Monaco

[Oleanda]

Why is Monaco ruled by a Prince rather than a King?

[coccinelle]

Because it's not a kingdom?

[Playbill]

Because it is a PRINCipality!

[FredPuli43]

Because Honore II of the House of Grimaldi decided, in 1612, to call himself Prince. His family had bought the rock which is Monaco, two hundred years before, from the Royal House of Aragon . He wasn't bold enough to call himself King; Prince was quite grand enough.The proper King next door in France would have thought King impertinent bragging and might have put an end to it, so Honore was not going to push his luck..

[craft1948]

Is that why they have Serene Highnesses and not Royal Highnesses?

[jomifl]

Question answered in 3 posts excellent!

[keyplus90]

Because prince sounds younger and therefore better than king.

[mike11111]

Liechtenstein (hope I've spelt that right) is ruled by a Prince, whilst Luxembourg is ruled by a Grand Duke, so nothing unusual. Ancient titles, designed to imply a degree of independent royal authority which in fact exists to a very localised extent.

[FredPuli43]

Almost certainly, craft. that is why they have serene highnesses. Our own Queen Mary, consort of George V, was only a serene highness on marriage. In her case, it was because her mother was a royal princess, of our royal family, but her father was only a German duke. Since their marriage was one between two people of unequal standing (a 'morganatic marriage') their daughter merited only 'serene' as her title. (How nice that such snobbery existed at such a high level!). It's a fair assumption that Monaco's Grimaldi family felt it improper to label daughters, or consorts. Royal, when their father or husband was a mere Prince, not a descendant of a king, and thought that 'Serene' was as much as they could do by way of a title.

[craft1948]

Thanks for that Fred...............it was something I never understood (although it hasn't particularly bothered me)

[FredPuli43]

I'm in Monaco tomorrow. Shall I yell up at the Palace windows to ask the Prince why he and his family use such daft titles? Nothing like getting this from the horse's mouth, as it were. [Checks to see whether Monaco still has a jail]

[craft1948]

It's okay Fred...............I'll go with your explanation.