At the invitation of local elected officials and in the context of his historical family ties, H.S.H. Prince Albert visited the Côtes-d'Armor region on Wednesday, April 9, accompanied by H.S.H. Princess Charlene, H.S.H. Hereditary Prince Jacques, and H.S.H. Princess Gabriella. The Sovereign Prince then continued his trip to the Manche department.
This trip is part of the shared history between Monaco, Brittany, and Normandy. In 1715, Jacques IV de Matignon married Princess Louise-Hippolyte Grimaldi, thus becoming Prince Jacques I of Monaco. This alliance sealed a strong bond between the territories.
In Matignon, the birthplace of the Matignon family, the Princely Family was welcomed by the Prefect of Côtes-d'Armor and the mayor of the commune. After a stroll through the village to discover the traditional market, a commemorative plaque was unveiled. Then, at the Rainier III sports hall — co-financed at the time by Prince Rainier III — an official ceremony was held in the presence of local authorities and residents. Prince Albert II, who had already visited Matignon in 2012, returned there for the very first time with his family.
The day continued with a private visit to the Château de Fort La Latte, the former stately home of the Goyon-Matignon family, where a second commemorative plaque was unveiled in memory of this visit.
Leaving the town of Plévenon in the early afternoon, the Prince and Princess and their children joined the mayor in unveiling a plaque marking the site's membership of the Grimaldi Historic Sites of Monaco network.
In Normandy, the Sovereign Prince inaugurated the Grimaldi Media Library in Moyon Villages, before being received at the Maison du Département de la Manche in Saint-Lô. On this occasion, the Matignon collection from the Prince's Palace Archives was officially made available online on the Manche Departmental Archives website, once again demonstrating the rich ties between the Principality and the French territories.
