The Royal House of Monaco

The Royal House of Monaco, also sometimes referred to as House of Capulet or House of France (le maison de France) depending on where you are in the Crown Lands, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning monarch who undertakes official and public duties. Originating as the most senior line of the Gregorian Dynasty and later on, becoming the forebearer of the title House of France, the Capulets remain one of the oldest ruling dynasties in the world.It was first established through Gregory Capulet (b. 957), known as Gregory the Gregarious, a French prince du sang of Genoese descent who led the uprising of the Capulets (then referred to as “Gregorians”) out of Genoa and, in succession, freed the regions Provence-Alpes-Cōte d'Azur, Occitania, and Auvergne-Rhônes-Alpes from Charles V the Evil. Through this, the foundations of Monaco and France’s third race of kings were built, ultimately becoming one of the most influential and powerful families in the domain following the election and coronation of Gregory Capulet as the rex Francorum (“King of the Franks”), the first of the Capulet House.All seven generations of monarchs of the Kingdom of Monaco from 989 to 1228 were direct male-line descendants of Capulet kings. The succession, however, was impeded for 111 years when the Rivieras usurped the throne and the Capulet royals were forced to retreat within the borders of Monaco to preserve the Monegasque throne and the Kingdom sans the Crown Lands. The Capulets would fail to seize the throne until after the Thousand Days War of 1339 when Henry I, the heir of Dario III, reclaimed the Crown with a series of synchronous revolts all across Île-de-France. In 1340, he made Monaco the power centre of his regime, exerting control over France which was referred to as the Crown Lands belonging to the Kingdom of Monaco.The current Head of House (le Chef du Maison) is His Royal Excellency The Sovereign King of Monaco, son, and successor of the late King Robert III.

• Incumbent

Robert IV
since 1 January 1987

• Details

Style	His Royal Excellency
Heir apparent	Alexandré, Prince of Château-Porcien
Residence	Palais Princier de Monaco
Appointer	Hereditary

Capulet House

History Timeline

6th Century BCE: Monaco, originally a part of the Phocaean Greek colony was referred to as Monoikos from the Greek “μόνοικος”, “single house”, from “μόνος” (monos) “alone, single” + “οἶκος” (oikos) “house” with reference to the single temple built within the place.957: Gregory Capulet or Gregory the Gregarious, a French prince du sang of Genoese descent, was born to Dario, Sire de Capulet, and Alessandra of Genoa.972: A series of rebellions led by Gregory Capulet spread within the French border, beginning in the southwestern regions towards Île-de-France, the kingdom’s ancient stronghold, all aimed to free them from the tyrannical rule of Charles V the Evil.973: The Capulets of Marseilles entered an alliance with the Rivieras of Provence.979: End of Charles V the Evil's reign of terror. Gregory Capulet was declared the new leader of the kingdom without the title. He was granted the Duchy of Marseilles and named Duke of the Franks.989: The Gregorian Dynasty was established through Gregory Capulet's unanimous election and coronation as King of the Franks.1228: The Rivieras usurped the throne and the Capulet royals were forced to retreat within the borders of Monaco to preserve the Monegasque throne and the Kingdom sans the Crown Lands.4 March 1336: Breakout of the Thousand Days War.1339: Henry I—a direct descendant of Dario II, who was taken in by the Riviera house when they usurped the throne in 1228— was able to seize their crown back due to several series of revolts and rebels.March 1339: Treaty of Marseilles26 March 1339: The end of the Rivieras’ reign over France, and the reinstallation of the rightful heir, Henry I of the Capulet house, to the French throne.1340: Henry I made Monaco the power centre of his regime, exerting control over France which was referred to as the Crown Lands belonging to the Kingdom of Monaco. Ever since only Capulet lineage has ruled the lands.1939: King Robert the First’s death was succeeded by his son, Prince Philippe, second of His name by the principality of Monacoㅡ King Robert II.10 October 1961: Birth of Robert Philippe Lionel, future King of the Kingdom of Monaco.1962: King Robert the Second’s death was succeeded by his son, Prince Charles, third of His name by the principality of Monacoㅡ King Robert III.1981: His Serene Highness Prince Lionel of Monaco, Marquis of Baux was made His Royal Grace, The Sovereign Prince of Monaco, Duke of Monaco-Ville.1984: Prince Lionel married Chaebeol princess of Korea, the first child of the Jung Family, Alice Jung.1987: King Robert the Third’s death was succeeded by his son, Prince Lionel, fourth of His name by the principality of Monacoㅡ being the youngest crowned Monegasque king, King Robert IV.2002: His Serene Highness Prince Armand abdicated as Heir Apparent.

