President Emmanuel Macron is Welcomed to Monaco by the Princely Family

President Macron and Brigitte Macron’s much-anticipated visit to Monaco began when they were welcomed by Prince Albert II, Princess Charlene and their children on June 7 at 5:20pm on the Palace’s courtyard. Princess Gabriella presented Brigitte Macron with a bouquet of flowers before the national anthems were performed. A review of the troops then included the Prince’s carabinieri and Monaco’s firefighters. Several French and Monegasque ministers were among the personalities present in the courtyard for the formal ceremony.

Afterwards, the Sovereign received President Macron in a private audience while Princess Charlene gave Brigitte Macron a tour of the Palace gardens.

President Macron offered several gifts to the Sovereign, including a copy of Jules Verne’s Voyageurs du XIXe siècle (original Hetzel edition from 1880) with a rare blue binding. Prince Albert II also received a ceremonial gift: the naming of the “Albert II seamount”, which measures 1,958 meters, the number as the Sovereign’s date of birth. It is located in the Indian Ocean and was discovered by the French Navy’s Hydrographic Service.

Emmanuel Macron also presented the Prince with a “Rafa No. 5” racket. Only 92 copies exist. The racket was designed to celebrate Rafael Nadal’s career. The number 5 symbolically refers to 2005, the year of Prince Albert II’s enthronement and the first year that Rafael Nadal won the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters tennis tournament. (The athlete went on to win it 11 times!)

Then, the Prince presented the President with the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Charles, while Princess Charlene received the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (Prince Albert II already holds this distinction).

At around 7:30pm, shortly after leaving the Prince’s Palace and before returning for the state dinner organized in their honour, Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron walked through Monaco. First, they made a brief stop at the Hôtel Hermitage. Hand in hand, they greeted locals, strolled through the luxury boutiques of One Monte-Carlo. The couple then paused for a moment to exchange a few words with the Director of Monaco’s Public Security, Eric Arella, whose teams escorted the presidential couple and their bodyguards. Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron then wandered through the Jardins des Boulingrins, passing excited tourists as they crossed the Casino Square and the Promenade des Champions before returning to the Hôtel Hermitage. Stéphane Valeri, President of the SBM, then gave a tour of the Hôtel de Paris wine cellars, located beneath the Hôtel Hermitage, to the French President.

The Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF) kicked off at the Grimaldi Forum in the presence of Prince Albert II and closed in the presence of President Macron on June 7 and 8. The international event aims to foster financing and innovation for a sustainable, regenerative, and inclusive blue economy. The blue economy refers to all economic activities related to the ocean, seas, and coastal areas and has an estimated value of $2.5 trillion per year.

An official luncheon during the closing ceremony brought together Prince Albert II, President Macron and several heads of state and government, as well as representatives of royal families. Brazilian President Lula da Silva was among the guests.

Following the forum’s closing, Emmanuel Macron and Prince Albert II will travel to Nice for the launch of the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3). This major event will take place from June 9 to 13 and will address marine environmental challenges on a global scale.