She was beautiful and alluring but married to the dull and cadaverously thin but immensely rich Marchese de Brignole-Sale. At a gala ball at Versailles she met and fell in love with Honor‚ III,
Prince of Monaco. As the attraction was mutual, she left with her eleven year old daughter, Maria Caterina, the Palazzo Rosso to go to Paris where she was an instant success at Court.
The affaire with Honor‚ III was passionate for several years and, in 1754, they even spent three months in Genoa at the Palazzo Rosso. However, her daughter, Maria Caterina, began to develop into a most beautiful girl and Honor‚ III began to court the daughter of his now aging mistress. When this became obvious, Honor‚ III was asked to leave, which he did but taking with him the promise of Maria Caterina that she would marry only him.
Her husband was not at all pleased with his daughter's wish to marry his wife's lover and refused his permission. Honor‚ III pressured for seventeen months but then opened negotiations to marry
the daughter of the Duc de La Valliere. However, the French King Louis XV spoiled the relations between Honor‚ III and the Duc de La Valliere.
At this stage Anna sent Honor‚ III a spiteful letter accusing him of having caused havoc in her marriage and family. Honor‚ III wrote back a thirty-two page letter pointing out that his honorable petition for Maria Caterina's hand had "my respect for the mother reflected in the choice." After this Anna did an about-face and attempted to get her husband's consent for the marriage. It took many months before her husband gave in and several more months before he would allow Maria
Caterina's wealth to be moved outside the Genoese republic.
By Proxy, on 15 June 1757, her daughter married her ex-lover. Mother and daughter then went to Monaco by ship where on arrival,Honor‚ III accompanied by Monaco's soldiers, awaited the
bride. However, a quarter of an hour after the gangplank had been lowered, only a messenger appeared with Anna's message that "conscious of her birth and rank" Honor‚ III should board the ship to greet his wife. As a souvereign prince, Honor‚ was indignant, considering his rank to be higher, he therefore insisted that Maria Caterina should be the one to move first. Anna refused on her daughter's behalf and the gangplank was raised. It took six days before an agreement was
reached.
Eleven months after the wedding Anna became a grandmother. In 1763 another grandson was born but by 1769 the marriage had become strained. Honor‚ III was flaunting mistresses and gossip was spread about Maria Caterina and the Prince de Conde. Maria Caterina left her
marital home for a convent and it was Anna who tried to arrange a reconciliation. Publicly they did reconcile but privately nothing had changed and, on 9 January 1771, they were legally separated.
 

Source: Leo van de Pas