Prince Albert II inaugurated the three-day stamp collecting event, MonacoPhil, at the One Monte-Carlo on 5 December. Known as one of the most prestigious events in the world of stamp collecting, the event also took place at the Museum of Stamps and Coins, which hosted an exhibition of rare stamps, including items from the collections of King Charles III and Prince Albert II.
MonacoPhil featured fifty exhibitors who offered stamps from across the globe, lectures from internationally renowned philatelists and signing sessions with artists who design and engrave Monaco’s stamps. The Monaco Stamp Office also released two early stamps from its 2025 program and three limited-edition products for the occasion.
Prince Albert II celebrates St. Barbe, patron Saint of Firefighters
The Sovereign celebrated Monaco’s fire brigade on St. Barbe day at the Saint-Nicolas church on 4 December. Minister of State, Didier Guillaume and Secretary of State, Yvette Lambin-Berti, also attended the mass. Afterwards, Prince Albert II visited the firefighters’ headquarters in Fontvieille, where Lieutenant-Colonel Maxime Yvrard made a speech and unveiled facts and figures from the past year: 10,000 interventions in 2024, a record with 55 per day.
Princely Family inaugurates Mareterra
Prince Albert II, Princess Charlene and their children, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella cut the tradition ribbon and inaugurated Mareterra on 4 December at noon. The Principality has now officially increased its size by 6 hectares, or 3% of its total surface area, thanks to the new eco-district, completed six months ahead of schedule.
In his speech, Prince Albert II recalled three main objectives which he put forth before construction began almost 10 years ago: urban planning which integrates harmoniously with nature, is environmentally friendly, with high-level architecture.
The multi-billion euro Mareterra project includes five residential buildings (for a total of 130 apartments) and 10 villas. The district is also home to twelve shops and restaurants, an extension of the Grimaldi Forum,160 parking spaces, a green hill with 1,000 trees and the Prince Jacques Promenade, which extends 600 metres in length.
Prince Albert II attends Peace March in Monaco
The Sovereign attended Peace and Sport’s march for Peace, which took place between the Place du Palais and the Oceanographic Museum on 3 December. Many personalities from the international sports world were also in attendance, including Olympic medalist (who has been crowned Champion of Peace) Tony Estangueformer, footballer Didier Drogba, former rally driver and president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Joël Bouzou, president of Peace and Sport.
Louis and Marie Ducruet welcome their Second Baby!
Louis Ducruet and Marie Ducruet announced the birth of their second child on instagram on 4 December. Their new baby, named Constance, was born on 2 December 2024.
“Our family is growing again with the arrival of our little Constance. There is one girl who was eager to meet her,” wrote Marie on social media. Comments are pouring in on the new photos,
“Congratulations to this new little princess, congratulations to the parents, the big sister and without forgetting pancake,” says one user. Aunt Camille Ducruet commented, “Mes vies.”
Prince Albert attends 14th International Peace and Sport Forum and Awards
The Sovereign attended the 14th International Peace and Sport Forum on 3 December. Many champions of peace attended the forum, which included three events: the International Forum, the Peace Walk and the Peace and Sport Awards. This year’s forum was part of the “Speak Your Peace” initiative, an international campaign reminding people that sport is a powerful means of transmitting universal values to younger generations.
After the peace march to the Oceanographic Museum, Prince Albert II attended the Peace and Sport Awards ceremony. The ceremony highlighted the impact of athletes like Sifan Hassan, Champion for Peace of the Year, and innovative organizations like Lighthouse Relief, which brings sports to refugee camps. Tony Estanguet, three-time Olympic champion in slalom canoe and President of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, was named Person of the Year.
Princely Family’s 2024 Christmas Photo
Prince Albert II, Princess Charlene, Prince Jacques, and Princess Gabriella posed for their annual family Christmas photo on 2 December. Taken by Éric Mathon, the festive portrait was captioned ‘The Princely Palace is delighted to share the photo of the princely family’s greeting card.’ The family chose neutral tones and sported brown, beige and cream for this year’s picture.
Prince Albert II attends Nobel Prize winner’s lecture for Rainier III Students
Monaco celebrated its first “Nobel Day” on 5 December when Professor Didier Queloz, who received the Nobel Prize in 2019, gave a lecture in the auditorium of the Rainier III high school. Prince Albert II attended the presentation, which was about “exoplanets” (any planet beyond our solar system).
Prince Albert II said that although Alfred Nobel is known for his inventions, he remains a central figure in the history of humanity thanks to his desire to reward scientific and cultural advances that promote peace. The first Nobel Day in Monaco was made possible by professors from the University of Nice Côte d’Azur.
Prince Albert II attends Building Employers’ Association Cocktail Celebration
The Oceanographic Museum hosted the traditional cocktail for the Building Employers’ Association in the presence of the Sovereign on 5 December. Seven hundred professionals from the sector attended the event.
The union will be celebrating its 80th birthday in 2024. President of the Building Employers’ Association, Fabien Deplanche, spoke about the immutable bond that unites the building profession and the princely family. Founded in the aftermath of the Second World War, the union has been a pillar in the evolution and modernization of the Principality for eight decades.
Princess Alexandra attends “Paésine” Exhibition by Francisco Tropa
Princess Alexandra of Hanover and her boyfriend, Ben-Sylvester Strautmann, attended a new exhibition by Francisco Tropa at Villa Paloma on 4 December. Designed especially for the New National Museum of Monaco, “Paésine” brings together a unique collection of sculptures, drawings, films and projections which explore the subtle links between nature and technology.
Portuguese artist Francisco Tropa references geological phenomena, prehistoric Venus, classical pietà and contemporary minimalism in the exhibition, which runs until 21 April 2025.
Princess Charlene, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella inaugurate the Christmas Village
Princess Charlene, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella officially inaugurated the Christmas Village on the Port of Monaco on 5 December. Traditional Palladienne dancers performed during the inauguration. Gourmet stands, shops, games, rides, trails and a Ferris wheel make up this year’s Christmas Village. On the agenda: concerts every Friday evening and creative workshops for children on weekends and every day of the school holidays. The Village is environmentally friendly, with decorations been made from recycled polystyrene, led lights set to timers and all the trees will be later collected by the SMA to be turned into compost. The Village is open until 5 January 2025.
Prince Albert II attends the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris
Prince Albert II attended the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, along with 1,500 other dignitaries, on 7 December 2024. Prince William, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Grand Duke and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, the Prince of Wales, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. first lady Jill Biden and U.S. president-elect Donald Trump were all in attendance.
The restoration, which took just five years, is seen as an incredible achievement, especially since the original cathedral took nearly two centuries to build. President Emmanuel Macron championed the ambitious timeline and welcomed the international dignitaries into the restored cathedral.
Princess Charlene attends Monaco’s Christmas Ball
Princess Charlene, patron of the event, attended the traditional Christmas Ball in the Salle Empire of the Hôtel de Paris on 7 December 2024. The 19th edition of the gala was held under the theme “Paris-Monte Carlo”. An auction, organized by Sotheby’s, raised funds for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation and its projects for the prevention of drowning and the education of children through the values of sport.
