You don’t expect a story about British life in Monaco to begin with a minute book. And yet that is exactly where Yvonne Bernhardt, President of the British Association of Monaco, begins. Not with glamour, not with Grand Prix engines echoing through the streets, but with a handwritten record from 1935, the year the British Association of Monaco (BAM) was created. A book she keeps at home. A book that quietly explains what BAM truly is.
“It was created in 1935,” Yvonne says simply, “to bring English people together.” Then there was a later stage where BAM began offering assistance and welfare; and that today is one of BAM’s really strong points. Ninety years later, that purpose remains intact, even as Monaco, and the British community within it, has changed beyond recognition.
Christmas in Monaco @ BAM
A building with a British story
We meet in a building that carries its own British imprint. The Barclay brothers, renowned British collectors and long-standing Monaco benefactors, helped make these premises available as a home for the foreign residents’ community (CREM). Known for serious art collections, their contribution here is more understated: a place to gather, to connect, to belong. It is a fitting setting for a conversation about BAM, because BAM has always worked quietly.
Yvonne is like that too. Warm, generous-hearted, and discreet. The kind of woman who makes hospital visits without announcing them, who checks in on people when they need help, and then moves on, without fuss. She watches, listens and learns like a little bird on a fence.
Because Monaco, as she gently reminds you, is not only yachts and headlines. “People think Monaco is all rich and famous,” she says. “No, it’s not.”
Admirals, titles, and the very first meeting
BAM’s early days sound almost theatrical now. Founded by an Englishman, the Association’s first committee included men with imposing titles, Admirals, Senior officers, figures linked to Monaco’s maritime and hydrographic world. Their first meetings were held near the port at the International Hydrographic Organization, in a Monaco that would be barely recognisable today. And yet BAM’s purpose was simple then, and remains simple now: connection.
Yvonne smiles as she explains that she owns the minute book from that very first meeting. The earliest pages are handwritten; later ones typed. It is a small detail, but a telling one, reflecting Monaco’s own evolution from formality to modernity, while holding fast to its identity.
Ninety years later, a celebration rooted in memory
In October last year, BAM reached a remarkable milestone: 90 years. With membership at over 250, a full-scale anniversary celebration would have been difficult. Practical limits meant choices had to be made. Yvonne opted after discussion with her committee for a celebration including: past Presidents, past Committee Members, past Patrons, those who had truly given their time and assistance, the living memory of the Association. The location was to be in the library of the still existing International Hydrographic Organization on the Port of Monaco.
And then she did something inspired. Rather than speeches, she proposed a re-enactment of BAM’s first meeting. A past devoted Admin Secretary played the role of minute-taker. Yvonne stood at the lectern, the original minute book open, guiding everyone through what had been written in 1935. It was charming. It was funny. And it was quietly powerful.
Yes, and there was a beautiful celebratory cake, made, as always, by the same trusted pâtissier Jean. There was champagne with their own personalized labels. But the heart of the evening was continuity.
The work no one sees
BAM is often recognised for its social life, and rightly so. Drinks evenings, lunches, cinema afternoons, exhibition visits, a calendar that gives structure and warmth to life abroad. These events matter because they draw people in, especially those newly arrived, discovering that even paradise can feel lonely. But loneliness of course rightly disappears during the big celebration for Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday on 21 April 2026 … a very special occasion indeed with toasts and evening drinks when all glasses are raised.
But the work that defines BAM’s soul happens away from the spotlight. Yvonne leads the team on the community support side of the Association. That means hospital visits, visits to older residents, support that extends beyond Monaco itself into neighbouring towns. It means being present when people are vulnerable, sometimes frightened, sometimes isolated, sometimes simply in need of a familiar voice.
This is not glamorous work. It is human work. And it is carried out almost entirely by volunteers. “People don’t realise how much help is needed,” Yvonne says. “But we’re there.”
