Duke of Valentinois
Duke of Valentinois(French:Duc de Valentinois;Italian:Duca Valentino) is a title of nobility, originally in theFrench peerage.It is currently one of the many hereditary titles claimed by thePrince of Monacodespite its extinction in French law in 1949. Though it originally indicated administrative control of theDuchy of Valentinois,based around the city ofValence,the duchy has since become part ofFrance,making the title simply one of courtesy.
It has been created at least four times: on August 17, 1498, forCesare Borgia,in 1548 forDiane of Poitiers,in 1642 forPrince Honoré IIofMonaco,and most recently in 1715 forPrince Jacques Iof Monaco.
Counts of Valentinois[edit]
First creation[edit]
KingLouis XII of France and NaplescreatedCesare BorgiaDuke of Valentinois in 1498. Both the Italianized form of this title and his previous appointment as Cardinal of Valencia led to his commonly used nickname: "Il Valentino". After Cesare's death, his daughterLouise Borgia(1500–1553) did not become Duchesssuo juredue to themale-onlysuccession of the title, but was instead styled "Dame Valentinois", titularDuchess of RomagnaandCountess of Diois.
| Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue |
Claim | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Other titles |
|
13 September 1475 Rome,Papacy Natural son ofPope Alexander VI andVannozza dei Cattanei |
17 August 1498 – 12 March 1507 |
12 March 1507 Viana,Navarre Killed during the Siege of Viana (aged 31) |
Charlotte of Albret (m.1499;wid.1507) 1 children |
Created duke by KingLouis XII |
Second creation[edit]
KingHenry II of Francecreated his mistressDiane de PoitiersDuchess of Valentinois in 1548. She was the onlysuo jureDuchess and her title was destinated to end after her death, due to theSalic lawcommonly used among French nobility.
| Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue |
Claim | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Diane de Poitiers Other titles |
|
3 September 1499 Saint-Vallier,Dauphiné Daughter ofJean de Poitiers and Jeanne de Batarnay |
17 August 1548 – 25 April 1566 |
25 April 1566 Château d'Anet,Orléanais Died by natural causes (aged 66) |
Louis de Brézé (m.1515;d.1531) 2 children |
Created duchess by KingHenry II |
Third creation[edit]
KingLouis XIII of Francecreated the title byletters patent,signed in May 1642 and registered on 18 July 1642, as a conglomeration of several estates in theFrenchprovince ofDauphinéwhich he had previously given toHonoré II, Prince of Monaco.
The first person to hold the title wasHonoré II, Prince of Monaco,reigning Prince at the time of its creation; on his death it passed to his grandsonLouis I,and thence to Louis's sonAntoine.However, since the title's inheritance was restricted to male heirs, and because Antoine had only daughters and no sons, it was due to pass his brother,François-Honoré Grimaldi,but became extinct on 22 July 1715 when François-Honoré forfeited his right to succeed Antoine.
| Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue |
Claim | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Honoré II Other titles List |
|
24 December 1597 Monaco Son ofErcole of Monaco andMaria Landi |
18 July 1642 – 10 January 1662 |
10 January 1662 Monaco Died by natural causes (aged 64) |
Ippolita Trivulzio (m.1616;d.1538) 1 son |
Created duke by KingLouis XIII |
Louis I Other titles List |
|
25 July 1642 Monaco Son ofErcole, Marquis of Baux and Maria Aurelia Spinola |
18 July 1642 – 3 January 1701 |
3 January 1701 Rome,Papacy Died by natural causes (aged 58) |
Catherine de Gramont (m.1660;d.1678) 6 children |
Grandson ofHonoré II (male proximity) |
Antoine I Other titles List |
|
25 January 1661 Paris,France Son ofLouis I andCatherine de Gramont |
3 January 1701 – 22 July 1715 (Devolved his rights) |
20 February 1731 Monaco Died by natural causes (aged 70) |
Marie of Lorraine (m.1688;d.1724) 6 daughters |
Son ofLouis I (male proximity) |
Fourth creation[edit]
On 20 October 1715, Antoine's eldest daughter and heiressLouise-HippolytemarriedJacques-François de Goyon-Matignon,who had signed a contract on 5 September 1715 by which he was obliged to take the surnameGrimaldi.KingLouis XV of Francethereupon recreated the title of Valentinois by letters patent, signed in December 1715 and registered on 2 September 1716, for Jacques, who was to succeed his father-in-law Antoine as Prince Jacques I; like the previous creation, its inheritance was restricted to male heirs.
