# Monaco Cavalry in the Dutch War (1672–1678)

URL: https://allhistories.com/monaco/timeline/1672-monaco-cavalry-in-the-dutch-war
Location: Flanders and Franche-Comté
Themes: Wars & Revolts

As Duke of Valentinois and a peer of France, Louis I was expected to serve the king in war. He had already distinguished himself in 1666 at the Four Days' Battle between the English and Dutch fleets, and he raised and commanded a cavalry regiment bearing the name of Monaco. During the Franco-Dutch War of 1672–1678, in which France fought the Dutch Republic and its allies, Louis I led the Monaco Cavalry in the campaigns in Flanders and Franche-Comté. His service to the crown earned him the gratitude of Louis XIV, though his participation on the French side in the conflicts that involved England also made him a political enemy of the English court, which he had irritated in 1677 by showering expensive gifts on Hortense Mancini, mistress of Charles II. Louis I's military record strengthened his standing at Versailles and paved the way for the high honours he later received: he was made a knight of the French royal orders on 31 December 1688 and, in 1699, was appointed ambassador to the Holy See. It also showed how the princes of Monaco had become, in practice, great officers of the French monarchy.

## Why it matters
Louis I's service in Louis XIV's wars illustrated the Grimaldis' role as French grandees as well as sovereign princes.

Ruler at the Time: [Louis I](https://allhistories.com/monaco/rulers/louis-i-prince-of-monaco)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Franco-Dutch War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco-Dutch_War)
- [Palais Princier de Monaco — History of the Grimaldi](https://www.palais.mc/)
- [Wikipedia — French Protectorate (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_P%C3%A9ronne_(1641))