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The Grimaldis of Monaco
The Grimaldis of Monaco tells in full the remarkable history of the world’s oldest reigning dynasty. For nearly eight hundred years, from the elegant Genoese Rainier I to the current Prince Albert II, the Grimaldis—“an ambitious, hot-blooded, unscrupulous race, swift to revenge and furious in battle”—have ruled Monaco. Against all odds, they have proved themselves masterful survivors, still in possession of their lands and titles despite the upheavals of the French Revolution and the First and Second World Wars, when royal heads rolled and most small countries met their demise.With insufficient weaponry and military forces far too small to go into combat against their more powerful neighbors, France and Italy, the Grimaldis endured by their cunning and their shrewd choice of brides—rich women and high connections in the most influential courts of Europe, and often, strong sexual appetites. The French nobleman’s daughter who married Louis I later became the mistress of France Louis XIV. Her son, Antoine I was wed to an aristocratic wife who outdid her mother-in-law by having so many lovers her husband took to hanging them in effigy.The seafaring adventurer Prince Albert I was unfortunate enough to have two wives, one British, one American, who ran off with their lovers. His second wife, the American Alice Heine, a fabulously rich heiress from New Orleans and the widowed Duchesse de Richelieu, was the model for Proust’s Princess of Luxembourg. Heine used her own wealth to bring grandeur, culture, and sophistication to the palatial center of Monte Carlo; and with the introduction of gambling, an internationally celebrated resort was born, initially for the privileged few and later for raffish café society,The last section of the book is devoted to the most recent generations of the Grimaldis. Here, a new image of Rainier III emerges as both man and monarch, beginning with his blighted childhood as the son of divorced parents and of a mother scorned as illegitimate. And preceding the drama of his marriage to Grace Kelly, there is an account of his intense love affair with a French film start and reasons behind his sister’s lifelong malice and envy of him. The final note is necessarily tragic, detailing in full the deaths of both Princess Grace and Princess Caroline’s husband in sudden and shocking accidents
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1992
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234 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 29, 2024
2.5 stars
An obscure, gossipy nonfiction work from the 1990s about the royal line of Monaco, this turned out pretty much as I expected. If you are specifically seeking a book about Monaco, which I was, it isn’t a bad choice. It’s hard to imagine recommending otherwise.
Monaco’s early history, from ancient times to the beginning of the 17th century, is swept through in the first few pages. As it turns out, the Grimaldis have not actually ruled the principality from 1297, as claimed; the guy who took the fortress lost it within a few years, and the family had to buy it back twice, coming into permanent possession only in 1419. It became a principality in 1612, when the regent for its young ruler started designating his nephew as a “prince” and the Spanish, in control at the time, let it go.
From there, the first third of the book follows marriages, affairs and wars from the early 17th through mid 19th centuries. By this point the princes were fully focused on their true aim of achieving high rank in the French nobility; Monaco gave them a title and they pumped it as hard as they could for taxes to fund their lifestyle, but rarely visited.
The second third traces Monaco’s rise as a luxury vacation destination, from the mid-19th century through WWII; this was originally the brainchild of a business-minded princess, and focused almost exclusively on the casino, though that raised moral objections both abroad and by some of the princes themselves. Not that they refused the money, far from it, but they tried to distance themselves all the same.
The final third is all about Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly and their children, up through the book’s publication in 1992. The celebrity gossip portion seems to be what has drawn most people to the book. My biggest takeaway is that marrying a prince isn’t all it’s cracked up to be: he demanded a $2 million dowry (her father refused on grounds that his daughter didn’t need to pay a man to marry her... but then was convinced to put that amount “toward the wedding,” which in fact the casino magnate mostly funded) and that she contribute to household expenses—somehow, as she also had to give up her career. Oh, and agree up front that if they split for any reason, he’d get the kids.
Overall, it was informative, although not written with any particular flair. The book is not particularly well-sourced; the author describes extensive research in general terms, but provides only a chapter-wide notes on sources, leaving many unexplained claims, such as describing the thoughts and feelings of people now deceased.
