Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene inaugurate Monaco’s Christmas Village ‘Rainier III, A Passion Prince’
Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene, Princess Stephanie and Mélanie-Antoinette de Massy inaugurated Monaco’s Christmas Village 2023, in tribute to Prince Rainier III, on Thursday 7 December.
Beautiful sets decorated with photographs of Prince Rainier III explore the many passions of the Builder Prince alongside food stands, shops, rides and a Ferris wheel on the Quai Albert I. Concerts, stage performances and creative workshops are all on the agenda during this season’s Christmas village, which is open until until Sunday 7 January 2024.
The evening ended with the very first luminous fountain show over the swimming pool of the Rainier III Nautical Stadium, presented in collaboration with the Commemoration Committee of Prince Rainier III. All the light decorations in the Principality have been made from 100% biodegradable structures derived from sugar cane and recycled aluminium.
Princess Charlene sparkles at her Foundation’s Christmas gala
Princess Charlene glittered at her Foundation’s 18th Christmas gala in a silvery white sequins dress on Friday 8 December. Entitled “The Centennial Christmas Ball” in honour of the centenary of the birth of Prince Rainier III, the ball took place at the Hôtel de Paris in the Empire Room. A Sotheby’s auction during the ball raised 150,000 euros for the Princess Charlene Foundation, which will go towards swimming and drowning prevention programs.
Prince Albert II participates in the COP28 philanthropy event in Dubai
Prince Albert II participated in the third day of COP28 in Dubai on 2 December when he delivered the opening speech for “The role of environmental philanthropy in the implementation of UN process” event.
The Sovereign Prince then went to the Ocean Pavilion where a bilateral meeting was held with Professor Jim Skea, President of the IPCC, before the “Sea of change: advancing sustainable solutions to combat plastic pollution and protect blue economies in the Mediterranean Sea” event.
In the afternoon, the Sovereign spoke at a high-level session for the first Global Review of the Paris agreement, in the presence of numerous heads of state. Prince Albert II also participated in the United Nations conference on ocean issues, the next edition of which will be held in Nice in 2025. The Sovereign concluded the event by recalling that the ocean still too often remains little considered in international negotiations, beyond the climate.
Finally, at the end of the day, Prince Albert II visited the Jameel Arts Centre as part of the Ocean Innovators Platform, an initiative of the Prince Albert II Foundation. Aiming to promote entrepreneurship, innovation and investment, this event showcases cutting-edge technologies and inventive solutions geared towards a sustainable blue economy.
Prince Albert II presents Grand Prix des Sciences et de la Mer Albert 1 in Paris
At the Embassy of Monaco in Paris, Prince Albert II presented the medals for the Grand Prix des Sciences et de la Mer Albert 1 for the years 2022 and 2023 on Wednesday 6 December.
For the year 2022, the jury awarded the Conservatory of the Coast and Lake Shores, represented by its director, Agnès Vince. Since its creation in 1975, the Conservatory has become a key player in coastal protection and rehabilitation.
For 2023, the winner is Professor Edward Anthony, professor of physical geography at the University of Aix-Marseille. During the event, Prince Albert II praised the rich career of Professor Anthony in many fields such as oceanography, geomorphology, sedimentology, ecology and the development of coastal and marine environments.
Tour de France 2024 signs agreement with Monaco at the Yacht Club
Prince Albert II attended the signing of an agreement linking Amaury Sport Organization (A.S.O.) organizer of the Tour de France, to the Principality of Monaco at the Yacht Club on 5 December. The agreement was signed by HE Pierre Dartout, Minister of State and Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France, in the presence of HSH the Sovereign Prince and Mr. Cellario, President of the Steering Committee. The final stage of the Tour de France 2024 will take place between Monaco and Nice on Sunday 21 July.
Prince Albert II visits Singapore
After his state visit to Malaysia, Prince Albert II flew to Singapore on Thursday 30 November. There, he met with leaders of startups specializing in bio-technologies and pharmaceuticals. With the support of Jacky Deromedi and Jean-Marc Deromedi, Consul of Monaco in Singapore, the Prince then spoke with officials from the island of Sentosa on the theme of eco-responsibility in the hotelier sector. The Sovereign also spoke with HE Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore. At the end of the evening, the Prince began his journey to Dubai to attend COP28.
