Prince Albert II of Monaco travelled to the Oise department on Saturday 18 October, shining a spotlight on the deep-rooted ties between the Grimaldi dynasty and two towns steeped in history: Guiscard and Chantilly.

In Guiscard, the Prince was warmly welcomed by Mayor Thibault Delavenne and enthusiastic locals for the unveiling of a new plaque marking the town’s official entry into the Sites Historiques Grimaldi de Monaco — a growing network celebrating places with strong ancestral connections to the Monegasque royal family.

The bond dates back over three centuries, when Catherine de Guiscard’s marriage in 1708 to the 4th Duke of Aumont eventually led to their great-granddaughter, Louise d’Aumont-Mazarin, wedding the future Prince Honoré IV of Monaco in 1777.

After visiting the remains of the old Château de Guiscard, once the heart of the marquisate founded under Louis XIV, Prince Albert officially opened the town’s new Grimaldi Cultural Centre — a community hub dedicated to the arts and heritage.

Later in the afternoon, the Prince headed to Chantilly for the inauguration of a major new exhibition at the Condé Museum, housed in the Château de Chantilly. Titled From Monaco to Chantilly: A Princess of the Enlightenment in Search of Freedom, the exhibition honours Marie Catherine de Brignole-Sale — an influential 18th-century figure who became Princess of Monaco through her marriage to Honoré III, and later Princess of Condé.

Curated by Thomas Fouilleron of the Palais Princier and Mathieu Deldicque of the Condé Museum, the exhibition retraces the remarkable life of a woman often overlooked in history, yet one whose independence and intellect left a lasting cultural mark.

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, catch our podcast on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.