It’s also sloppy, which always makes you wonder how much you can trust anything the author says. At one point, Edwards mistakenly identifies a prince’s sister as his daughter. At another, she has a treaty ending the Franco-Prussian War before it started. Something happens in 1690, six years pass and somehow it’s still 1690. She has Queen Alexandra becoming Queen of England in 1910; actually it was 1901, and 1910 is when she stopped being queen. She weirdly implies there was something fishy about the deaths of the Louis XIV’s grandson and his family, which I have not seen from any other writers and am inclined to put down to sloppiness as well. (Also, an unnecessary number of words are spent on French royal gossip.) She gets the size of Monaco wrong virtually every time she mentions it: I am stumped as to claims late in the book that in the 20th century Monaco reclaimed a full square mile of land from the sea, which it obviously can’t have done since it remains at only 0.8 square miles total.
Also, I truly cannot with this description, offered without commentary:
“Proust described the Princesse de Luxembourg [whom the author says was modeled on Alice, Princess of Monaco] as ‘tall, red-haired, handsome, with a rather prominent nose. . . . [I saw her] half leaning upon a parasol in such a way as to impart to her tall and wonderful form that slight inclination, to make it trace that arabesque, so dear to the women who . . . knew how, with drooping shoulders, arched backs, concave hips and taut legs to make their bodies float as softly as a silken scarf about the rigid armature of an invisible shaft which might be supposed to have transfixed it.’”
This, this gem is why I don’t read 20th century men—this need to sexualize absolutely everything in the most bizarre and disgusting ways. Maybe I should thank Edwards for warning me off Proust, but it was clearly inadvertent; in fact she introduces Grace Kelly in her own words as “a rare beauty with unruffled elegance and flashes of an inner fire waiting to be kindled by the right man.” Perhaps I should acknowledge that gross 20th century writing about women was not limited to the pens of men. That said, outside of these couple of howlers it’s all right.
In the end, it is a book about Monaco, it is coherent and readable, and there aren’t a lot of choices. That’s one more off the list, at any rate.
An obscure, gossipy nonfiction work from the 1990s about the royal line of Monaco, this turned out pretty much as I expected. If you are specifically seeking a book about Monaco, which I was, it isn’t a bad choice. It’s hard to imagine recommending otherwise.
Monaco’s early history, from ancient times to the beginning of the 17th century, is swept through in the first few pages. As it turns out, the Grimaldis have not actually ruled the principality from 1297, as claimed; the guy who took the fortress lost it within a few years, and the family had to buy it back twice, coming into permanent possession only in 1419. It became a principality in 1612, when the regent for its young ruler started designating his nephew as a “prince” and the Spanish, in control at the time, let it go.
From there, the first third of the book follows marriages, affairs and wars from the early 17th through mid 19th centuries. By this point the princes were fully focused on their true aim of achieving high rank in the French nobility; Monaco gave them a title and they pumped it as hard as they could for taxes to fund their lifestyle, but rarely visited.
The second third traces Monaco’s rise as a luxury vacation destination, from the mid-19th century through WWII; this was originally the brainchild of a business-minded princess, and focused almost exclusively on the casino, though that raised moral objections both abroad and by some of the princes themselves. Not that they refused the money, far from it, but they tried to distance themselves all the same.
The final third is all about Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly and their children, up through the book’s publication in 1992. The celebrity gossip portion seems to be what has drawn most people to the book. My biggest takeaway is that marrying a prince isn’t all it’s cracked up to be: he demanded a $2 million dowry (her father refused on grounds that his daughter didn’t need to pay a man to marry her... but then was convinced to put that amount “toward the wedding,” which in fact the casino magnate mostly funded) and that she contribute to household expenses—somehow, as she also had to give up her career. Oh, and agree up front that if they split for any reason, he’d get the kids.
Overall, it was informative, although not written with any particular flair. The book is not particularly well-sourced; the author describes extensive research in general terms, but provides only a chapter-wide notes on sources, leaving many unexplained claims, such as describing the thoughts and feelings of people now deceased.
It’s also sloppy, which always makes you wonder how much you can trust anything the author says. At one point, Edwards mistakenly identifies a prince’s sister as his daughter. At another, she has a treaty ending the Franco-Prussian War before it started. Something happens in 1690, six years pass and somehow it’s still 1690. She has Queen Alexandra becoming Queen of England in 1910; actually it was 1901, and 1910 is when she stopped being queen. She weirdly implies there was something fishy about the deaths of the Louis XIV’s grandson and his family, which I have not seen from any other writers and am inclined to put down to sloppiness as well. (Also, an unnecessary number of words are spent on French royal gossip.) She gets the size of Monaco wrong virtually every time she mentions it: I am stumped as to claims late in the book that in the 20th century Monaco reclaimed a full square mile of land from the sea, which it obviously can’t have done since it remains at only 0.8 square miles total.