After Jacques's abdication in 1733, the title passed uninterrupted for several generations from Prince to Prince: from Jacques toHonoré III,Honoré IV,Honoré V,Florestan I,Charles III,Albert I.Albert bestowed the title of Duchess of Valentinois upon his adopted granddaughter Charlotte, thenceforth known asPrincess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois,on 20 May 1919. On 20 March 1920, shortly after Charlotte's marriage toPierre de Polignac,he, like Jacques-François de Goyon-Matignon, took the title of Duke of Valentinois, having already changed his surname to Grimaldi.
| Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue |
Claim | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jacques I Other titles List |
|
21 November 1689 Torigni-sur-Vire Son of Jacques de Matignon and Charlotte de Thorigny |
2 September 1716 – 7 November 1733 (Ceded his title) |
23 April 1751 Hôtel Matignon,Paris Died by natural causes (aged 61) |
Louise Hippolyte of Monaco (m.1715;d.1731) 9 children |
Created duke by KingLouis XV |
Honoré III Other titles List |
|
10 November 1720 Hôtel Matignon,Paris Son ofJacques I andLouise Hippolyte of Monaco |
7 November 1733 – 21 March 1795 |
21 March 1795 Paris,France Died imprisoned by revolutionaries (aged 74) |
Maria Caterina Brignole (m.1751;wid.1795) 2 children |
Son ofJacques I (male proximity) |
Honoré IV Other titles List |
|
17 May 1758 Hôtel Matignon,Paris Son ofHonoré III andMaria Caterina Brignole |
21 March 1795 – 16 February 1819 |
16 February 1819 Monaco Died by natural causes (aged 60) |
Louise d'Aumont (m.1777;div.1798) 2 children |
Son ofHonoré III (male proximity) |
Honoré V Other titles List |
|
13 May/14 May 1778 Hôtel Matignon,Paris Son ofHonoré IV andLouise d'Aumont |
16 February 1819 – 2 October 1841 |
2 October 1841 Hôtel Matignon,Paris Died by natural causes (aged 63) |
Never married | Son ofHonoré IV (male proximity) |
Florestan I Other titles List |
|
10 October 1785 Hôtel Matignon,Paris Son ofHonoré IV andLouise d'Aumont |
2 October 1841 – 20 June 1856 |
20 June 1856 Hôtel Matignon,Paris Died by natural causes (aged 70) |
Maria Caroline Gibert de Lametz (m.1816;wid.1856) 2 children |
Son ofHonoré IV (male proximity) |
Charles III Other titles List |
|
8 December 1818 Hôtel Matignon,Paris Son ofFlorestan I andMaria Caroline Gibert de Lametz |
20 June 1856 – 10 September 1889 |
10 September 1889 Château de Marchais Died by natural causes (aged 70) |
Antoinette de Mérode (m.1846;d.1864) 1 children |
Son ofFlorestan I (male proximity) |
Albert I Other titles List |
|
13 November 1848 Hôtel Matignon,Paris Son ofCharles III andAntoinette de Mérode |
10 September 1889 – 26 June 1922 |
26 June 1922 Hôtel Matignon,Paris Died by natural causes (aged 73) |
(1)Mary Victoria Hamilton (m.1869;div.1880) 1 children (2)Alice Heine (m.1889;wid.1922) Childless |
Son ofCharles III (male proximity) |
Louis II Other titles List |
|
12 July 1870 Baden,Baden Son ofAlbert I andMary Victoria Hamilton |
26 June 1922 – 9 May 1949 |
9 May 1949 Monaco Died by natural causes (aged 78) |
Ghislaine Dommanget (m.1946;wid.1949) Childless |
Son ofAlbert I (male proximity) |
AlthoughAlbert Ihad granted the title of Valentinois to his granddaughterCharlotte,its right to succession remained withLouis IIand his legitimate male descendants; consequently, on his death without a male heir in 1949, it became extinct in French law and underSalic Law.However, his successor,Rainier III(son of Charlotte), still claimed it, possibly in the belief, as suggested byFrançois Velde,that it was "implicitly recreated for Charlotte by the French Republic in 1919 when her adoption was approved". However, the various French Republics have never created nor re-created any dukedom.
According to theAlmanach de Gotha,the title used inMonacocorresponds to a Monegasque concession of a title which otherwise would not be recognized in France, specially having in account that when Charlotte was created Duchess by her father, her grandfather was still the living Prince of Monaco with the right to the title of Duke, and only his son could succeed to the French title. Beside, only legitimate children can inherit French titles.
- Princess Charlotte(1919–1977)
- Rainier III(15 November 1977–6 April 2005)
- Albert II(6 April 2005–Present)
References[edit]
- Velde, Francois."Monaco".Heraldica.RetrievedMarch 27,2005.
- "Cesare Borgia".The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia.RetrievedMay 4,2005.