Hello Monaco #15 Summer–Autumn 2022 | Page 120

DYNASTY

FLORESTAN I , A PRINCE OF MONACO THROUGH NO CHOICE OF HIS OWN

By Julia Belyakova and Justin Brisk
HelloMonaco continues its series about the rulers of Monaco and today we will introduce you to Florestan I who was in power from 1841 to 1856 . It must be said that little information is available about this Prince . Perhaps because he managed to lose more than half of his territory , namely : Menton and Roquebrune . Even though these two cities officially became part of France during the reign of Charles III , Monaco had lost them much earlier .
of this union , so the couple had to legalise their relationship quietly and modestly . The Prince ’ s family income at the time was small and his marriage to Caroline turned out to be financially favourable for Florestan .
Wikipedia . com
The newlyweds lived a quiet life in Paris in the Créqui hotel , which they later bought and restored . However , the death of Florestan ’ s older brother Honore V put an end to their happy and carefree existence . By law , the throne passed to the younger brother . Florestan was not exactly pleased with these circumstances : he was never prepared for the role of being the Principality ’ s ruler with the title Prince . And with the Princely title came many others , twelve of them , being the so-called “ Mazarin ” titles transferred via Florestan ’ s mother Louise Aumont ( France ’ s powerful Mazarin family ’ s representative ) to her husband Honoré IV and which now came down to their son Prince Florestan I .
The Prince Florestan I made two proposals for a new constitution .
Prince of Monaco Florestan I ( 1785 – 1856 )
THE ACTOR PRINCE

Florestan I was born on 10th October 1785 in Paris . He was the second son of Prince Honoré IV and his wife Louise d ’ Aumont . Florestan spent his childhood and youth in Paris where he developed a passion for art . He later began to act in some theatre productions at l ’ Ambigu-Comique . At the age of 29 , he met his future wife , Caroline Gibert de Lametz . The Grimaldi family did not approve

THE LOSS OF MENTON AND ROQUEBRUNE

Monaco began to face a number of problems , immediately on Florestan ’ s accession . The financial situation in the Principality was deplorable . The treaty of 8 November 1817 placed the country under the protectorate of the Sardinian Kingdom . This agreement was even less favourable to Monaco than the one signed with France before the French Revolution . The country ’ s resources were considerably reduced . The municipalities , wards and hospitals were owed large sums of money . Protests had been held in reaction to the tough ruling style of Honoré V , and the residents of Menton were particularly unhappy .

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