On February 21, 2012, Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco attended the 2012 La Croix-Rouge Monégasque (Monaco Red Cross) graduation ceremony held at the Rainier III auditorium in Monte-Carlo.
During the ceremony, Prince Albert II of Monaco gave a speech congratulating the graduates then Princess Charlene presented the diplomas to those who participated in the program.
Click the links below to view photos:
Source: Palais Princier de Monaco
The Telegraph newspaper reports that His Royal Highness Prince Johan Friso of Oranje-Nassau is “in a coma” and unfortunately the medical team treating the prince will not know until the end of the week whether he “will live or die”.
Click here to read the article from the Telegraph
Meanwhile, the prince’s skiing companion, Florian Moosbrugger, who survived the avalanche — thanks to an airbag tucked into his backpack — will be questioned by the Innsbruck police in the coming days. In an interview with the Austrian Times newspaper, detective Heinz Rusch stated, “We have begun investigations into the companion. It is concerning unintentional grievous bodily harm in particularly dangerous circumstances.”
Click here to read the full article from the Austrian Times
Sources: Telegraph and Austrian Times
Per the Press Association:
The Duchess of Cambridge has joined a group of schoolchildren with behavioural problems and impressed staff with the way she worked with the youngsters.
Kate left the pupils elated after her visit to see how one of her charities was helping them cope with issues such as shyness and lack of confidence.
The royal also shared with the youngsters the name of her pet cocker spaniel puppy – Lupo – something which had remained a mystery since it was confirmed the Cambridge’s had a new addition to their family.
The duchess has been carrying out a number of high-profile visits to her favourite charities during the past few weeks, while her husband William has been away in the Falkland Islands working as an RAF search and rescue helicopter co-pilot.
The visit to Oxford was Kate’s first as patron of The Art Room, an organisation which uses painting and drawing to help children with a range of behavioural problems.
Kate put on a denim apron emblazoned with her name “Miss Catherine” to join the youngsters for a messy art therapy session at Rose Hill Primary School in Oxford.
Lisa Hancock, manager of the primary school’s art room, praised the duchess: “She seemed to have as much fun as the children and seemed very relaxed and in her element, I think. She had all the right language and was very calm and gentle.”
Ms Hancock added that at the end of the session the duchess told the children how “fabulous” they were and praised their artwork.
During her time in the art therapy room Kate sat between two boys at a table covered in pots of paint, brushes and paper, and chatted to both of the youngsters as they busily worked away. At one point the duchess came to the aid of seven-year-old Mariam Olayinka who knocked over a pot of water sending the liquid cascading across the table and on to the floor during the session which lasted around an hour and 45 minutes.
The duchess also visited the Oxford Spires Academy, where The Art Room has another centre, used by the school’s teenage pupils and those of two nearby primary schools. After a private lunch of sandwiches, crisps and fruit, Kate joined a round-table discussion about the training of staff at the centre and listened to the experiences of four Year Seven pupils who attend art therapy sessions.
Click the links below to watch videos as well as to view photos.
Photo courtesy of Daylife/Reuters
Recently, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco discussed his recent trip to West Africa. The sovereign prince “…reaffirms the will of the Principality to support economic development, infrastructure, and humanitarian efforts in Mali and Burkina Faso.”
Last week, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco visited a school in Guié, Burkina Faso supported by Monégasque association, Mission Enfance. Whilst at the school the sovereign prince met with students and faculty as well as inspected a new water pump at the school which was installed to provide students with clean drinking water. Prince Albert II also visited the school’s nursery where he met with staff and hugged cute babies.
It was announced by Clarence House that Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will visit Scandinavia beginning on March 20-27, 2012 in Norway.
Press release from Clarence House:
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall to visit Norway, Sweden and Denmark
The British Government have asked The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall to undertake official visits to Norway, Sweden and Denmark from 20th to 27th March 2012. These visits, to other Monarchies linked by common Royal descent, mark the start of Their Royal Highnesses’ official overseas celebrations of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Their Royal Highnesses will, in each case, be guests of the Sovereign Head of State.
The themes of the tour will include strong historic and diplomatic links between the United Kingdom and all three countries. There will be a particular focus on commercial opportunities for British business to support our economy, military co-operation, environmental sustainability, social cohesion and youth opportunities.
The tour will begin in Oslo, Norway, with a ceremonial wreath laying at the National Memorial, accompanied by The King and Queen. The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will then meet young people engaged in youth activities, including survivors of the terrible attack at Utøya last Summer, at the city’s Nobel Peace Centre. The King and Queen will host a State Dinner for Their Royal Highnesses in the Royal Palace. The Prince and Duchess will also travel to Bergen, where, among other engagements, they will attend a concert in a medieval hall which The Prince first visited in 1969 on a visit with Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. The Prince will also meet the crew of HMS Liverpool who, working in partnership with their Norwegian counterparts, played a key role in the recent liberation of Libya.
In Sweden, The Prince and The Duchess will be received in Stockholm by The King and Queen, before visiting Europe’s largest youth activity centre at Fryshuset. Their Majesties will host an official lunch for Their Royal Highnesses. The remainder of the programme will focus on military and commercial cooperation, the international work of a world renowned environmental research centre and education. There will also be a visit to the world famous Vasa warship which, like her counterpart the Mary Rose, sank on her maiden voyage and was recovered in the twentieth century.
On Saturday, February 18, 2012, Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco attended a cocktail reception to celebrate the 8th Edition of the Challenge Albert II Rowing Competition. The event was held at the Société Nautique de Monaco.
Meanwhile in New York City… Prince Albert II’s nephew, Pierre Casiraghi, was partying with his pals at the Double Seven club in the Meatpacking District on Saturday, February 18, 2012. Witnesses at the club told the New York Post that Pierre and his pals “were being completely obnoxious”.
Any way, sometime during the night, Pierre and his pals annoyed the crap out of some big burly dude named Adam Hock and his friends. Apparently, Pierre decided that it was cool to repeatedly take a “swig from $500 bottle of vodka on Hock’s table” as well as insult and harass Mr. Hock and his friends.
So, as time goes on Mr. Hock just couldn’t take it anymore. Words were exchanged then all of a sudden… BAM! Mr. Hock punched Pierre — Mike Tyson style — in his pretty little face whereupon he “…flew across the room and landed on a table on the other side.”
Well, that sucks.
To read more about this drama please click here.
Sources: Palais Princier de Monaco and NY Post
Photo courtesy of Palais Princier de Monaco
The Royal Correspondent 