Louis II, Prince of Monaco

Louis Honoré Charles Antoine Grimaldi was born on 12 July 1870 into Monaco's ruling family. He became Prince of Monaco on 26 June 1922, stepping into a role that would stretch across nearly three decades. His reign carried the tiny state through the economic collapse of the 1930s and the Second World War, a test of neutrality and survival for any microstate caught between larger powers. He ruled until his death on 9 May 1949, having secured the succession through his daughter and, ultimately, a grandson who would become one of the most recognized royals of the twentieth century.