Prince Albert II visits Brest and a Helicopter named Joan of Arc
After the Paris Olympics, Prince Albert II took a short break in Brest, where he met an old acquaintance: Joan of Arc. This helicopter carrier, named after the patron saint of France, had welcomed Prince Albert II in 1981, when the Sovereign was a young officer in training.
Received by Vice-Admiral Jean-François Quérat, Maritime Prefect for the Atlantic, as well as François Cuillandre, Mayor of Brest, Prince Albert II visited the exhibition “La Jeanne, fille de Brest” at the Ateliers des Capucins. This exhibition retraces the life of a French Navy ship which served as a school for future officers of the Navy.
In the Château de Brest, the Sovereign visited the National Maritime Museum and a temporary exhibition about the Olympics called, “Games on the water, in search of victories” which is dedicated to nautical sports.
Prince Albert II commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Landing in Provence
Welcomed by the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, the Sovereign Prince attended an international ceremony at the national necropolis of Boulouris, in Saint-Raphaël, on Thursday 15 August.
Prince Albert II paid tribute to thousands of Operation Dragoon soldiers in the presence of several Heads of State, including Africans and veterans at a place where 464 French soldiers are laid to rest.
On the night of 14 August 1944, a naval assault was launched on eighteen beaches of the Varoise coast, between Toulon and Cannes, in front of a disarmed German army, as it was engaged on several other fronts. At the end of the month, the allies managed to liberate the region, its main cities and progress as far as the Rhône Valley.
Princess Charlene Foundation’s Water Bike Challenge 2024!
The Calvi to Monaco Water Bike Challenge will be taking place on the 6th and 7th of September, with five teams of athletes and celebrities participating in the 180-kilometre race for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. Water bikes are ergonomic, extremely stable and can reach speeds of about 6 knots (13 km/h).
“Many years ago, we started throwing around the daunting idea of organizing a fund-raising sporting event like no other: the crossing of the Mediterranean on water bikes. This evolved into the Riviera Water Bike Challenge, which took place in 2017 between Nice and Monaco and in 2018 in Monaco. This new activity then went on to represent the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation and what it stands for,” said Gareth Wittstock, Secretary General of the Princess Charlene Foundation.
Princess Caroline is on Vacation in Aisne
Princess Caroline of Monaco landed at the small Laon airfield in Aisne on Thursday 15 August. The destination in Northern France is the where Princess Charlotte, Princess Caroline’s grandmother lived for many years and where she is buried. Prince Albert II revived the family residence there, a tranquil place close to nature. The Château de Marchais is one of the 150 historic Grimaldi sites in France and has been owned by the princely family since the mid-19th century. The Grimaldis are sometimes spotted crisscrossing the village of Marchais on bicycles every year.
Princess Stephanie is on Vacation at the Family’s Roc Agel Farm
Princess Stephanie has headed to the Alpes-Maritimes to recharge her batteries at the Roc Agel farm, a refuge located near a small mountain village in the heights of the Principality. At the beginning of the 2000s, after her marriage to acrobat Adan Lopez, Princess Stephanie settled there with her three children Louis, Pauline and Camille. During their youth, they were enrolled, for a short time, at the village school. Since then, this village has always had a place in the heart of the family, who return there regularly to relax, far from the hustle and bustle of Monaco. Louis, Marie and baby Victoire also visited Auron on 16 August.
