dynasty
In 1355 , Rainier II set off to assist the French king with 24 warships and 6,000 archers under his command . He fought for the French in the epic battle of Poitiers on September 19 , 1356 , which was lost , mainly because the French troops were disorganized . The French King Jean II was captured by the British . Eventually , France fought back , the King was released and both sides signed a peace treaty .
The new King of France , Charles V the Wise , undertook to restore the French fleet and largely used Mediterranean ports , including that of Monaco . During that time , Rainier II who was patrolling the English Channel with 4 of his ships encountered English vessels carrying Charles II of Navarre on board . Rainier II captured one of those ships which he later sold in Normandy . The British were eager to avenge such a humiliating defeat . They attacked a group of Genoese ships but were once again forced to retreat by Rainier II who came to help his allies . Lots of stories are told about Rainier II and his sea victories . It is sometimes difficult to tell the historical facts from legends , but one thing is sure : the Lord of Monaco guarded his coast like a lion and would not let any enemy sneak in .
Once , in 1375 , Rainier II was captured in a sea battle by superior enemy forces under the command of the Duke of Lancaster . King Edward III of England bought the captive Lord of Monaco from the Duke of Lancaster for 12,000 francs in gold , making him his prisoner . Soon , however , following another truce between France and England , Rainier II was released from captivity . After that , he still fought with the French army against the British and won many battles . A few years later , Rainier II left the French service to return back to the Riviera . Historians believe that this was due to frequent pirate raids around the coast of Monaco . France being absorbed in its long conflicts with England was not able to protect the Monegasques . Profiting from these wars , in 1357 the Genoese attacked and seized the Principality , depriving Rainier II of his Lord of Monaco title . Over the next two years , there was a constant struggle between the Genoese and Grimaldi clans for the ownership of the Principality ; it was constantly passing from one to another . The conflict was finally resolved by the sons of Rainier II .
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Rainier II
Lots of stories are told about Rainier II sea victories . It is sometimes difficult to tell the historical facts from legends , but one thing is sure : the Lord of Monaco guarded his coast like a lion and would not let any enemy sneak in
Three sons of Rainier II : Drafting rules for the succession to the throne
The Lord of Monaco , Rainier II died in 1407 , leaving behind his three sons : Ambroise , Antoine and Jean who were to regain control over Monaco and consolidate the state for the Grimaldi family . They agreed to rule over the Principality together , alternately replacing each other as a governing lord . This triumvirate lasted for 7 years .
The brothers managed to regain full control over Monaco only in 1419 having resolved a number of local conflicts between the Duke of Anjou , the Genoese and the Monegasques .
Antoine and Ambroise even tually gave up their claims to the Principality in exchange for Menton and Roquebrune . Jean I became the fully-fledged and unanimous ruler of Monaco . At that time he was 25 , a fearless and enterprising prince , just like his father . Not surprisingly he gained fame as a hired soldier and was often invited with his troops to fight on the side of this or that noble , taking part in numerous battles . His reign over Monaco was anything but peaceful . Even if the Principality was back in the hands of the Grimaldis , local conflicts were multiplying and many still wished to make Monaco their own vassal territory . In the 1430s , after a number of local battles , Monaco passed under the control of the Dukes of Milan . Back then , Jean I was away , involved in some other military and political intrigues . The Principality was besieged by
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