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Today marks the Anniversary of the Birth of Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois, who was born on this day in 1898! Born in French Algeria, she was the illegitimate daughter of Marie Juliette Louvet, a cabaret singer, and Hereditary Prince Louis of Monaco, and grew up in France. In 1911, she was recognised as the Hereditary Prince’s daughter and made a dynastic member of the Princely Family, being formally adopted in 1919 and made the Duchess of Valentinois for life and recognised as Heir to the Principality. In 1920, Hereditary Princess Charlotte married Count Pierre de Polignac, and the couple had two children, including the future Prince Rainier III of Monaco, before their divorce in 1933. In 1944, Princess Charlotte ceded her rights to the principality to her son and later obtained a degree in social work. She also turned the Château de Marchais, a historic family estate near Paris, into a rehabilitation centre for ex-convicts and resided there with her lover, a former jewel thief, until her death in 1977.
Cartier Pearl Drop Tiara | Sapphire Parure | The Jewels of Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois
