Hello Monaco #13 Winter 2021–2022 | Page 123

DYNASTY
THE VICTIMS OF THE GREAT TERROR

Prince Honoré IV was unlucky enough to be living in Paris when the Reign of Terror broke out in France . As a nobleman and prince he was soon arrested and thrown into prison . The prince ’ s former wife , Duchess of Mazarin , was also taken into custody . Assisted by their family doctor , however , she managed to escape and hide with her youngest son Florestan .

The revolution did not spare the family of Prince ’ s Honore IV ’ s youngest brother , Joseph . His wife , Marie Thérèse de Choiseul , was arrested on suspicion of espionage and executed by guillotine . She was only 27 , leaving behind three little daughters .
As for Prince Honoré , he was imprisoned for one and a half years . This time in prison greatly undermined his health , and he never fully recovered from it afterwards . On March 21 , 1795 his father died and Honoré IV ascended the throne of Monaco . At that time the monarchy had just been banned and Monaco was once again annexed to the French Republic under the name of Port Hercule .
Even after Prince Honoré was released from prison , it took another seven years of negotiations before the French regime restored some of Honoré IV ’ s and his brother Prince Joseph ’ s income . The future started to look brighter for the Grimaldi ’ s once the radical revolutionary regime was followed by the French consulate and , finally , by the First French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte .
RETURN TO THE THRONE

When the Napoleonic Wars finally came to an end , the status of Monaco was restored by the Congress of Vienna ( 1814 – 1815 ) thanks to the efforts of Prince Talleyrand . On May 30 , 1814 Honoré IV was officially named the Principality ’ s ruler . However , he was too ill to take control of his country . So it was his brother Prince Joseph who became regent .

Portrait of Honoré IV of Monaco by unknown author Портрет князя Оноре IV работы неизвестного автора
On May 30 , 1814 , Honoré Grimaldi was officially declared the Principality ’ s ruler .
The Prince ’ s eldest son , 36-year-old Honoré Gabriel , however , was not happy about this decision . A brilliant soldier , he entered the cavalry service at the age of 20 and prospered in the army of the Empire Marshal , Emmanuel de Grouchy . Since Prince Joseph was not particularly eager to deal with the Principality ’ s affairs , preferring his life in the capital , he easily facilitated handing over the reins to his nephew , Honoré Gabriel , who ruled Monaco up until the death of Honoré IV ( later becoming Prince Honoré V ). As for Honoré IV , he lived in Paris until his very death which remains mysterious to this day …
ACCIDENT OR MURDER ..?
Wikipedia . org
© depositphotos . com

On a winter ’ s day of February 16 , 1819 , Honoré IV drowned in the Seine river . The death of the Monaco prince looked like a typical accident . That ’ s what the investigation concluded as an official version . It must not be forgotten , however , that Honoré IV was not a very healthy person , to say the least . This is the reason why he was not only unwilling , but was also physically unfit to rule the country . Imprisonment and numerous personal tragedies had taken their toll on the Prince , making him , for all intents and purposes , disabled . This is what the scanty preserved data suggests . A legitimate question arises : how could a 60-year-old monarch , in deplorable physical state , manage to cover such a considerable distance away from home ( Avenue Denfert-Rochereau ) to the Seine river bank ..?

Many representatives of French aristocratic families found themselves in detention because of the revolution . On the photo : Conciergerie , a famous prison in the heart of Paris Во времена Французской революции многие представители аристократии оказались в заключении . На снимке : замок Консьержери , знаменитая тюрьма в самом центре Парижа
Was it really an accident ? Or rather a premeditated murder ? Or could it be that the Prince decided to put an end to his own unhappy life ? Being a depressed person , did he step into the Seine himself ..? The answer remains a mystery .
Hello Monaco Winter 2021 – 2022 / 121 www . hellomonaco . ru