First time in 40 years: Prince’s Carabinieri Change Command and other news

On Thursday 20 January, HSH Prince Albert II attended the Carabinieri’s change of command in the Cour d’Honneur of the Prince’s Palace. During the special ceremony, Lieutenant-Colonel Gilles Convertini left command and Commander Martial Pied took command under the orders of Colonel Tony Varo, Senior Police Commander. All to the rhythm of the Prince’s Carabinieri Orchestra.

Gilles Convertini joined the Prince’s Carabinieri Corps in 1984 at the age of 22. For four decades, he rose through the ranks to become Chief of Corps in 2017. After 38 years spent in the Compagnie des Carabiniers, where he served Prince Rainier III and HSH Prince Albert II, Lieutenant-Colonel Gilles Convertini left his position at the head of the institution. Commander Martial Pied began his career in the French army in 1994 at the special military school in Saint-Cyr. After several experiences in the fields of maintenance, security, the fight against terrorism and event management in the French army, he joined the Carabinieri in 2017 as Deputy to the Commander. The celebration took place on Saint Sebastian Day, patron saint of the Prince’s Carabinieri.

Monaco’s Beijing Winter Olympic Athletes presented by Prince Albert II

On Tuesday 18 January at the Yacht Club, Prince Albert II, President of the Monegasque Olympic Committee, presented the Monegasque delegation which will be participating in the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

Three athletes will represent Monaco in the Chinese capital, the first city to host a Winter Games after having hosted the Summer Olympics. Arnaud Alessandria has been named flag bearer and will be involved in several alpine skiing events. Rudy Rinaldi and Boris Vain will compete together in two-man bobsleigh. Beijing 2022 will take place from 4 to 20 February.

Six Star Medal given to Prince Albert II by Pascal Camia

The Six Star Medal was handed to Prince Albert II by Pascal Camia during the official presentation of the Monegasque Olympic delegation, which will be taking part in the 24th Winter Games in Beijing in February.

Pascal Camia is a former bobsled Olympian and a seasoned marathon runner, having completed six world marathons including the extremely difficult World Marathon Majors. The athlete recently raised 42,195 euros (an amount symbolically representing the distance in metres of a marathon) for the Monaco Collectif Humanitaire. All of his sporting success enabled Pascal Camia to be awarded with the Six Star Medal, which he graciously offered to the Sovereign.

Prince Albert II Inaugurates New Women’s Health Technology at CHPG

A state-of-the-art instrument, the Sonalleve HIFU, was recently inaugurated by Prince Albert II at the Princess Grace Hospital. The innovative machine removes uterine fibroids non-invasively, using a high-energy focused ultrasound. No need for x-rays, surgery, incisions, scars or general anesthesia, and it does not harm the uterus.

Uterine fibroids occur in 35% of women over 35 and almost half of women over the age of 50. In about a third of cases, they can cause discomfort, severe pain, bleeding or heavy periods. The new procedure takes between two to four hours and is performed in the MRI department by doctors Mathieu Liberatore and Jean-Michel Cucchi. To date, six patients have already been treated using the Sonalleve HIFU.

First Meeting of Prince’s New Cabinet

On Monday 17 January, Prince Albert II chaired the first meeting of his new Cabinet, now headed by Laurent Anselmi, at the Prince’s Palace. The Prince’s Cabinet is made up of two Councillors: Sophie Vatrican, in charge of financial and budgetary matters as well as culture and education. Isabelle Costa is responsible for European issues, as well as the health and social sector. Guillaume Pastor, Chargé de Mission, is responsible for dealing with relations with the Prince’s Government and supervising the Department of Equipment, Environment and Town Planning. And finally, Julie Donati will assist the Chief of Cabinet on matters of External Relations and Internal Security.