Portrait courtesy of Vanessa von Zitzewitz/Palais Princier de Monaco
In Monaco-Ville, the Palais Princier de Monaco has released the official 2025 Christmas card portrait of Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene, together with His Serene Highness Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco and Her Serene Highness Princess Gabriella of Monaco, and the family’s dog, Harley.
The photograph was taken in the private family room of the Palais Princier by Monaco-based, German-born photographer, Ms. Vanessa von Zitzewitz.
On Wednesday, December 10th, 2025, Hereditary Prince Jacques, Marquis des Baux, and Princess Gabriella, Comtesse de Carlades, will celebrate their 11th birthdays.
On Friday, July 1, 2022, the Palais Princier de Monaco released a new photo of Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco on the occasion of their 11th wedding anniversary.
The image, photographed by Mr. Eric Mathon, was taken in the back garden of the Palais.
On Wednesday, June 23, 2010, the Palais Princier de Monaco announced the engagement of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II and Miss Charlene Lynette Wittstock, an Olympian swimmer from South Africa.
On July 1, 2011, at 5 P.M. the couple were civilly married in the Throne Room at the Palais Princier. The two witnesses were Mrs. Donatella Knecht de Massy and Mr. Chris Levine (Prince Albert II’s first cousin) with Mr. Philippe Narmino conducting the civil marriage.
After the civil ceremony, the princely waved to the crowds from the balcony of the Salon des Glaces at the Palais Princier. After a reception on the Place du Palais Princier with hundreds of Monégasques and government officials, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene attended a private cocktail reception for friends and family at the Hermitage hotel in Monte-Carlo.
Later in the evening, the princely couple along with hundreds of people from around the world arrived at Port Hercule in Monte-Carlo to attend a concert by French artist, Jean-Michel Jarre, in honor of the princely wedding.
The couple were married in a religious ceremony held in the courtyard of the Palais Princier de Monaco on July 2, 2011. Guests in attendance included Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Their Royal Highnesses The Earl and Countess of Wessex, Their Royal Highnesses Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, His Royal Highness Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, Her Royal Highness Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Their Royal Highnesses Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium, Duke and Duchess of Brabant (now Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians), Their Royal Highnesses Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark, Their Imperial and Royal Highnesses Prince Georg Friedrich and Princesss Sophie of Prussia, The Duke and Duchess of Vendôme, The Duke and Duchess of Castro (Bourbon-Two Sicilies), and a then Their Royal Highnesses Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima of Oranje (not Orange) to name a few.
The 2010 engagement photo of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco and a then Miss Charlene Lynette Wittstock
By the way, I love that the couple used the same colors and background tones in their 2010 engagement photo; moreover, the image was taken not too far from where their princely couple’s engagement photo was taken twelve years ago. 🙂
On Tuesday, June 28, 2022, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco gave a speech during the United Nations Ocean Conference side-event entitled, Polar Oceans: Engine to the Global Ocean.
On the early evening of June 29, 2022, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco arrived in Oran, Alergia for a two-day visit to attend the 19th Edition of the Mediterranean Games.
Upon his arrival at the Ahmed Ben Bella International Airport in Oran, the sovereign prince was warmly welcomed by the Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, Mr. Ramtane Lamamra, who wished him on behalf of the President of the Republic of Algeria, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune. He also wish Prince Albert II a pleasant stay in El Bahia.
In turn, Prince Albert II expressed his warmest gratitude to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune for this kind invitation. The sovereign prince also congratulated Algeria, people and government, for the excellent organization and the great success of the 19th Edition of the Mediterranean Games.
On the afternoon of Thursday, June 16, 2022, Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco accompanied by their daughter, Her Serene Highness Princess Gabriella of Monaco, watched the Fête-Dieu procession from the balcony at the Palais Princier de Monaco in Monaco-Ville.
The Fête-Dieu, aka Corpus Christi or Corpus Domini, is known as the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. This feast day is celebrated on the Thursday following Holy Trinity, sixty days after Easter, as a reminder of the Institution of the Eucharist which takes place on Holy Thursday of Holy Week. It commemorates the real presence of Jesus Christ in the bread and wine that is traditionally consecrated during the Mass.
On this special day dedicated to the Ocean, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco reminds us of the key issues facing the world’s Ocean and the major meetings that lie ahead, such as the Lisbon Conference (end of June 2022) and COP 15, which will enable the Ocean to be placed at the heart of collective negotiations regarding our future.
“The various deadlines ahead of us must be an opportunity to provide responses adapted to the scale and complexity of the oceans and, above all, must be an opportunity to bring together skills, wills and approaches so that we can collectively respond to the immense challenges facing us. I hope that this day will help us to move forward, so that together we can reconcile humanity and the sea around a more sustainable development model.”
On Wednesday, June 8, 2022, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco was presented with the very last replica of the Aston Martin DB5 driven by James Bond 007 in the film, Goldfinger, in 1964 at the Palais Princier de Monaco.
The replica car will go on sale at the Top Marques Show, which opens this evening, in Monte-Carlo. The asking price for the Aston Martin DB5 is 3 million Euros. Prince Albert II is Patron of the Top Marques Show.
The Royal Correspondent 