History

Gregorian DynastyThe pre-Gregorian House of Capulet was a noble family originating from the Republic of Genoa. The Capulets are descended from Gregory the Gregarious, a French prince du sang who had been amongst Genoa’s biggest expediters during the time of the earliest Crusades and Whaling Expeditions. He was the son and heir of Dario, Sire de Capulet, a vassal to the Kingdom of France, and Alessandra of Genoa. He was born into a well-connected and influential family with many ties to the royal houses of both France and Sardinia. Foremost records of his name in the old transcripts could be traced back to the 24th Whaling Expedition he captained which brought home massive amounts of whale oil reserves and ultimately propelled the family into greater heights of wealth and fame.When Gregory turned seventeen, he inherited his father’s estates, earning the position as the second noble of the Franks and making him one of the most powerful figures in West Francia. But he wouldn’t be able to acquire the title Duc Francorum (“Duke of the Franks”) until after his capture of Monaco and its neighbouring regions.Towards the end of the 10th century, a series of rebellions spread within the French border, beginning in the southwestern regions towards Île-de-France, the kingdom’s ancient stronghold, all aimed to free them from the tyrannical rule of Charles V the Evil. Gregory the Gregarious led most of these revolts, gathering support from the great vassal houses, greatest lords, and the archepiscopal seats of France, the Sards to which he was related, and the general public. In the last quarter of the year 979, Gregory had dominated a wide swath of southwest France and was pushing into Paris with the aid of Armand Riviera, Duke of Provence, his aide-de-camp. Half a year later, the rebellion crested with the plundering of the royal residence, forcing the imperial family of France to flee. Only days later, Charles V and his wife were captured and imprisoned for life in Saint Germain Palace.This victory hoisted Gregory Capulet into power and he was declared the new leader of the kingdom but without the title. ‘A king in effect, not by name.’ Instead, Louis IV, son, and heir of the tyrant king, following his coronation, granted him the Duchy of Marseilles and named him Duke of the Franks. The 13-year-old King Louis IV died not five years into his reign when he was felled in a riding accident.Immediately, several contenders came to court claiming rights to the throne, however, only two of them could be accounted for. Florence of Navarre, youngest sister to Charles V, claimed the throne for her eldest son but was barred from any rights due to issues of legitimacy. From then on, as dictated by the Salic Law until the Age of Restoration, the French succession not only excluded females but also rejected claims based on the female line of descent. The other was Gregory Capulet, Duke of the Franks, whose candidacy was personally promoted by the Duchies of Provence and Paris. By 989, he was unanimously elected and crowned as King of the Franks, the first Capulet king, ushering in the beginning of a dynasty that would last for centuries and serve as the mother of modern royal family practices, and the father of other dynasties in Europe, America, Asia, and Africa.House of FranceThe emergence of the House of France’s concept began with the election of Gregory Capulet as the new King of the Franks in 989. The term refers to the branch of the Gregorian Dynasty which provided France with its future monarchs through its mainline and cadet branches. Some have acceded to the Crown over the years (the Rivieras), while some remained a cadet house. Others separated and gained independence by establishing their own kingship in different countries.As dictated by the Old Constitution, the monarchs of the House of France belonging to the Ancien Régime pushed for the continuity of the practices, principles, laws, relations, and political institutions already established prior to its creation. This act further strengthened the limitations as to who can lay claim to the Crown inside the family dimension [the princes of the blood or the prince du sang (when it is concerned)] and outside the patrimony (the fils de France) but weakened and severed the ties it has with the electoral power of the aristocracy. Instead, Gregory Capulet established a dynasty that followed the hereditary succession in their family and transformed a theoretically electoral kingship into a sacral one which gave birth to the concept of cadet houses belonging to the Crown through fiefdom.Centuries of existence have produced several cadet branches under the House, most of which are still extant (legitimacy not in question). Some of them include the following:

