The Crown Council (french: Conseil de la Couronne) of

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 ...

is a seven-member administrative body which meets at least twice annually to advise the

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 ...

on various domestic and international affairs. It is one of three such councils designated by the

Constitution of Monaco The Constitution of Monaco, first adopted in 1911 after the Monégasque Revolution and heavily revised by Prince Rainier III on 17 December 1962, outlines three branches of government, including several administrative offices and a number of counc ...

, along with the National Council (''Conseil national'') and the Communal Council (''Conseil communal'').

Membership

There are seven total members of the Crown Council. The Prince appoints the council's President and three other members; the final three members are chosen amongst candidates put forward by the National Council.

Affairs

Though the Crown Council is simply an advisory committee and has no legislative power, the Prince must consult it before signing international treaties, dissolving the National Council, naturalizing citizens, or making certain other executive decisions. At the end of March 2005, the Crown Council carried out what may have been one of its most far-reaching acts.

Prince Rainier III Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005) was Prince of Monaco from 1949 to his death in 2005. Rainier ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest-ruling m ...

, the Sovereign Prince since 1949, had for some weeks been seriously ill in hospital in Monaco and the Crown Council established that Rainier was temporarily incapable of ruling. (During the period of Rainier III's incapacity, his doctors in Monaco were agreed that his ill health showed little signs of improving and, agreeing with eminent Parisian doctors who were called to give their independent opinions.) Then-Hereditary Prince Albert was informed of the Crown Council's incapacity finding regarding Rainier III and, following the Constitution, was duly called upon to rule over Monaco as Regent. The Crown Council noted, nevertheless, that if the health of Rainier III were to improve sufficiently, he would be in a position to re-assume his functions as ruler. Prince Albert's Regency lasted but a few days into April 2005, when Rainier III died at the age of 82. He was then formally succeeded as Monaco's sovereign by Albert in his own right as Prince Albert II.

External links

The Crown Council
as described by the Government of Monaco's official website
The Crown Council's finding of Prince Rainier's incapacity
(in French) Monarchy in Monaco Political organisations based in Monaco Privy councils {{monaco-poli-stub