Caroline Doing What Royals Do

On Friday HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover was in Nice, France in her role as President of the Princess Grace Foundation for the formal inauguration of a new psychiatric medical center for children, the 'Costanzo Center'. The Princess was joined by Christian Estrosi, mayor of Nice, and Eric Ciotti the President of the Alpes Maritimes General Council. The Princess Grace Foundation was a primary financial contributer to the Lenval Foundation which was in charge of the establishment of the new medical center. I am extremely proud that Princess Caroline and the Princess Grace Foundation she manages undertook this. Mental health issues are certainly some of, if not the, most neglected aspects of modern medical science and, maybe it's just me, but it seems like more and more children are falling victim as well. Psychiatric problems have been on the rise in a big way in recent years and I am always glad to see something done to help in that area and to see royals drawing attention to such an important subject.

Ever the Sport Lover

In the Ardèche region of France at the 100th anniversary of the Rallye Monte-Carlo on the 21st, HSH Prince Albert II congratulates the winners; Bryan Bouffier and his co-driver Xavier Panseri, on their victory. The Sovereign Prince has himself participated in this race quite a number of times in his youth and despite no longer being part of the world championships the Prince said it is still a very important event on the sporting calendar of Monaco. Look, up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane...

And this last Friday the Sovereign Prince was in St Moritz, Switzerland where he competed in the Bobsleigh Monaco Historic race at the Olympia Run, which must have been quite a familiar feeling for Albert II.

Honoring Saint Devote

HSH Prince Albert II, joined by fiance Charlene Wittstock, sets fire to a boat to be cast out to sea in the traditional ceremony closing the days festivities honoring St Devote, patron of Monaco and the House of Grimaldi. This particular tradition dates back to 1924 when first performed by Prince Louis II (Albert's great-grandfather). The event commemorates the theft of the relics of St Devote with the robber trying to escape by boat only to be captured by local fishermen and brought back to shore. His boat was then burned as an offering. HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover was also present for the festivities, making it a much more 'family affair' than was the case last year.

Charlene Celebrates St Devote

Showing again how Charlene is becoming more and more an official member of the family in the lead-up to their wedding, today Charlene joined in the official celebrations marking the feast of St Devote, patron saint of Monaco and special protector of the Princely Family. Dressing very traditionally (good to see) Charlene joined her Prince at St Nicholas Cathedral for mass. It was expected the couple would marry in this cathedral as Rainier III and Grace did but it was announced they would instead have an outdoor wedding at the palace. Armani has also said he will be designing the wedding gown. In any event, it is good to see Charlene taking part in the traditional life of Monaco and becoming more involved with Monegasque culture as she prepares to become Princess of this jewel on the Mediterranean.

A mantilla at church always looks good to me.
Charlene and Prince Albert II at mass

The Prince and future Princess of Monaco greet the crowds at the palace gathered to honor their patron Saint Devote.

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.

Caro's Birthday

Yesterday, HRH the Princess of Hanover (Caroline of Monaco to you and me) celebrated her 54th birthday. A very happy occasion but, as we have mentioned before, it is also the anniversary of her marriage to Prince Ernst August V which I'm sure is not seen as quite the happy occasion now that it once was. There has been no news on that front, the 'married in name only' situation still seems to prevail but, the important thing is that Caroline seems to be taking it all in stride, little Princess Alexandra is back in school in Monaco and they all seem to be doing well. Mad for Monaco wishes Princess Caroline a very happy birthday with many more to come. Even with the upcoming marriage of her little brother, it is safe to say that no matter who the 'first lady' of Monaco is, Princess Caroline will always hold a unique place in the hearts of her people and many fans around the world. Like her mother before her, others may take over some of her duties, but her shoes will never be filled. She is one of a kind and has always been a class act. Vive l'Princesse!

MM Video: Charlotte of Monaco

Circus in Monte Carlo

The Circus is in town! Thursday night saw the opening of the 35th International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo with Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II, Princess Stephanie and Pauline Ducruet attending the opening ceremony. For the next ten days circus troops from all over the world will be in Monaco showing off their entertainment talents and competing in a number of tests of skill, daring and artistry. HSH Princess Stephanie of Monaco, long known for her love of the circus (even joining up for a time) is the patron of the festival and the Princess has spent the last week preparing for the event. The festival was first started in 1974 by HSH Prince Rainier III and has become quite a beloved and colorful tradition in Monaco. In an interview, Princess Stephanie said, “I have the eye of a child who grew up in the circus. The clowns always moved me so much. But now I also see the numbers with my professional eye. We have a quality to meet in Monaco. The public, accustomed for 35 years in Monaco has become a connoisseur and we have no room for error”.