Also, I truly cannot with this description, offered without commentary:
“Proust described the Princesse de Luxembourg [whom the author says was modeled on Alice, Princess of Monaco] as ‘tall, red-haired, handsome, with a rather prominent nose. . . . [I saw her] half leaning upon a parasol in such a way as to impart to her tall and wonderful form that slight inclination, to make it trace that arabesque, so dear to the women who . . . knew how, with drooping shoulders, arched backs, concave hips and taut legs to make their bodies float as softly as a silken scarf about the rigid armature of an invisible shaft which might be supposed to have transfixed it.’”
This, this gem is why I don’t read 20th century men—this need to sexualize absolutely everything in the most bizarre and disgusting ways. Maybe I should thank Edwards for warning me off Proust, but it was clearly inadvertent; in fact she introduces Grace Kelly in her own words as “a rare beauty with unruffled elegance and flashes of an inner fire waiting to be kindled by the right man.” Perhaps I should acknowledge that gross 20th century writing about women was not limited to the pens of men. That said, outside of these couple of howlers it’s all right.
In the end, it is a book about Monaco, it is coherent and readable, and there aren’t a lot of choices. That’s one more off the list, at any rate.
Want to read
July 1, 2022Hmmmm so I found this fantastic British royal family tree. Added to favorites . But it’s a bit difficult to match up the current royal family through the ages as an audiobook disclaimed (author said can be traced to the 9th century). I think I just need to make it bigger maybe? Whereas the Grimaldi royal family of Monaco goes back to 1160 or something like that and has produced every single prince of the royal house from its beginnings. So either one is pretty impressive.
January 11, 2015
The author has previously published works on Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, and Countess Tolstoy — but also on Judy Garland, Shirley Temple, Ronald Reagan, and P.T. Barnum, so the reader may be forgiven for unfounded suspicions of tabloidism. The second half of this workmanlike narrative does, in fact, concern itself mostly with the lively affairs of the current younger generation but the reader may ignore all that (or the reader may try). For the first half details in sweeping prose the adventurous history of the Grimaldis, "an ambitious, hot-blooded, unscrupulous race, keen to plunder, swift to revenge, and furious in battle." The harbor at Monte Carlo has been strategically important since the Carthaginian fleet anchored there. The Lombards, Arabs, Guelfs, and Genoese all had their strongholds and the Grimaldi family arrived in 1162 as Genoese consuls. One night in 1297, Francesco Grimaldi (known as "the Spiteful") climbed the cliffs with his followers, disguised as monks, and overpowered the small garrison, and the family has ruled the Rock ever since. Edwards makes clear the necessary nerve and tenacity and the willingness to fight, as well as the diplomatic balancing act the princes of Monaco have had to perform in order to survive as a more or less independent state.
September 11, 2023
A chronicle of the longest reigning dynasty in the world traces the rule of the Grimaldis of Monaco from the French Revolution to the present, including profiles of Caroline, Albert, and Stephanie.
Anne Edwards has described the history of the Grimaldis from the 12th century. The name first appears in Genoa. In 1927, Rainier Grimaldi, a merchant in Genoa, succeeded in entering the fortress of Monaco. He murdered the guards and subjected the 200 residents to his authority. It took a lot of cleverness for the Grimaldis not to be annexed by one of the surrounding countries. In 1612 the first Grimaldi adorned himself with the title Prince of Monaco. In 1863, the casino manager of Bad Homburg came to Monaco, built a large casino, hotels and villas and created exotic gardens. For the Prince of Monaco, the casino turned out to be an unexpectedly large source of income… But Monaco is more than just the Casino, especially under Prince Rainier and with the charm of Grace Kelly, Monaco became what it is today…
The Grimaldis of Monaco is a well researched, written and interesting story. (not gossipy or sensational). It is told in a very intriguing and insightful way against the backdrop of famous people and events. It is a book dating from 1992 and later republished several times. The book I read is the first edition.
In the book we read about the different phases, military and political vicissitudes, boring stuff, but educational. Of course, the Princes of Monaco are also highlighted, we are presented with a brief overview of their lives.
The author Anne Edwards tells us the history of Grimaldi since 1297! Which must have been quite a job. but that’s what the result is. A book packed with information. If you like history (and if you like Monaco’s princely family), it will be a pleasure to read the book.
