Lucien (1487 – 22 August 1523) became Lord of Monaco on 11 October 1505, having murdered his predecessor and brother, Jean II, and held that sovereignty until his death.
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Family and Marriage
He was the fourth son of Lambert Grimaldi (1420–1494) and Claudine Grimaldi (1451–1515).
On 25 September 1514 he married Jeanne de Pontevès-Cabanes. The couple had at least five children;
Francesco (born c. 1516 – died young)
Claudine (born c. 1517)
Lamberto (born c. 1519 – died young)
Rainier (born c. 1521 – died young)
Honoré (1522 – 7 October 1581)
Murder of Jean II
At least two accounts of the murder portray it as arising from an argument between the brothers. According to Françoise de Bernardy's acclaimed history of the Princes of Monaco, it was almost midnight on the evening of October 5, 1505. Lord Jean II was staying in the family's house at Menton. Lucien and their mother, Claudine, were also in the house. No one knows what the brothers' argued about, but their quarrel ended with Lucien stabbing Jean with his dagger. In a graphic novel published by Dargaud in 1997, Lucien's explanation to his mother is that he lost his temper when Jean admitted to trying to sell Monaco to the Venetians behind their backs. This supports the account that Lucien gave in writing to the Duke of Savoy: "I remonstrated with him," Lucien wrote, "over the great wrong he was doing his brothers and sisters by planning dishonourably to sell this stronghold of [Monaco] to the Venetians...." Lucien claimed that his brother taunted him and even struck at him with his dagger before Lucien fought back in self-defense.