Monaco’s first prince
QUESTION Who was the first Prince of Monaco? Why don’t the princes ever become kings? PRINCE Albert ii of Monaco is a member of the house of Grimaldi which has ruled Monaco for more than seven centuries. The family is descended from Genoese statesman Otto Canella, taking their name from his youngest son, Grimaldo.
in the 13th century, the Genoese Grimaldi sided with the Papal, or Guelphic, faction against the Ghibellines, supporters of the holy roman Emperor. This resulted in their exile in 1271 and afterwards, they took refuge in Monaco.
in 1297, François Grimaldi ‘Malizia’ (The Cunning) disguised as a Franciscan monk with his cousin rainier i and his men, captured the Ghibbeline fortress on the rock of Monaco and established their rule.
The Grimaldis acquired Menton in 1346 and roquebrune in 1355, extending the principality to a territory 90 per cent larger than it is today.
The spanish took control of Monaco in 1605, but were ejected in 1612 by honoré ii who then began styling himself the first Prince of Monaco. Prince is the title traditionally given to the head of a vassal state and, apart from interludes with spain and sardinia, Monaco has been under the protection of neighbouring France.
it fell under full French control from February 24, 1793 to May 17, 1814, after the French revolution and during the rule of napoleon Bonaparte.
Designated as a protectorate of the Kingdom of sardinia in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna after napoleon’s defeat, Monaco’s sovereignty was confirmed by the Franco-Monegasque Treaty of 1861. France accepted the existence of the Principality of Monaco, but annexed much of its former territory, including Menton and roquebrune.
Today Monaco is a sovereign state, remaining so only at the sufferance of France. it has only a token military.
it uses French currency, the official language is French (although there’s a Monegasque dialect), and France supplies its gas, water and electricity.
Ernest B. Strang, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. QUESTION Does anyone eat sea anemones? ThE seas around Japan, which lies in the same latitudes as southern France, the Mediterranean and north Africa, are home to a huge variety of marine life, from algae to whales, and most have, at one time or another, formed part of the people’s diet.
We British have become familiar with Japanese food, especially sushi, and are accustomed to the idea of eating seaweeds of various kinds, raw octopus, etc.
But some items have yet to take off here. Pufferfish ( fugu), for example, which contains a lethal poison and can be served only in restaurants by specially trained and licensed chefs.
And most British people would probably think twice about tackling sea urchin or jellyfish — both of which are popular menu items in Japan.
in Japanese, sea anenomes are called isoginchaku (seashore purses), because of their resemblance to a cloth purse ( kinchaku) with a drawstring opening.
These sea anemones deploy a toxin for catching fish but the species found in Japanese waters don’t generally contain sufficient to affect human beings. Those found further south in the Pacific can cause acute renal failure.
The sea anemones that come to market as a foodstuff in a Japan are mostly gathered from the mudflats on the shores of the Ariake sea (a large bay situated on the island of Kyushu).
They are usually served in miso soup or deep fried in batter. But the principal commercial use of sea anemones in Japan these days, as in the rest of the world, is as exhibits in aquariums.
Graham Healey, School of East Asian Studies,
University of Sheffield. FurThEr to the earlier answer, i was present at silverstone in 1954 when BrM (British racing Motors) had two cars, driven by Jose Froilan Gonzalez and Ken Wharton. The sound of the BrM’s 16-cylinder engine was incredibly exciting and unique, i can only describe as like tearing silk.
Towards the end of the race, Gonzalez was well up the field, possibly in the lead, when his car failed. he took over Wharton’s car and came back in at tenth position with nine laps to go.
Gonzalez gave a magnificent display, appearing to force the car forward, his great bulk spilling over the sides of the cockpit as he wrestled the steering wheel like a black belt. he gained one place per lap, but there weren’t enough laps left.
A dramatic experience that i shall never, ever forget.
Michael Riddall, Ipswich. PrinCE Bira wasn’t Taiwanese, but siamese (Thai). he was a great exponent of ErA (English racing Automobiles — a forerunner of BrM) cars pre- war, supported by his cousin Prince Chula.
Michael Daly, Little Neston, Wirral.
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