Lamberto Grimaldi was a Lord of Monaco (since March 16, 1458). He was married to his cousin Claudine Grimaldi in 1465 in order to secure the Grimaldi inheritance of Monaco

Monaco

Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...

 which by the small state's constitution

Constitution

A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...

 could only pass to male heirs. Lamberto was of the branch of the Grimaldi family which had settled in Antibes

Antibes

Antibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes...

 while Claudia was of the more powerful Monaco branch. Thus their union legitimately kept her branch of the family in control of Monaco. At this period in Monaco's history the family had not yet attained the prince

Prince

Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...

ly status that was to come later.

Lamberto assumed the reins of power in Monaco at a difficult time in its often vulnerable history. Lamberto fought to preserve Monaco's independence, and is said to have "handled diplomacy

Diplomacy

Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...

 and the sword with equal talent". He also established the Grimaldi motto

Motto

A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...

 "With God's help."

He and Claudine had at least six children;

• Jean
  Jean II, Lord of Monaco
  Jean II/Giovanni II, was Lord of Monaco from March 1494 until his death. He was the eldest son of Lambert Grimaldi and Claudine Grimaldi .During his 11 year reign, he pursued the politics of his father...
  
    (1468 – 11 October 1505)
• Louis ; deemed insane and barred from the inheritance
• Bianca
• Augustino, Bishop of Grasse
  Augustine Grimaldi
  Augustine Grimaldi was Regent of Monaco , Bishop of Grasse, Abbot of Lérins, and founder of the village of Valbonne.-Family:...
  
   (1482 – 14 April 1532)
• Françoise (died before 1523); married Luc Doria
  Doria
  Doria, originally de Auria , meaning "the sons of Auria", and then de Oria or d'Oria, is the name of an old and extremely wealthy Genoese family who played a major role in the history of the Republic of Genoa and in Italy, from the 12th century to the 16th century.-Origins:According to legend, a...
  
  , her son Bartholomew Doria
  Doria
  Doria, originally de Auria , meaning "the sons of Auria", and then de Oria or d'Oria, is the name of an old and extremely wealthy Genoese family who played a major role in the history of the Republic of Genoa and in Italy, from the 12th century to the 16th century.-Origins:According to legend, a...
  
   murdered her brother Lucien
• Lucien
  Lucien, Lord of Monaco
  Lucien became Lord of Monaco on 11 October 1505, having murdered his predecessor and brother, Jean II, and held that sovereignty until his death.-Family and Marriage:...
  
  (1487 – 22 August 1523)