Charles I, Lord of Monaco

The second important Historical Figure in Monaco is Charles I. The Grimaldi dynasty is frequently credited with having been founded by Charles I, Lord of Monaco. Additionally, he was the first tyrant to create Monaco as a sovereign nation under Grimaldi's control. Charles I was compelled to leave into exile on April 10, 1301, when the Genoese gained control of the Rock. He was a seasoned and well-respected maritime adventurer in both the French Dynasty and the Lords of Provence.

Charles I first established and fortified his stronghold in Monaco before pursuing the Venetian treasure ships around the coastlines of Egypt and Syria. He attempted to interfere through King Robert of Naples, Lord of Provence, when the Venetians protested to Pope Benedict XII about the effectiveness of his invasions. It was the first time before the papal intervention that Monaco was seen as autonomous and not subject to the control of any other state, making this a significant historical milestone.

The French Valois, who were fighting the English and King Edward III in the Hundred Years' War, counted Charles I among their most significant allies. In order to fight the British, this created a larger alliance with the French. Charles I and his allies' conquest of Portsmouth, which the British navy had failed to defend while escorting British cargo and men to Flanders, was one of their most significant victories in the naval alliance. The French fleet's Admiral then urged Charles I of Monaco and his newly acquired ally, Anthony Doria of Genoa, to assault Southampton, which they did. Before the British could send reinforcements, they gathered a vast amount of loot. The British under Edward III soon got the upper hand over the French, though, and the situation shifted. The Genovese coalition broke up after that and started to fight the French. In Boulogne-sur-Mer, they even attempted to form a French state. Charles assisted the French in their fight against the Genoese at this time and later joined forces with them to harass the British fishing fleet, which was a major source of manpower for the British navy during the war. Charles was able to smuggle 20 galleys into the Channel to aid the French in the operations at Chatereaux and Nantes at a time when the French fleet was on the verge of being annihilated by the British. However, bad weather and the British navy ultimately defeated his soldiers. To counter the British navy and bolster the French, Charles restocked and sent out a second fleet of 32 ships and 7,000 troops.

However, reinforcements didn't arrive in time to stop the British invasion of France across the English Channel, which created the conditions for one of the British power struggle's strategic blunders. At Crecy, where Charles I also perished, the French were soundly defeated. The Battle of Crecy on August 26, 1346, will go down in history as a day to be remembered. The march had worn out Charles I's army. As the result, the French forces were annihilated and Charles I died on the battlefield.

To conclude, Charles I of Monaco, Lord of Monaco:

• was a member of the Grimaldi dynasty, and also a 14th-century soldier.
• allied with the French army to fight the British in the Hundred Years' War.
• considered the first ruler to establish Monaco as an independent nation and played an important role in the expansion of Monaco's territory.