Monaco’s Princely Family reconnects with historic roots in Brittany and Normandy
The Princely Family visited Brittany and Normandy © Eric Mathon / Prince's Palace / Olivier Huitel
Prince Albert II, Princess Charlene and the Princely Twins rekindled centuries-old ties between Monaco and the French regions in a journey steeped in history and diplomacy to the ancestral lands of the Matignon family,
On Wednesday 9 April, the entire Princely Family set off on an official trip to the birthplace of the Matignon family, with links to Monaco since 1715 when Jacques IV de Matignon married Princess Louise-Hippolyte Grimaldi to become Prince Jacques I of Monaco. In Matignon, the family seat in the Côtes-d’Armor region, Prince Albert II, accompanied by Princess Charlene and their twins Jacques and Gabriella, was welcomed by the local dignitaries, including Prefect François de Keréver and Mayor Jean-René Carfantan.
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After a stroll around the traditional market, a commemorative plaque was unveiled prior to an official ceremony at the Rainier III sports hall, a facility that was co-financed by Prince Rainier III. It was the first visit by the entire Princely Family to the Breton town, which is steeped in the history of the Grimaldi dynasty.
Photo credits: Eric Mathon / Prince’s Palace / Olivier Huitel
Private heritage and public history
They then visited the Château de Fort La Latte, the former stately home of the Goyon-Matignon family, whose keep dates from around 1350. On leaving Plévenon, the Princely Family unveiled the plaque that officially recognises the site as a member of the network of Monaco’s Grimaldi Historic Sites.
A cultural bridge between Monaco and Normandy
The Sovereign Prince then continued on his own to Normandy, inaugurating the Grimaldi Media Library in Moyon Villages, then being received in Saint-Lô by Jean Morin, President of the Manche Departmental Council. A highlight was the official publication of the Matignon collection from the Prince’s Palace Archives on the Manche Archives’ website.
On 10 April, the schedule includes visits to Percy-en-Normandie, where Honoré III of Monaco was patron of a bell in 1751, then Torigny-les-Villes and its Matignon castle, and ending at Saint-Martin-des-Besaces in Calvados, where Prince Honoré V lived in the 19th century and developed an innovative agriculture and social assistance system.
In keeping with the tradition of regular visits to areas with historic ties to the Grimaldi family, the journey served to strengthen the cultural and heritage bonds between the Principality and these French regions, and celebrate a shared history spanning over three centuries.