valentino), formerly Count of Valentinois, is an extinct title in the French peerage, and is currently one of the many hereditary titles of the Prince of Monaco. ...

Late in life she went to college, obtaining a degree in social work. After her son assumed the throne, Princess Charlotte moved to live at Marchais, the Grimaldi estate outside of Paris. Despite the objections of her children who feared for her safety, she turned the estate into a rehabilitation centre for ex-convicts. She lived at the estate with her lover, a noted French former jewel thief named René Girier and nicknamed "René la Canne" (René the Cane). Social work is a helping profession focused on social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being (IASSW & IFSW 2001). ... The Eiffel Tower, the international symbol of the city, as viewed from the Trocadéro This article is about the capital and largest city in France. ...

In 1977, Princess Charlotte died in Paris, France. For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ...

External links

• thepeerage.com: Charlotte Grimaldi, Duchess of Valentinois - details of her parents, marriage, children, and titles.
• René la Canne (in French)