Winter Olympics 2026: Prince Albert II presents One-Man Delegation Representing Monaco
Prince Albert II, President of the Monegasque Olympic Committee, presented the “small but mighty” delegation that will represent Monaco at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics on 22 January at the Yacht Club. Arnaud Alessandria will be the only Red and White representative and will also be Monaco’s flag bearer. The alpine skier will be competing in his third Olympic Games, after Sochi 2014 and Beijing 2022. The Monegasque obtained an impressive 13th place in the combined event at Beijing 2022, his best Olympic result.
Arnaud Alessandria, 32, will compete in the downhill on 7 February and the super-G on 11 February. Two other Monegasques, Davide Lewton-Brain (figure skating) and Boris Vain (bobsleigh, two-man bobsleigh) came very close to Olympic qualification.
Prince Albert II attends Golden Clown Gala at Monte-Carlo Circus Festival
The Princely Family attended the presentation of the prestigious Golden Clown Awards during a gala at the big top at Espace Fontvieille on 20 January, hosted by the 48th Monte-Carlo International Circus Festival. Prince Albert II, Princess Stephanie, Camille Gottlieb, and Louis and Marie Ducruet were also in attendance.
Before the presentation of the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Clowns, the 13th New Generation competition, aimed at young circus talents, took place. Competing artists demonstrated their spectacular talent before an enthusiastic audience surrounding the princely family. The evening concluded with the presentation of the coveted Clown awards.
Princely Family inaugurates Marie Ducruet’s “Little Wonders” Playground
Prince Albert II cut the ribbon in front of Little Wonders, a new indoor play area for children aged 0-7 created by Marie Ducruet and her partner, Élise Rouillard. Princess Stephanie, Camille Gotliebe and Marie’s husband, Louis Ducruet were also in attendance, as were their little ones, two-year-old Victoire and thirteen-month-old Constance. This was the first public appearance for Marie and Louis’s young children.
The new 230-square-metre space, decorated in soft pastel shades will officially open in early February. The new space houses a soft play area for babies up to 18 months and a multi-level play zone for children up to age 7 with slides, suspended walkways and climbing walls.
The space also includes a play garage, a play café, a vet clinic, a little fire station, a reading corner, a construction area, and a family café.
According to Marie Ducruet, the new business should fill a need in Monaco, which has plenty of outdoor activities, but not many quality indoor options for little ones when the weather isn’t cooperating.
Prince Albert II sends Condolences to King Felipe VI after Tragic Train accident in Spain
The Monegasque Sovereign expressed his solidarity with Spain after a train disaster near the city of Cordoba claimed the lives of at least 43 people. On 18 January 2026, at approximately 7:45 p.m., two high-speed trains collided at Adamuz. A train traveling from Málaga to Madrid derailed before hitting another train traveling in the opposite direction, from Madrid to Huelva. There were around 400 passengers and staff on the two trains.
In an official dispatch sent to King Felipe VI, Prince Albert II said: “Princess Charlene and I learned with deep emotion of the tragic train accident that occurred in the Cordoba region, causing so many deaths and injuries….My family and the Monegasque people join me in expressing our deep sorrow following this tragedy. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families and the injured.”
Prince Albert II participates in World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting
The Sovereign participated in the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos on 22 January. During the roundtable discussion entitled “Scaling Blue Finance for the Ocean Economy,” Prince Albert II joined leaders from the worlds of finance, politics, and industry.
Christine Lagarde, Ray Dalio, Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, Barbara Karuth-Zelle, Chavalit Frederick Tsao, and Sebastian Buckup participated alongside the Prince to discuss how to mobilize capital at scale in order to support a resilient, nature-friendly, and inclusive ocean economy. The discussion built on the momentum of the Blue Economy and Finance Forum and focused on the need for stronger cooperation between public and private actors, and economic models that recognize ocean health as the foundation for long-term stability and prosperity.
Prince Albert II joins in French Navy’s 400th Anniversary Celebrations
The Sovereign participated in part of the celebrations for the 400th anniversary of the French Navy on Friday 23 January in Monaco. Prince Albert II visited the French Navy’s tripartite mine-hunter “Capricorne,” commanded by Lieutenant Commander Aurélien Adde. The visit was made during its port call in the Principality. The Prince’s visit was said to “highlight the close and long-standing ties between Monaco and the French Navy in the Mediterranean”.
