Did you know ? Albert II of Monaco and Charles III of England are distant cousins
From time immemorial, there have been family relations between the various royal and main European courts. Cousin relations between the Grimaldis and the Windsors exist. We must go back to the 15th century for the genealogical trees of the two families to intersect.
At that time in the Middle Ages, when England was torn apart in the War of the Roses, between York and Lancaster, to find out who would return to the crown, King James II reigned in Scotland, who belonged to the Stuarts. He died at the age of 29, in 1460, in the explosion of a cannon he was loading.
It is to him that we must go back in the family tree of the Grimaldis and the Windsors. In fact, he cut a daughter Marie from which the branch goes to the Grimaldis, and a son Jacques from which the branch goes to the Windsors.
The Grimaldi branch
Mary (1453-1488) married a Lord Hamilton with whom she cut off a son named James. This one was the father of another James (1515-1575), who was regent of Scotland when the kingdom fell to the famous Mary Stuart aged… one year old.
John (1544-1604) and two other Jameses followed in the lineage, the second of whom was beheaded by order of Cromwell.
The latter cut a daughter, Anne (1632-1716) who, by her marriage, united the two noble Scottish families Douglas and Hamilton.
Their son James Douglas-Hamilton (1659-1712), peer of Scotland, died in a famous duel, at Hyde-Park in London, during which he and his adversary Charles Mohun killed themselves at the same time.
Following from father to son, at the Douglas-Hamilton, James (1703-1743), Archibal (1740-1819) then Alexandre (1767-1852), all members of the House of Lords.
This is where the connection with the Grimaldi family will take place. The son of Alexandre Douglas-Hamilton, William (1841-1863), member of the House of Lords, married the daughter of Stéphanie de Beauharnais, herself adopted daughter of Napoleon I. From this union will be born Mary Victoria Douglas-Hamilton (1850-1922), who will marry in 1869 Albert 1st of Monaco. From where will be born the prince Louis II, ascendant of the princes Rainier III and Albert II.
Thus is written the line between Jacques II of Scotland and Albert II of Monaco.
The Windsor branch
On the Windsor side, the son of King James II of Scotland, James III (1451-1488), who succeeded him on the throne of Scotland, cut himself off as successors to his sons and grandson James IV (1473- 1513) and James V (1521-1542).
The latter was the father of the famous Marie-Stuart who was Queen of Scotland then Queen of France, and who, on her return to Scotland, was imprisoned by Queen Elizabeth I of England who had her beheaded.
Mary Stuart’s son James (1566-1625) became King of England as James I.
The succession continues with Charles I, Jacques II and Anne Stuart. As she had no children, her cousin George I succeeded her, installing the house of Hanover on the throne of England.
His sons and grandsons will follow under the names of George II and George III. The latter’s brother, the Duke of York, died in Monaco on September 17, 1767. You can still see his room in the Prince’s Palace.
George III was succeeded by his sons George IV and William IV and his granddaughter Queen Victoria.
In 1901, the son of this one, Edward VII, installs on the throne of England the Saxe-Cobourg-Gotha family which was that of his father. This German name being unwelcome during the First World War, his successor George V attached the English royal family to the Windsor house. This was followed by Edward VIII (who abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson), George VI, Elizabeth II and, now, Charles III.
Thus are described, starting from Jacques II of Scotland, the relations of cousinage between Albert II of Monaco and Charles III of England.