Overview
Prince Charles, recorded in contemporary sources as Charles Marie Auguste (1 January 1722 – 24 August 1749), was a Monégasque prince known by the courtesy title Count of Carladès. He is also associated with the title Count of Matignon. His life was relatively short and his public role limited by his early death at 27.
Titles and family connections
Charles held noble styles that reflected the intertwined French and Monégasque aristocratic networks of the 18th century. These included land-linked county titles and family names that connected him to the Matignon lineage, a French noble house long active in Normandy and in service at the royal court.
- Born: 1 January 1722
- Died: 24 August 1749
- Styles: Count of Carladès; Count of Matignon
Life and role
Contemporary biographical records of Charles are sparse. As a younger member of the circle of princes tied to Monaco and to French nobility, he would have enjoyed rank, land-derived income, and social duties expected of his station, but he does not appear prominently in political or military chronicles of the period. His premature death curtailed any further advancement or lasting administrative accomplishments.
Historical context
The titles borne by Charles reflect two overlapping traditions: the territorial county of Carladès in the Auvergne region of France, and the aristocratic Matignon family, which produced several notable French nobles. In the 18th century, connections between small sovereign houses like Monaco and powerful French families were common and shaped marriage, inheritance, and the distribution of titles.
Legacy and notable facts
Although not a major historical actor, Charles is a representative example of lesser-known princely figures whose lives illuminate the social fabric of European nobility. His styling as Count of Carladès preserves an historical link to regional counties, while the Matignon name continued to surface in later French political and social history.