Honoré II (24 December 1597 – 10 January 1662) was

Prince of Monaco The sovereign prince (french: prince de Monaco) is the monarch and head of state of the Principality of Monaco. All reigning princes have taken the name of the House of Grimaldi, although some have belonged to other families (Goyon de Matignon or ...

from 1604 to 1662. He was the first to be called Prince (in 1612), but started his reign as

Lord of Monaco The following is a list of rulers of Monaco. Most belong to the House of Grimaldi; exceptions, which consist primarily of the principality's administrators under periods of foreign occupation, are noted. History The House of Grimaldi, descend ...

Early life

Honoré II was born on 24 December 1597. He was the son of

Hercule, Lord of Monaco Ercole (24 September 1562 – 29 November 1604) was Lord of Monaco from 17 May 1589 until his death on 29 November 1604 aged 42. Ercole was the youngest of four sons of Honoré I (1522–1581) and Isabella Grimaldi. His eldest brother Char ...

(24 September 1562 – 21 November 1604) and Maria Landi. His father was murdered when he was six, and he succeeded under the regency of his uncle, Frederico Landi, 4th Prince of Val di Taro. Landi was a loyal ally and friend of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

and allowed the country to be occupied by Spanish troops in 1605. The inhabitants of Monaco were prohibited to carry arms and the Prince and his two sisters were moved to

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

. The ''Council of Monaco'' tried to limit Spanish power but the occupation lasted until 1614, and a strong Spanish influence remained until 1633, when it recognized Honoré as a sovereign prince.

Adulthood

From adulthood, Honoré started to criticize Spain and turned to France for support.

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crow ...

gave him the support he needed and this resulted in the Treaty of Péronne. This ended Spanish rule and put Monaco under French protection, recognizing and guaranteeing Monegasque sovereignty. As a consequence Honoré lost his Spanish and Italian possessions, but was compensated by King

Louis XIII of France Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crow ...

with the marquisate ''Les Baux'' and the title of Duke of Valentinois. During his reign he did much to extend, rebuild and transform the Genoese fortress that was the Grimaldi's stronghold into what is today Monaco's Princely Palace.

Marriage and family

On 13 February 1616 he married Ippolita Trivulzio (d. 1638). The couple had one son. * Ercole Grimaldi, Marquis of Baux (1623 – 2 August 1651); married on 4 July 1641 to Maria Aurelia Spinola (d. 29 September 1670) ** Louis (25 July 1642 – 3 January 1701) **Marie Hippolyte (8 May 1644 – 8 October 1694) **Jeanne Marie (b. 4 June 1645) **Thérèse Marie (4 September 1648 – 20 July 1723) ancestress of

Maria Teresa Cybo-Malaspina Maria Teresa CyboThis is also sometimes spelt ''Cibo''.-Malaspina (29 June 1725 29 December 1790) was the sovereign Duchess of Massa and Princess of Carrara from 1731 until her death in 1790. She was the eldest child of Alderano I, Duke of Mass ...

After Hercules (Ercole) was killed in battle, Louis became Honoré's heir at the age of 9.

Death and legacy

Honoré died on 10 January 1662. He was interred in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas (it stood on the location of the current cathedral) in

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...

. A collector's silver coin has been issued by the Treasury of Monaco portraying Honoré II on the occasion of the 400th anniversary (1612 – 2012) of the use of the title "Sovereign Prince." The silver coin has a €10 face value.

Ancestors

{{DEFAULTSORT:Honore 02 of Monaco, Prince 1597 births 1662 deaths 17th-century Lords of Monaco 17th-century Princes of Monaco House of Grimaldi Princes of Monaco Dukes of Valentinois Peers created by Louis XIII Knights of the Golden Fleece Modern child rulers Burials at the Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate Monegasque princes People from Campagna