Prince unveils bust of Monegasque WWII Hero and other princely news
On Thursday 22 April, Prince Albert unveiled the bust of Monegasque martyr and Resistant, René Borghini, during a tribute ceremony at the Grand Hemicycle of the National Council. The ceremony took place in the presence of many personalities including the Minister of State, the President of the National Council, the sculptor artist Denis Chetboune and Michèle Bertola, member of René Borghini’s family.
René Borghini was the head of the Resistance Combat movement group in Monaco, then secretary of the presidency of the Monaco National Council. René Borghini and Esther Poggio, his liaison officer, were arrested in Monaco in July 1944 and shot on 15 August 1944 in Nice, as was Joseph Lajoux, another Monegasque hero of the resistance. The bust of René Borghini will be placed at the entrance of the Grand Hémicycle.
Awards Ceremony for 1st Monaco ISO Photo Competition
The awards ceremony for the first Monegasque International Solidarity Organizations (ISO) photo competition took place on Friday 16 April in the presence of Prince Albert II, at His Private Car Collection.
19 photos taken by Monegasque ISOs who took part in the Photo Competition on the theme of “A Sustainable and United View” were displayed in an exhibition on the Terrasses de Fontvieille on 12 April. Passers-by were able to vote for their favourite photo for the Public Prize. In total, more than 2,700 votes were cast.
The Public Prize was won by Oasis for Peace for its photo entitled “A Solidarity and Peace Project at the FOAP Foundation in Colombia”. The Grand Jury’s Prize was awarded to AMREF for “Maria and her Suitcase can Change the History of a Generation of Women”. The Youth Prize, chosen by pupils from Monegasque schools, was won by the Monaco Humanitarian Collective (MCH) for “Shhh, life takes back its rights”.
Prince sends message of Friendship to Cherbourg
In a lovely letter addressed to the people of Cherbourg, Prince Albert, who is financing the restoration of the arch on the rue des Fossés, testifies to his feelings of friendship for the City. At the end of 2020, Prince Albert made a donation of 1,100 euros to the shopping association “Bienvenue rue des Fossés” to rehabilitate the wrought iron arch installed at the entrance to the street. Under restoration for almost a month, the arch will be back in downtown Cherbourg on Monday 26 April 2021.
In 1559, the King of France entrusted the government of Cherbourg to Jacques II de Matignon, who then passed it on to Prince Albert’s descendants due to the marriage, in 1715, of Jacques IV de Matignon and Princess Louise-Hyppolyte. In his letter, Prince Albert explains that since 2015 there has been a heritage, cultural and tourism promotion network which aims to bring together all the municipalities and local authorities who share a common past with the Principality.
Prince Albert’s Earth Day Message
In honour of Earth Day, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco called for a collective mobilization for the protection of the environment, hoping that humanity becomes fully aware that we are inextricably linked to the Earth.
“It is more necessary than ever before to take into account the needs of our planet, and I believe that this is the right time to do so,” the Prince said on social media, “Our priorities are now to protect ourselves in the long term, to take care of our health, but also the health of planet Earth, to understand that the two are connected and that we have no future, and that our children will have no future if we do not protect the environment that makes our life possible.”
Prince Albert awards Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Winner
On Sunday 18 April, Prince Albert II attended the final of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, accompanied by Mélanie-Antoinette de Massy, the Prince’s cousin and daughter of Elizabeth-Ann de Massy, who was President of the Monegasque Tennis Federation for many years. During the final, a photographic tribute was paid to Elizabeth-Ann de Massy, who passed away last year.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, from Greece, won his first Masters in the final against Andrey Rublev, from Russia: 6-3, 6-3. The 114th edition of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters was played behind closed doors due to the ongoing pandemic. Stefanos Tsitsipas is the first Greek tennis player to win the Monte-Carlo Tournament.
