The Grimaldis of Monaco
Scandals outweight the grace notes in Edwards's (Queen Mary and the House of Windsor) utterly engrossing dynastic history of Monaco. A stronghold for warring armies from 200 B.C. onward, Portus Monachus became a possession of the Grimaldi family during the 12th century and the principality has survived against cataclysmic events in neighboring countries and greedy exploitation by Monaco's rulers as well as by outsiders. But in our own day, Edwards shows, Prince Rainier III has proved to be a wise governor, improving life for his subjects while guarding his Mediterranean rock from would-be marauders. The most recent plunderer, Aristotle Onassis, was bested by Rainier in a showdown in 1964, which Edwards describes as having all the elements of the shootout in the Hollywood Western. The bullet, however, was a check for $ 10 million which the principality dispatched to the Greek shipping tycoon as payment for his entire stock in the Societe de Bains de Mer, which controlled Monaco's major assets, including a gambling casino, two sporting clubs and a hotel. Exclaimed Onassis: I was robbed! Photos not seen by PW. BOMC alternate.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.