UsurpationAfter the untimely passing of Gregory III, a direct descendant of Gregory the Gregarious, he was succeeded at once by his cousin, Arthur II, from the Riviera House coercively as the Capulets failed to present an heir with the barren Gregory III when his royal court did not submit any successor that they had acknowledged. In contrast to what they alleged, a royal concubine of Gregory III was purposefully retained from the public eye so that their child, Dario II, would not have a chance to claim the monarchy, which the Rivieras ran afoul of due to the fact that the child was born out of wedlock.An accomplice of the Riviera who is bound to drug Gregory III has disguised himself as a servant to avoid raising suspicions that he is involved in the poisoning. The Rivieras were able to triumph in gaining the crown in 1228 after successfully using a ploy to beguile the King of his supper. Several hours later, the King was discovered dead.Revealing how the incident went through the royal court explained the assertion that it was contrived and a foreordained fall of the Capulets with the inevitable rise of the Rivieras.The then-damned monarch was laid to rest without leaving any kind of will, therefore the Riviera family has ruled Monaco as the imperial family for almost 111 years. One of the factors that contributed to the commencement of the Thousand Days War was the Capulet family’s collapse of professing exhilaration for more than a century.Events leading up to the Thousand Days WarDuring those futile years, Dario II did not cease striving toward the goal of regaining their kingdom by having his direct descendants rebel for the throne. In order for his successor Dario III and his descendants to progress on their way back to the palace, his grandchild Henry I continued a series of insurgencies to reclaim the throne for his family, who were the legitimate successors to the territory of Monaco.Capulet RestorationNot until 1339 was Henry I able to successfully reclaim the crown, reinstating the Capulets to their rightful place in the royal court and council, where they have remained till the current day. Since then, the royal family has remained distrustful of close loyalties across the regions, and as a result, they have not made any worthy pledges of allegiance.Treaty of MarseillesIn the Thousand Days War, a confederacy of the royal and noble houses Capulet, Cardoneau, and Carinci in Monaco; and the Alençon, Anjou, Burgundy, Luxembourg, Massy, Provence, Soissons, and Vendôme of France, finally drove the treasonous Rivieras out of France in 1339. On 5 March, the Confederacy passed a decree to the French nation:The allied powers having occupied Paris, are ready to receive the declaration of the French nation. They declare that if it was indispensable that the conditions of peace should contain stronger guarantees when it was necessary to enchain the ambition of Armand VII, they would become more favourable when, by a return to a wiser government, France itself offers the assurance of repose. The allied sovereigns declare, in consequence, that they will no longer treat with Armand VII nor with any of his family; that they respect the integrity of old France, as it existed under its legitimate kings—they may even go further, for they always profess the principle, that for the happiness of Europe it is necessary that France should be great and powerful; that they recognise and will guarantee such a constitution as the French nation may give itself. They invite, consequently, the senate to appoint a provisional government, which may provide for the necessities of administration, and establish such a constitution as may be fitting for the French people. The intentions which I have just expressed are common to me with all the allied powers.(Originally stated by Emperor Alexander I of Russia: Paris, 31st March 1814: Three P.M.)A week later, on 12 March, the confederacy proceeded to issue a declaration to the Monegasque and French nations:...the senate declares and decrees as follows:—1. Armand VII of House Riviera is cast down from the throne, and the right of succession in his family is abolished. 2. The French people and army are absolved from their oath of fidelity to him. 3. The present decree shall be transmitted to the departments and armies and proclaimed immediately in all the quarters of the capital.(Originally stated by Emperor Alexander I of Russia: Paris, 1 April 1814)With their surrender rendered as inevitable, Armand VII of House Riviera wrote to the confederacy:The allied powers having declared that King Armand VII is the sole obstacle to the re-establishment of general peace in Europe, King Armand VII, faithful to his oath, declares that he renounces, for himself and his heirs the throne of France and Italy; and that there is no personal sacrifice, not even that of life itself, which he is not willing to make for the interests of France.(Originally stated by Napoleon: Fontainebleau, 6 April 1814)By the most significant terms of the accord, Armand VII was stripped of his powers as ruler of the Kingdom of France. Armand VII and all of his successors and family members were prohibited from attaining power in France.The formal treaty was negotiated and signed by the plenipotentiaries in Marseilles on 24 March, and ratified by Armand VII on 26 March. This marks the end of the Rivieras’ reign over France, and the reinstallation of the rightful heir, Henry I of the Capulet house, to the French throne.In another tenet of the agreement, the former Duchies held by the Rivieras were ceded to the Capulets, and with the expulsion of the Rivieras, Henry I reestablished his kingdom as the foremost power in Western Europe by transferring his seat of power to La Roche in Monaco where he, and the rest of the Capulet kings who followed exerted control over the kingdom. Through continuity, the Kingdom of France was made the Kingdom of Monaco (“Monaco and the Crown Lands”), with the former retaining its founding name as France following its dissolution and restoration to the Monegasque Crown.Recent HistoryA millennium and thirty-three years later, the House of Capulet remains the longest and oldest ruling royal house in Europe with the current monarch, His Royal Excellency The Sovereign King of Monaco, belonging to the senior line directly descended from Gregory Capulet. The fils and fille de Monaco et de France (“Children of Monaco and France”) spread throughout Monaco, with the immediate members of the royal family residing in Palais Princier de Monaco (“Prince’s Palace of Monaco”) most times of the year.The current Prince Héréditaire (“Hereditary Prince”) or Dauphin of France is His Royal Grace Prince Alexandré, The Sovereign Prince of Monaco, Duke of Monaco-Ville. Other notable members of the family include La Prima Donna, Her Serene Highness Princess Analesia, Marquise of Fontvieille; His Highness Prince Bastien, Marquis of Chilly-Mazarin; and Her Highness Princess Chrysianthe, Marquise of Bailli.

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