Princess Grace Statue unveiled by Prince Albert II in Ireland and other news
Prince Albert II unveiled a statue of his mother, Princess Grace, on Thursday 16 March in Newport, Ireland. The unveiling took place in the presence of his cousin, JB Kelly, members of the Kelly family and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Ireland.
The Sovereign Prince was personally involved in the project and chose the image which inspired the sculpture, created by artist Mark Rode.The town of Newport wished to pay tribute to the Princess because the Kelly family are from Drumilra, located just outside the town.
Princely Twins attend St. Patrick’s Day Concert
Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques attended a St. Patrick’s Day concert with their father, Prince Albert II. Students from the Prince Rainier III Academy of Music and Theatre gave a special concert at the Princess Grace Irish Library on 17 March. On the program was music by Irish composers and traditional Irish tunes. Prince Rainier III inaugurated the Princess Grace Irish Library in 1984 as a tribute to his wife’s Irish heritage.
Happy 65th Birthday Prince Albert II!
HSH Prince Albert II celebrated his 65th birthday on 14 March. At noon, during the Changing of the Guard on the Place du Palais, the Carabinieri Orchestra wished him a happy birthday with a musical performance.
The Sovereign Prince then had lunch with his family, Princess Charlene, Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella. In the evening, the princely children invited their parents to a theatrical performance entitled “La sorcière du placard aux balais” (“The Witch in the Broom Closet”) which was created especially for the Prince’s birthday. The play was directed and performed by Anthéa Sogno and her troupe of actors.
Tour de France route unveiled in presence of Prince Albert II
The route for the last stage of the Tour de France 2024 was unveiled at the Opéra de Nice in the presence of the Sovereign Prince and Mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi. Because of the Olympics, the final stages of the race have been relocated from Paris to Monaco and Nice. A historic announcement, because the Tour de France has ended in Paris every year since 1904!
On 21 July, the final cyclists will depart from Port Hercule for the final stage of the Tour de France. From there, competitors will bike in the direction of Larvotto before heading towards the Place du Casino, then Beausoleil, La Turbie, the Col d’Eze and Villefranche-sur-Mer. The race will end in Nice at Place Masséna: a 35 kilometre trek.
Princess Caroline Welcomes “walker with a big heart” into Monaco
Jean-Marie Van Butsele, 73 years old, left Belgium on foot on 11 February and was welcomed into Monaco by the Princess of Hanover, Charlotte Casiraghi and Eliot Matazo, footballer for AS Monaco who is originally from Belgium. He walked into the headquarters of the Monegasque association Jeune J’écoute after walking 1,100 km over 31 days.
“The walker with a big heart” has been raising money for various charities for the last 20 years, after retiring from the Belgian Federal police. Last year, he walked from Brussels to Bilbao, Spain. Last month, he set off from Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium and walked to the Principality for the benefit of both the Fondation Bâtisseurs d’Etoiles in Belgium and Jeune J’écoute in Monaco.