Anne Edwards has described the history of the Grimaldis from the 12th century. The name first appears in Genoa. In 1927, Rainier Grimaldi, a merchant in Genoa, succeeded in entering the fortress of Monaco. He murdered the guards and subjected the 200 residents to his authority. It took a lot of cleverness for the Grimaldis not to be annexed by one of the surrounding countries. In 1612 the first Grimaldi adorned himself with the title Prince of Monaco. In 1863, the casino manager of Bad Homburg came to Monaco, built a large casino, hotels and villas and created exotic gardens. For the Prince of Monaco, the casino turned out to be an unexpectedly large source of income… But Monaco is more than just the Casino, especially under Prince Rainier and with the charm of Grace Kelly, Monaco became what it is today…
The Grimaldis of Monaco is a well researched, written and interesting story. (not gossipy or sensational). It is told in a very intriguing and insightful way against the backdrop of famous people and events. It is a book dating from 1992 and later republished several times. The book I read is the first edition.
In the book we read about the different phases, military and political vicissitudes, boring stuff, but educational. Of course, the Princes of Monaco are also highlighted, we are presented with a brief overview of their lives.
The author Anne Edwards tells us the history of Grimaldi since 1297! Which must have been quite a job. but that’s what the result is. A book packed with information. If you like history (and if you like Monaco’s princely family), it will be a pleasure to read the book.
May 1, 2021
It was a series of internet articles that drew my attention to the Grimaldies and had me searching for a book to read. Having grown up Anglophone with Royal Families represented by Queen Elizabeth, one does not expect royals to be salacious and risqué, with myriads of mistresses, lovers and illegitimate children.
The book alas, is a history. A good history, and well-researched, and mainly an excuse for the Princess Grace story, but still a history.
The book alas, is a history. A good history, and well-researched, and mainly an excuse for the Princess Grace story, but still a history.
February 28, 2019
I was SO HOPING for the STORY of how GRACE and PRINCE RAINER MET, FELL IN LOVE, THE CORTSHIP, WEDDING, THEIR LIFE TOGETHER!!!! INSTEAD I get a history lesson about Monaco, ,gambling, the wars the prince's BEFORE. The wife's who were left to stay at home WHILE husbands went out FIGHTING. It was interesting, but not what I was looking for
June 24, 2023
Took a couple of months to finish this book, not to the book blame. I rated only three stars because the history only went to the early 1990s and I wished gave a more full accounting of the history to date. Other than that, this book read like you were watching a historical fiction tv show and was very vivid in its description of Monaco’s history. Overall, I would recommend this read.
November 14, 2025
I quickly skimmed through this concentrating on their origins and the Grace Kelly period.It’s a serviceable biography,not too sparkling a text but adequate.But how much does anyone want to know about such a small country of no significance in the modern world?
September 13, 2018
Monaco -long history
I enjoyed the book but there should have been some balance between the early and the current. Too much time spent on the early.
I enjoyed the book but there should have been some balance between the early and the current. Too much time spent on the early.
April 8, 2019
To much early history.
July 11, 2021
Interesting account of the Grimaldi family, the ruling family of Monaco, up to the end of the 90s.
April 23, 2025
Rich people behaving badly.
Also a love story!
But the first endangers the second.
Also a love story!
But the first endangers the second.
February 22, 2021
Rather a long book for my liking but stuck with it as the history was very interesting,it made interesting reading if like me you are interested in history
December 6, 2024
I loved this book! Read it for research for my own novel which touches on the Monte Carlo Rally. Having grown up with pictures of Grace and Caroline plastered over the cover of Paris Match, I never imagined I would be dipping into seven centuries of riveting French and Monégasque history, filled with fascinating characters (the wives, the women!) with background stories bursting with pathos and human interest. This is the kind of book that really makes historical research fascinating and fun.
September 13, 2016
The Grimaldis of Monaco is a well researched, written and interesting story. It is told against a backdrop of famous people and events in a very intriguing and insightful manner. Anne Edwards tells it like it is, not trying to overly praise Princess Grace (Kelly) or Prince Rainier yet not impugning them for sport either. I enjoyed this book.
August 9, 2008
Primarily concerned with the lives of the various Grimaldi monarchs and less so with the history of the country.
May 25, 2015
What a horrible book. It was torturous to finish this book and only got mildly interesting when Grace appeared.
Surely there are better books out there on the history of the Grimaldi family.
Surely there are better books out there on the history of the Grimaldi family.
December 7, 2018
Excellent! Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews