Grimaldi Days

It has been 'all hands on deck' for Monaco at the 35th International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo. Princely fiance Charlene Wittstock was just on hand with HSH Prince Albert II for the awards ceremony at the Big Top in Fontvieille.

HSH Princess Stephanie of Monaco was, of course, also attending as was daughter Pauline Ducruet. Also close at hand were Grimaldi cousins Keith Sebastian Knecht and Laetitia de Massy Brouwer. Over the past week Pierre Casiraghi and long-time girlfriend Beatrice Borromeo appeared on the scene, with Beatrice starting to look more like just another girlfriend these days. Pierre's uncle Marco Casiraghi was also spotted as was little Princess Alexandra of Hanover but none of these returned for the awards ceremony.

Princess Caroline was not to be seen, but that is no surprise. The circus has always been more the domain of Princess Stephanie and, in any event, Princess Caroline had other business to attend to. On Thursday she was in Brussels for a charity luncheon organized by her foundation AMADE to raise money for orphans in Burundi. Several members of the Belgian Royal Family also attended the event (Burundi was formerly a Belgian colony) and announced their own support for the project "AMADE Burundi" which was launched by Princess Caroline in cooperation with sister Stephanie's charity Fight AIDS Monaco. Charlotte Casiraghi also commanded a great deal of attention when she appeared a couple days ago sitting with Kate Moss at a lingerie fashion show by Etam at Paris Fashion Week.

Family fun at the circus, helping the less fortunate and high society glamor all in the week or so, which pretty well sums up the Princely Family of Monaco and what they do.