Prince Albert II, Princess Charlene, Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella had an eventful and commemorative trip to Oslo. They inaugurated a new exhibition at the Fram Museum entitled “Sailing the Sea of Science: Scientist and Explorer Prince Albert I and the early Norwegian exploration of Svalbard” in the presence of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway on 22 June. The exhibition retraces the scientific campaigns of Prince Albert I in Spitsbergen, the main island of Svalbard, in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Earlier in the day, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene were guests of King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway for lunch at their private residence Bygdø Kongsgaard. On Thursday 23 June, in Longyearbyen, the capital of Spitsbergen, Prince Albert II unveiled a bronze bust of Prince Albert I, donated to the Norwegian Polar Institute.
The commemorative voyage continued with a private cruise aboard Commander Charcot, which sailed from Longyearbyen and travelled 80 degrees north, following the route taken by Prince Albert I during his campaigns.
Prince Albert II pays tribute to Fallen Firefighter, Sergeant Thierry Perard
While in Norway for previous commitments, Prince Albert II released a press statement describing his “deep regret for not being personally present at the national tribute which will be paid to Sergeant Thierry Perard” who died tragically in the performance of his duty as a firefighter. On 24 June, the Prince was represented by His sister, HRH the Princess of Hanover, during the funeral Mass at the Cathedral of Monaco and by Colonel Luc Fringant, First Aide de Camp, at the military funeral honours.
HSH Prince Albert II also requested that the Principality’s flags be lowered to half-mast last Friday and that Sergeant Thierry Perard be elevated to the rank of Staff-Sergeant and named Knight in the Order of Saint-Charles posthumously.
Prince Albert I Centenary Commemorations in Bagnères-de-Luchon
Prince Albert II visited commemorations for the centenary of the death of Prince Albert I in Bagnères-de-Luchon on 14 June. After being welcomed on the forecourt of the town hall by the sub-prefect of Saint-Gaudens, Jean-Philippe Dargent, and the mayor of the town, Eric Azemar, Prince Albert II attended several local cultural performances, including a song in Gascon by primary school pupils from Luchon. The Sovereign Prince then entered the Town Hall to sign a partnership between the Prince Albert II Foundation and the city of Bagnères-de-Luchon.
The day ended with the inauguration of the exhibition “Albert I, Prince of Monaco, and the Pyrenees (1861 – 1921)” in the presence of its curator, Professor Serge Brunet. This exhibition, which is open to the general public until 15 September at the Casino de Luchon, reveals the Prince’s fight for the conservation of the Pyrenees with the creation of a national park to protect its mountain range. The project only came to fruition a few years after his death, which underlines the visionary characteristics of Prince Albert I.
Monegasque Language Competition rewards 52 Students
“Feliçitaçiùn a tüt’i alievi!” Every year in June, a prize-giving ceremony for the Monegasque Language Competition takes place. This 2022 event distinguished 52 students among 1416 participants. The ceremony took place on Monday evening in the presence of Prince Albert II at City Hall’s Court of Honour.
The competition has had an important place in Monaco’s heritage since it began over 40 years ago, in 1981. For the occasion, Mayor Georges Marsan gave a speech noting that the Monegasque language is “a language of the heart and belonging” and thanked the language and history teachers for their dedication.
