Princes of Monaco - The Remarkable History of the Grimaldi Family

Arthur Barker Ltd, 1961 edition
This is a most interesting history of Monaco and its Princes - the Grimaldi family - from 1297 down to 1958 when little Prince Albert, son of Prince Rainier and his wife Princess Grace, the former Grace Kelly, was shown to cheering crowds from the Palace balcony along with his elder sister Pricness Caroline. The early Grimaldis were great seafarers; the importance of the harbour of Monaco and the almost impregnable castle on the rock above, made their territory a key to communications between France, Spain and Italy. It was from this grim fortress that they set out to extort sea tributes from all merchant ships passing within sight. When this importance ceased, the Grimaldis maintained their independence by diplomacy. Squeezed between the great Powers of Savoy, France, Milan and Spain, Monaco survived throughout the 16th and 17th centuries by playing off one Power against another. Until 1848 the Principality of Monaco included Menton and Roquebrune, and into this story comes much of the history of Menton, Savoy and Nice. After the French Revolution Monaco was in dire straits, but the coming of Monsieur Blanc and the opening of the first casino at Monte Carlo heralded the richest era in the history of this smallest independent State in the world, now the playground of Europe...