Jacques came from an ancient
Norman family. "Thorigny" is now called
Torigni-sur-Vire, where the
Mairie is the former family chateau, the
Château des Matignon. His uncle was
Marshal Charles Auguste de Goÿon de Matignon. He was a son of Jacques Goÿon de Matignon,
jure uxoris Comte de Thorigny, and Charlotte Goyon de Matignon, Comtesse de Thorigny
suo jure. When
Antonio I of Monaco and his wife
Marie de Lorraine-Armagnac were looking for a consort for their daughter and heir
Louise Hippolyte of Monaco, the family proposed him as a candidate. His candidacy was supported by King
Louis XIV of France, who wanted to solidify French influence in Monaco. Jacques and Louise Hippolyte married on 20 October 1715 and had nine children. The wedding ceremony was the first official act that the five-year-old king,
Louis XV, carried out during the
Regency of
Philippe II, Duke of Orléans. The marriage wasn't very happy. Jacques preferred to stay more in
Versailles, where he had several mistresses, than in Monaco. After the death of Antonio I of Monaco, Louise Hippolyte traveled from Paris to Monaco on 4 April 1731 and received an enthusiastic reception by the population. When Jacques joined her several times later, the reception was much colder. Jacques served as
regent for his wife from 21 February 1731 to her death. At the end of 1731, Louise Hippolyte died of
smallpox. Jacques I neglected the affairs of state and, under pressure from the population, had to leave the country in May 1732. Jacques abdicated in favor of his son
Honoré on November 7, 1733. He spent the last years of his life in Versailles and
Paris. It was at Versailles that
Louise-Françoise de Bourbon-Maine, a grand daughter of
Louis XIV and his mistress,
Madame de Montespan, was proposed as a wife for the widowed prince; despite having a large dowry, (she was the daughter of the
Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine and his wife,
Anne Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon) the marriage never materialised and the prince never married again. His Paris residence was named after him
Hôtel Matignon and is today the official residence of the
Prime Minister of France. Prior to his death, he was a frequent visitor to
Versailles with his son. ==Issue==