On December 2, 2011, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco attended the opening of the 2011 MonacoPhil Stamp Show held at three venues in Terrasses de Fontvieille.

According to a press release regarding this three-day event:

The Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies will display a selection of one hundred exceptional philatelic rarities from internationally renowned collections, including those of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, ten national postal museums and members of the Club de Monte-Carlo.

The Monaco Top Cars Collection will show exceptional items, some of them for the very first time, on the theme ‘The United Kingdom and its colonies’. Visitors can admire philatelic gems from the collections of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the Royal Philatelic Society London.

A stamp fair in the Salle du Canton, will feature 80 stands operated by postal administrations and well-known international stamp dealers; giving both collectors and the general public a chance not only to find out about the latest philatelic novelties, but also to enjoy classic stamps from all over the world.

On 2 December, the Office des Emissions de Timbres-Poste will issue a special commemorative sheet featuring a photograph of the marriage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco to Charlène Wittstock. As an exclusive offer to MonacoPhil, a limited, numbered edition of this sheet and its non-perforated version will be sold in a presentation pack.

This evening, at a gala dinner, Prince Albert II received the 2011 ASCAT Grand Prix Award, for his avid support of “…philately and stamp collecting…”

To learn more about the 2011 MonacoPhil please click here.

Sources: ASCAT and MonacoPhil

Monaco Princely Family

T.S.H.s Prince Albert II, Princess Charlene and Princess Stephanie of Monaco Attend an Auction

December 2, 2011 Alexandra

On December 1, 2011, T.S.H.s Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene along with H.S.H. Princess Stephanie of Monaco participated in an auction, held at the Méridien Beach Plaza, to raise money for Fight AIDS Monaco.

During this year’s auction raised over 462,000 Euros from the sale of 50 art pieces sold including photographs, paintings and sculptures. To learn more about Princess Stephanie’s personal charity, Fight AIDS Monaco, please click here.

To view photos please click here.

Sources and photo courtesy of: Palais Princier de Monaco and Nice Matin.

British Royals

H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh Visit Liverpool, England (VIDEO)

December 1, 2011 Alexandra

On December 1, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh made a one-day official visit to Liverpool, England.

During their tour the royal couple visited the new Museum of Liverpool and stopped by the “…Floral Pavillion where Her Majesty watched a short performance by students of St. Mary’s College, New Brighton, Wirral…”

To view photos please click the links below:

Gallery One
Gallery Two

Source: The British Monarchy

Photo courtesy of: Daylife/C.Furlong

Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg

H.R.H.Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg Attends a Gala Dinner

December 1, 2011 Alexandra

H.R.H. Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg attended the International Chamber of Commerce gala dinner on November 29, 2011. During the event, held at the Kirchberg Conference Center, the heir to the grand-ducal throne gave a speech. To view a photo please click here.

Tomorrow, Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume will attend an academic session organized on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Ducroire.

Source: Cour Grand-Ducale de Luxembourg

Belgian Royals

H.R.H. Prince Philippe of Belgium Attends the Internationale de la Chimie 2011

December 1, 2011 Alexandra

On December 1, 2011, H.R.H. Prince Philippe of Belgium attended the closing ceremony of the Internationale de la Chimie 2011 (International Year of Chemistry 2011) in Brussels.

The year 2011 was declared the International Year of Chemistry by the United Nations to mark the centenary of the Nobel Prize for Marie Curie. Tonight’s closing ceremony coincides without he 100th anniversary of the first Solvay Physics Council, which is also being celebrated this year in Brussels.

Source: La Monarchie Belge

Monaco Princely Family

T.S.H.s Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene along with H.S.H. Princess Stephanie of Monaco Attend the ‘Nuit des Associations’

December 1, 2011 Alexandra 1 Comment

On November 30, 2011, T.S.H.s Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene along with H.S.H. Princess Stephanie of Monaco attended the Nuit des Associations (Night of Associations) event held at the Salle des Etoiles du Sporting Club in Monaco.

The purpose of the gathering is to “…highlight the exceptional involvement of volunteers of different associations represented at the event.”

To learn more about Nuit des Associations as well as H.S.H. Prince Albert II’s patronage, Jackpot du Coeur (a charity launched last year during the Nuit des Associations) please click the links below:

Nuit des Associations
Jackpot du Coeur

To view photos please click here.

Spanish Royals

Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain Attends the 2011 Gold Medal Gala in New York City

November 30, 2011 Alexandra

On November 29, 2011, Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain was in New York City to attend the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute 2011 Gold Medal Gala where she presented Ferran Adria, Javier Bardem, Mario Testino, and Ken Chennault with, well, the Gold Medal. Also, during the ceremony, Queen Sofia presented the Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit to the chairman of the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute, Mr. Oscar de la Renta. Per the royal house of Spain:

Queen Sofia was accompanied to the gala by the U.S. ambassador to Spain, Jorge Dezcallar, and the president, the chairman and vice-chairman of the Institute, Inmaculada Habsburg, Oscar de la Renta, Valentin Fuster and former U.S. President Bill Clinton, among others.

The ‘Queen Sofia Spanish Institute’ was created in 1954 to promote Spanish culture in the United States through conferences, exhibitions, symposiums, meetings and teaching Spanish.

Prior to the gala event, Queen Sofia visited the headquarters of the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute to view the exhibition ‘Joaquín Sorolla and the Glory of Spanish Dress’ which aims to analyze the history of Spanish regional costumes through the works of Valencian, artist Joaquín Sorolla.

This exhibition was conceived and promoted by Oscar de la Renta, chairman of the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute. The exhibition, in collaboration of the Spanish Ministry of Culture, includes dresses and pieces never exhibited in the United States, as prominent parts of the Museum of Costume, and works of Sorolla Museum in Madrid as well as a selection of Spanish designer clothes today. The coordinator of the exhibition is André Leon Talley, editor of the monthly column, ‘Life with André’ featured in Vogue magazine.

To view photos please click here.