Prince Albert II makes Historic Trip to Italy
The Sovereign travelled to the Piedmont and Liguria regions of Italy on Friday 30 January and Saturday 31 January. Prince Albert II was welcomed to the town of Ceva by Mayor Fabio Montinelli, local authorities, and residents. The visit continued at the Teatro Marenco, where the Prince unveiled a plaque officially welcoming Ceva to the Grimaldi Historic Sites of Monaco network.
The ties between the Grimaldi family and the town of Ceva date back to the 16th century. In 1503, Sestarine Grimaldi, daughter of Lord Lambert of Monaco, married Charles Garessio, Marquis of Ceva. In 1528, in Genoa, the Ceva family joined the Grimaldi family and adopted the surname Ceva-Grimaldi.
The Prince then visited Millesimo, where he was welcomed by Mayor Francesco Garofano. After crossing the Ponte della Gaietta, Prince Albert II visited the Napoleonic Museum. At the Town Hall, the Prince unveiled a Grimaldi Network plaque in the presence of the public.
From the 13th to the 15th centuries, several generations of Grimaldi—from Lanfranco to Catalan, including Rainier II—married women from the Del Carretto family, who controlled the municipality of Millesimo. These family connections make the Del Carretto family of Millesimo direct ancestors of Prince Albert II.
Prince Albert II cheers on Team Monaco in Saudi Arabia during E1 World Championship
The Sovereign attended the opening round of the 2026 UIM E1 World Championship, the all-electric powerboat racing series, at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia on Saturday 24 January 2026
“For me it made perfect sense to be part of this great adventure. We have been supportive of the E1 series over the years and we have finally been able to put a team together. We’ll try and be competitive and achieve the best results possible in the championship. More importantly if we can help to be ambassadors of sustainability and care for our global ocean we will have achieved something great,” said Prince Albert II.
Princess Alexandra and Charlotte Casiraghi attend Paris Fashion Week
Half-sisters, Alexandra of Hanover and Charlotte Casiraghi, attended shows during the Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week. Princess Alexandra attended the Schiaparelli show on 26 January at the Petit Palais, while wearing an outfit by Tod’s. The next day, she met up with her half-sister, Charlotte Casiraghi, for the Chanel show at the Grand Palais. The haute couture collection was designed by Matthieu Blazy, Chanel’s new creative director.
Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella set the Saint Devote Boat on Fire
The Princely twins honoured Monaco’s patron saint by setting fire to a boat alongside their parents, on the Quai Albert Ier on 26 January. The Princely Family presided over the centuries-old festivities, which began with the arrival of the Saint Devote relics. The procession then proceeded to the Church of Saint Devote, where the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament was celebrated in the presence of Prince Albert II, Princess Charlene, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.
Happy 48th Birthday Princess Charlene!
To celebrate Princess Charlene’s 48th birthday, the Prince’s Palace of Monaco released a new official portrait photo of the Princess on 25 January 2026, captioned “A very Happy Birthday to HSH Princess Charlene”. The portrait was taken by photographer Eric Mathon.
Princess Charlene has been especially active over the past year, with her continued focus on water safety and children’s education through her Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. Princess Charlene was born on 25 January 1978, in Bulawayo.
Charlotte Casiraghi and her Former Mother-in-law attend Chanel Show
Charlotte Casiraghi attended the Chanel fashion show at the Grand Palais with Carole Bouquet, actress and mother of her ex-husband Dimitri Rassam, on 27 January. The daughter of Princess Caroline of Hanover reunited with her former mother-in-law in the front row. Despite her divorce from Dimitri Rassam, Charlotte still appeared to be very close to Carole Bouquet, as they greeted each other warmly and wore complementary black and white outfits. Charlotte Casiraghi is an ambassador for Chanel.
Louis Ducruet’s victory at the Fight Aids Cup
Princess Stephanie, Pauline Ducruet and Camille Gottlieb watched Louis Ducruet participate in the Fight Aids charity football match on 24 January at the Louis-II stadium. 33-year-old Louis Ducruet is president of the Barbagiuans team, which is sponsored by Prince Albert II. Prince Albert II’s Barbagiuans faced Princess Stephanie’s Cirque FC. Each team was made up of Monegasque and international personalities, professional footballers, and former football stars. Robert Pirès, Eden Hazard, Charles Leclerc, Clarence Seedorf, Ludovic Giuly, and Christian Karembeu played during the match. Prince Albert II usually attends the match, but was in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Louis Ducruet and his team won the cup and Princess Stephanie, who was officially supporting Cirque FC, couldn’t hide how proud she was of her son.
