On Monday, July 4, 2022, Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco visited the Maternity Ward at the Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grace in Monte-Carlo.
Accompanying Princess Charlene this afternoon was the General Secretary of the Monaco Red Cross, Mr. Frédéric Platini and a representative of the Board of Directors of the Monaco Red Cross, Dr. Mathieu Liberatore.
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.
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 the afternoon of Wednesday, June 22, 2022, Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco accompanied by their two children His Serene Highness Hereditary Prince Jacques of Monaco and Her Serene Highness Princess Gabriella of Monaco along with His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway attended the opening of the exhibition entitled, Sailing the Sea of Science: Scientist and Explorer. Prince Albert I and the Early Norwegian Exploration of Svalbard, at the Frammuseet (Fram Museum) in Oslo.
The exhibition tells the story of the late Prince Albert I of Monaco and his four scientific expeditions around Svalbard and the Arctic Archipelago aboard his yacht, Princess Alice. According to the periodical, Polar Record, Prince Albert I:
“…from an early age evinced a strong fascination for the polar regions. But it was only after 1898 that he was able to mount four scientific cruises to Svalbard. The first cruise was an oceanographical and zoological reconnaissance, aimed mainly at adding to the collections of the Musée Océanographique de Monaco, the construction of which had just started.
In 1899, the focus was on the hydrography and topography of Raudfjorden, of which a map was published. In 1906, meteorology was added to the range of observations and surveys were pursued. The Prince also provided support for two other expeditions, that of the Norwegian, Gunnar Isachsen, to northwestern Spitsbergen, and that of the Scotsman, William Bruce, to Prins Karls Forland.
The Prince’s expedition in 1907 was aimed at completing the results from the previous summer. Prince Albert also lent his support, either financially, or through gifts or loans of oceanographic instruments, to numerous Arctic and Antarctic explorers. Finally, he showed a keen interest in environmental protection, especially in Svalbard.”
Sailing the Sea of Science: Scientist and Explorer. Prince Albert I and the Early Norwegian Exploration of Svalbard is organized in cooperation with the Frammuseet with the contribution of the Palais Princier de Monaco Archives, the Musée Océanographique de Monaco and the Albert I Committee.
The exhibition will be open to the public from June 23 – August 31, 2022.
Prior to the opening, the princely family attended a private luncheon at Bygdø Kongsgård (royal estate) hosted by Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway. Other royal guests in attendance included Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway and Her Highness Princess Martha Louise of Norway.
Tomorrow, the princely family will make a private visit to Longyearbyen on the island of Spitsbergen as well as visit tour parts of the Svalbard archipelago. The purpose of the private visit is to retrace the steps of Prince Albert II’s great-great-great-grandfather, Prince Albert I, on the 100th anniversary of his death on June 26, 2022.
Earlier this week, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco hiked around the Haute-Garonne region of France as part of the commemorations of the Centenary of the disappearance of His Serene Highness Prince Albert I of Monaco.
On the evening of Friday, June 17, 2022, Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco attended the 61st Edition of the Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo held at the Grimaldi Forum in Larvotto, Monaco.
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 the morning of Sunday, June 5, 2022, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco accompanied by His Serene Highness Hereditary Prince Jacques, Her Serene Highness Princess Gabriella of Monaco, and Mr. Gaerth Wittstock attended the 2022 Riviera Water Bike Challenge in the port of Monaco.
Organized by the Fondation Princesse Charlene de Monaco, the 2022 Riviera Water Bike Challenge forms teams of 5 for a race in the port of Monaco to raise funds for drowning prevention. These funds will finance the “Swim for Safety” project in Sri Lanka, to teach swimming and water safety to disadvantaged children.
This water bike race will see teams compete in relay over 23 laps, on a course of around 25 kilometers.
On Saturday, June 4, 2022, the Palais Princier de Monaco announced that Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco has tested positive for COVID-19.
At this time, the princess displays a few mild symptoms and her state of health gives no cause for concern. In accordance with Monaco’s health regulations, Princess Charlene will be in isolation for several days.
