Albert II, Prince of Monaco, holds the title Duke of Valentinois through a grant originating with Louis XIV, who bestowed the duchy on the Grimaldi family in 1642. The title is largely ceremonial today, but its inclusion on Monegasque commemorative issues reflects the principality's careful maintenance of its French feudal lineage — a diplomatic and cultural posture Monaco has cultivated deliberately since the 17th century.
Albert II, Prince of Monaco, holds the title Duke of Valentinois through a grant originating with Louis XIV, who bestowed the duchy on the Grimaldi family in 1642. The title is largely ceremonial today, but its inclusion on Monegasque commemorative issues reflects the principality's careful maintenance of its French feudal lineage — a diplomatic and cultural posture Monaco has cultivated deliberately since the 17th century.