100 years of reflection before taking a decision, isn’t it a bit too much ?
By topffer
@topffer (42156)
France
August 15, 2018 10:14am CST
Germans are balanced people taking all the time needed for an important decision. This decision needed 100 years of reflection, but it is decided, they are starting a lawsuit to ask 351 millions Euros of damages to France. The reason : these ones should have inherited of the crown of Monaco a century ago !
But, voilà, the family was a German family, the Wurtemberg-Urach, France was in war with Germany and was not intending to have a German state surrounded by France near the Meditteranean Sea, and a treaty was signed between Monaco and France in Paris on July 17th 1918. Louis II had no children and could not reign, but the treaty specified that an adopted child could succeed to the throne of Monaco, and Louis II had adopted Charlotte, a girl that he had with a hostess of a Parisian cabaret. Then Louis II could reign, and succeeded to Albert Ist in 1922.
End of the hope for the Wurtemberg-Urach ! They ruminated a long time about the best to do. The time for the reflection could have lasted longer, but their actual descendant, Louis de Causans, is French, and we are a bit more fast to take a decision. He sent in July a reasonable request to the French minister of Foreign Affairs : 351 millions Euros of damages for the bad trick that France did to his family in 1918. Monaco has a GDP of more than 7 billions Euros, so it is very reasonable. The minister has 2 months to give a response, but I would bet that it will be «No», if he even gives a response. After 2 months and no response, or after a negative response, the count de Causans will have 2 more months to start a lawsuit in an administrative court. Good luck, as it was a treaty between France and Monaco, and not only a decision taken by France...
The link to the interesting interview in US English that I am giving tells that the treaty is from 1911. I have controlled and it is from July 1918.
Are you turning 7 times your tongue in your mouth before speaking ? Are you taking all the time needed for the reflection before an important decision ?
He’s a count without a kingdom. An aristocrat claims he was tricked out of the throne to Monaco by the French government’s “sleight of hand” — and is asking for $401 m…
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10 responses
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
15 Aug 18
Its a really interesting story tops and they sure have taken a long time to make up their mind.
Its about the same here I think for that kind of thing to claim such an inheritance there are huge limits on it.
I don´t take that long to make up my mind either.
2 people like this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
15 Aug 18
@topffer
The only case I know of is or was what´s his name Luis Alfonso I think it is and his claim to the Throne of I don´t know where.
I don´t even know if that was legitimate or not.
Then come claims from so called brothers and sons of Juan Carlitos you know the affable ermerito king.
I don´t know what has happened about any of them as now it seems all hush hush.
Felipe is okay as king but uff the other not so much.
Nuestro Juan Carlitos has certainly been busy or was in his younger days.
I like him much better though than who is supposed to be ruling now.
Tiene charisma if nothing else.
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@topffer (42156)
• France
15 Aug 18
@lovinangelsinstead21 Juan Carlos has been a great king for Spain, it is difficult to be the king following him.
I do not think that any pretender has a chance. It is not a hazard if this one for Monaco asks damages to France and not the throne to Monaco. I believe most of reigning kings can decide who they want for king after them, and it is what happened in Monaco when he opted for an illegitimate daughter. He is the monarch, he can change the rules. It can be different in a few countries though.
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@topffer (42156)
• France
15 Aug 18
We have never had a similar case, and it is difficult to tell. The maximum prescription is 30 years in France, but in some cases you can start a lawsuit after centuries. We have this problem in museums : when somebody gives something with strict conditions for exhibiting the item or make it travel, the prescription starts when the conditions are not respected, and it can be centuries later.
In his case I would tend to believe that it started in 1922 when Louis II accessed to the throne. But his lawyer will probably tell that the spoliation continues today, and that he can do this trial as long as the family is defrauded. It will be interesting to see the decision of the court.
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@topffer (42156)
• France
15 Aug 18
@LadyDuck I doubt that we will see a decision before 2020, as they will probably exchange a lot of nice documents before the judges can judge. An administrative trial can last horribly long here, everything has to be written, and each time something is written, the opponent has one month to respond, etc.
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@Aquitaine24 (11653)
• San Jose, California
15 Aug 18
LOouis II adopted his own child?
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@topffer (42156)
• France
15 Aug 18
@LadyDuck She would have been a Grimaldi as well if she had been recognized at birth, but, being illegitimate, she could not have inherited (or just a small part). Except if he was married, the law of the time was not authorizing to recognize a illegitimate child born during a marriage.
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@topffer (42156)
• France
18 Aug 18
It depends of how many papers their lawyers will exchange. Everything has to be written in administrative courts, and each time something is written, the opponent is given 1 month to respond. At the end, knowing all the documents, the judges are taking their decision. I do not think that it will be before 2020 here.
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One should take their time in making the best decision possible, but well, this one took "a little" too much time - it's "a little" too late, isn't it? I mean, why only now? They can try but 
. . . good luck with that one!@topffer (42156)
• France
17 Aug 18
The prescription will be probably invoked by the state, and perhaps admitted by judges. Prescription or not, I do not think, to tell the truth, that a treaty between two states can open a possibility of damages. It never happened and it will be interesting to see what a court will say.
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@Aquitaine24 (11653)
• San Jose, California
15 Aug 18
he won't get it if they wait another 100 years!I'm a decendant of several kings and queens from Scotland,Spain,POland and some other countries.Where do I apply to get my rightful position??
@topffer (42156)
• France
15 Aug 18
You are joking, but it is not impossible. When an administrative court gives a sentence against the state, there is no way to force the state to follow the sentence in France, and it can need decades to receive payments. The most I remember was about 60 years for a family who had been spoliated by the state of lands in Algeria circa 1910. They received the payment for the damage after the independence of Algeria.
Have you be deprived of a throne by a tricky treaty ?
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Have you be deprived of a throne by a tricky treaty ?1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325594)
• Rockingham, Australia
16 Aug 18
I haven't heard about turning your tongue 7 times in your mouth but it sounds a good idea. Surely they'd be better off just forgetting about it. I can't see anyone gaining from this.
@yoalldudes (35040)
• Philippines
17 Aug 18
It's even longer than the average lifespan of a human being.
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