
For over seven hundred years, albeit with a few interruptions, the House of Grimaldi has ruled Monaco. A constitutional monarchy, it is currently headed by Albert II, Prince of Monaco. The succession in Monaco is male-preference primogeniture. Although Albert II is the middle child of Prince Rainier III and Grace, Princess of Monaco, he is the only male child, so he became heir apparent at birth.
The current heir is seven-year-old Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco, Marquis of Baux. He is the son of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene. Although Prince Albert II has a 19-year-old son, Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste, he never married Alexandre’s mother. This excludes Alexandre from the line of succession.
Succeeding to the Monegasque throne requires some criteria to be met. You must be born to or adopted by the reigning prince or their siblings and descendants, and the parents must have been married with the consent of the reigning prince. If someone marries without the reigning prince’s permission, they lose their place in the line of succession, as do any children resulting from the marriage. However, it can be restored if the marriage ends before the crown changes hands and no children were born to the couple.
Any child born because of adultery is not allowed in the line of succession in Monaco. In addition, any heirs must be a Monegasque citizen. If no one meets the criteria, a regency will take the crown while Monaco’s Crown Council meets and chooses a new reigning prince from the House of Grimaldi’s distant descendants.
Until twenty years ago, Monaco and France had a treaty that stipulated that if there was no heir, the Principality of Monaco would revert back to France. This was a real worry in Monaco because Prince Rainier III was on the throne and in his seventies. His son and heir, Prince Albert, was unmarried with no legitimate heirs. So if they were to die, France would take over. The other cause for concern was that Prince Albert could adopt a child who would be their heir, ending the genealogical line of the House of Grimaldi.
In 2002, the constitution of Monaco was changed. Adopted children would be excluded from the line of succession. Also, the siblings of the reigning prince or the children of the reigning prince’s siblings would become the reigning prince if the reigning prince died, leaving no legitimate children.
Prince Albert II is the ruler of Monaco. The current line of succession in Monaco is as follows:
-Jacques, Hereditary Prince of Monaco, Marquis of Baux
-Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès (daughter of Prince Albert II, twin sister of Jacques)
-Caroline, Princess of Hanover (sister of Prince Albert II)
-Andrea Casiraghi (son of Caroline)
-Alexandre (Sasha) Casiraghi (grandchild of Caroline)
-Maximilian Casiraghi (grandchild of Caroline)
-India Casiraghi (grandchild of Caroline)
-Pierre Casiraghi (son of Caroline)
-Stefano Casiraghi (grandchild of Caroline)
-Francesco Casiraghi (grandchild of Caroline)
-Charlotte Casiraghi (daughter of Caroline)
-Balthazar Rassam (grandchild of Caroline)
-Princess Alexandra of Hanover (daughter of Caroline)
-Princess Stephanie (sister of Prince Albert II)
-Louis Ducruet (son of Stephanie)
-Pauline Ducruet (daughter of Stephanie)