“We’ve got another wave of life now”
Monaco is changing, and BAM is changing with it. Yvonne has noticed what many residents sense: more English voices in cafés, more British accents drifting through the city, particularly in summer. Since autumn last year, BAM has welcomed a steady flow of new members.
More importantly, they are younger. There was a time, she admits with a laugh, when BAM had a reputation for being a Club of older people. Now, she says, it has found “another wave of life.” Younger members bring fresh energy, new ideas, and, crucially, continuity. Because associations like BAM only survive if each generation takes the baton.
One misconception Yvonne is quick to correct: BAM is not a closed British enclave. “Anyone who speaks English can join,” she says. Members come from many nationalities. Her own French husband is a BAM member. What matters is not a passport, but participation, and a willingness to engage in community life.
Royal moments and familiar rituals
BAM’s year follows a recognisably British rhythm. What was once the Queen’s Birthday Party is now the King’s Birthday celebration. The Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was marked with particular care, and Yvonne keeps letters received in response after BAM sent tributes to both the Palace and to Prince Albert’s office.
But the relationship is not only one of correspondence. Yvonne notes that Prince Albert II has shown his support in person, attending certain BAM events over the years, moments that carry real significance for members. His presence is never treated as ceremonial box-ticking, but as a genuine acknowledgement of the role associations like BAM play in Monaco’s social fabric. “If it’s something special, we always send him our greetings,” Yvonne explains, “and we always receive a very kind response.”
These gestures, written and personal, anchor people emotionally. They make life abroad feel less like distance and more like extension, reinforcing the sense that BAM is not a separate enclave, but part of Monaco’s wider civic life.
And then there are the smaller rituals such as International Women’s Day lunches, Burns Night, seasonal gatherings. The monthly newsletter Yvonne helps produce, emailed to most, posted by hand to older members who still prefer paper. BAM does not feel alive by accident. It is sustained, month by month.
Trifle, mince pies … and the Christmas rescue mission
No British association survives without food. And BAM excels. If the closure of Marks & Spencer in Nice still stings, BAM has stepped in. At the Christmas kermesse, there are homemade jams, marmalade, Christmas cakes, and mince pies, neatly boxed and disappearing fast. Yvonne herself is known to make a killer trifle. Homesickness does not stand a chance.
Grand Prix loyalties — and a perfect Monaco contradiction
Then there is Formula 1TM. Here, Yvonne becomes a perfect Monaco contradiction. Yes, British drivers have dominated Monaco’s Grand PrixTM history. Who knows, somewhere deep inside there may be a tiny Union Jack with “Go Lewis” written on it.
But when Charles Leclerc is racing? Yvonne switches colours without hesitation. “That’s our boy,” she exclaims, watching races from home now, avoiding the noise and chaos of the streets, but fully invested.
It is entirely possible the Union Jack remains discreetly hidden behind her back as she cheers on George Russell also! Monaco allows this kind of dual loyalty. It almost expects it.
Patrons, partners… and quiet generosity
BAM is run by volunteers, but strengthened by its Patrons and supporters, schools, professional firms, and community institutions. One name stands out in the British-Monaco landscape: Sir Stelios, whom Yvonne describes as extremely generous, supporting BAM with donations and making venues available for events, including the King’s Birthday celebrations.
Behind every Patron, however, is administration, and behind that administration is a committee of eight volunteers who meet monthly, plan relentlessly, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
A hug, not a headline
As the conversation draws to a close, one thing becomes clear: BAM does not chase attention. It doesn’t need to. It is there when someone arrives in Monaco and feels lost. It is there when someone is unwell. It is there for celebration, remembrance, laughter, and sometimes for quiet support that no one else sees.
BAM will give you a big hug when you join — further information: bam@monaco.mc
And if you are fortunate enough to be reading this in time, please contact BAM for the big social occasion, the celebration for Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday on 21 April 2026.
All the photos are kindly provided by BAM.
