The will of Lord John Grimaldi of Monaco (1454)

[Louis14]

Originally Posted by Grimaldi.org, the official site of the House of Grimaldi.

In the 15th century, John Grimaldi, lord of Monaco, formally established in his will (1454) the Rules of Succession. It was an important step since Monaco had been a condominium until then.

The rule can be summarized as follows: First in line of succession is the male issue, whether legitimate or not, by primogeniture. In the absence of a male heir enters the female issue, whether legitimate or not, by primogeniture, provided that the candidate marries a man legitimately born of the Grimaldi lineage — "unum hominem seu virum natum legitime de progenie seu albergo Grimaldorum."

Otherwise, the succession passes to the most closely related member of the Grimaldi albergo. In case there would be two or more Grimaldi cousins alive at equal degrees, the eldest would be chosen.

http://www.grimaldi.org/en/history/monaco.asp


According to this Fundamental Law, Alexandre, the eldest son of Prince Albert II of Monaco, is the apparent heir of the Monegasque throne.

In Monaco, the natural children were never excluded from the inheritance order. Prince's Rainier III mother, Princess Charlotte, the princely origin of all current Grimaldi, was herself a natural child.

Prince Rainier III, was not authorized to modify this Fundamental Law, as he did in 2002.