On Thursday, July 9, 2015, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco inaugurated the special the exhibition, Romanov et les Grimaldi: Trois Siècles d’Histoire, at the Bibliothèque and the Grands Appartements  at the Palais Princier in Monaco.

Organized by Mr. Thomas Fouilleron, the director of the Archives du Palais de Monaco, in collaboration with the Archives Audiovisuelles de Monaco, Nouveau Musée National de Monaco, and the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF), the exhibition showcases the unique relationship between the House of Grimaldi and the Romanov dynasty.

Romanov et les Grimaldi: Trois Siècles d’Histoire will be open the public beginning on July 13-September 6, 2015.

On Tuesday, July 7, 2015, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco gave the closing speech during day one of the 2015 Rencontres Internationales des Voitures Écologiques (R.I.V.E.) conference in Alès, France.

The two-day event gathers “…stakeholders from the [green/environmentally friendly car sector] to meet and discuss the challenge they are facing…” as well as to view the technology in green cars.

Recently, Her Royal Highness Princess Caroline of Hanover presided over the 3rd Concours des Jeunes Créateurs de Monaco in Monte-Carlo.  The theme of this year’s art competition was Contrast.

The lovely princess presented various awards for painting, photography, and graphic design.

On Wednesday, July 1, 2015, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco visited the Japanese patrol training vessel, Kojima, docked at Port Hercule in Monaco.

Once a year the Kojima — owned and operated by the Japanese Coast Guard Academy (JCGA) — brings together JCGA cadets to go on a 95-day training cruise around the world.  The purpose of the cruise is to equip the cadets with the “…necessary navigational skills and experience in safety and rescue, to cultivate their adaptability to a life at sea, to train them mentally for life on board ship and to foster in them an open-minded outlook on the world…” according to a press release.

On Friday, July 3, 2015, the Solar Impulse 2 made aviation history as the solar-powered plane — piloted by Mr. André Borschberg — landed safely at Kalaeloa Airport in Kapolei, Oah’u, Hawai’i.

Meanwhile, back in Monte-Carlo, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco along with dozens of Solar Impulse 2 support staff at the Monaco Mission Control Center erupted in cheers and hi-fives as they learned of the news.

The flight, which departed Nagoya, Japan, on Monday, June 29 took “…117 hours and 52 minutes [to fly over] the Pacific Ocean (a distance of 4,480 miles or 7,200 km), powered by 17,248 solar cells, fully charging its batteries each day to stay aloft at night…” writes the Associated Press. 

The Solar Impulse 2 will remain on the island of Oah’u until sometime next week.  Then, the solar-powered plane will fly to Phoenix, Arizona piloted by Mr. Bertrand Piccard.