Princess Stephanie herself has some experience with the circus, traveling with them while married to her second husband (for about five minutes) who was a circus performer. She has talked to many of the troops from around the world who have come to Monte Carlo to compete and she knows quality when she sees it. “There are a lot of circus schools [in Russia] and in this country, there is a real potential,” the Princess said. “Many directors, choreographers working in this country and present original numbers with traditional disciplines. That said, China also, the practice of the circus is very strong. In Shanghai, I met with circus schools some young people working with the single goal to go to the Festival in Monaco. It is unfortunate that in France, there is no culture. Perhaps due to a lack of circus schools”. Among those troops Princess Stephanie met with were the Americans. The Princess inspected their elephants and was given a ride while feeding them.

The treatment of animals has been a cause for some controversy and criticism of the circus but Princess Stephanie, a modern-minded woman if ever there was one, remains a staunch defender of the greatest show on earth in this, as in every other, area. “I find the debate on animals ridiculous. Zoos and circuses do much for the preservation of endangered species. The circus animals are treated as artists in their own right” the Princess said.

The Death of a King

It was on this day in 1793 that His Most Christian Majesty, King Louis XVI of France and Navarre was executed guillotine after being declared a "traitor" by the French Convention. As had been the case since the reign of King Louis XIII, the King of France was the official protector of the Principality of Monaco and feudal overlord of her princes. Now the Bourbon monarchy had been abolished and Louis XVI was sent to his death for his royal blood. In time his wife would follow him, also sent to the guillotine, and his little son and heir, the Dauphin, would be starved to death in a revolutionary prison. This news undoubtedly sent shock waves throughout the House of Grimaldi. If the French revolutionaries would kill their own king, whose person was once held sacred, what mercy could a deposed monarch of a foreign princely family expect? At the time, HSH Prince Honore III was himself in a revolutionary prison, his country had been torn from him and in due time would be absorbed completely by the French Republic. What horror Prince Honore III and his son Hereditary Prince Honore IV must have felt when this news reached their ears. No doubt they wondered when their own turn to face Madame Guiolltine would come. Thankfully, that day did not come save for the tragic Princess Francoise-Therese de Choiseul-Satinville, wife of Prince Joseph of Monaco.

Although they may not have felt it as severely as the Princes of Monaco sitting in prison in Paris, the whole world was shocked the regicide of Louis XVI and none moreso than the remaining crowned heads of Europe. However, the United States was also not without outrage on the occasion. It had, oddly enough, been Thomas Paine of Pennsylvania, the famous propagandist of the American Revolution who had really sold the American public on dropping their loyalty to the King of England, who was the single member of the Convention to vote against the execution of the King. Paine warned his fellow revolutionaries that America had not forgotten that it had been the intervention of King Louis XVI which had ensured their victory in the war for independence. As Paine said, 'The man you have condemned to death is regarded by the people of the United States as their best friend, the founder of their freedom'. He warned them that by killing King Louis they would instantly turn the United States from a friend to a foe of the Revolution. Although some supporters remained, by and large he was correct.

When Republicanism Came to Monaco

It was on this day in 1793 that the communes of Monaco, Menton and Roquebrune declared themselves a republic having previously declared themselves "free towns" in 1792. Only the previous week the revolutionary clubs had deposed HSH Prince Honore III (who was in France desperately trying to save his estates there from the revolutionary crowd). They were, obviously, following the example of the gang in power in Paris which was working feverishly to tear down the Bourbon monarchy and the Kingdom of France. However, if the new "Republic of Monaco" thought they were going to be close allies and best buddies with the new France (as the Principality of Monaco and the Kingdom of France had been) they were sorely mistaken. Even at the time observers noted how comical the whole act seemed to be.

Three deputies from the Republic of Monaco came to the National Assembly in France to seek the confirmation of the Franco-Monegasque alliance with them. The two articles in the new treaty stated, "There shall be peace and alliance between the French Republic and the Republic of Monaco" and, "The French Republic is delighted to make the acquaintance of the Republic of Monaco". That sounds all nice and friendly but, as Louis XVI or Honore III could have told them, the revolutionary regime was not exactly noted for honesty and fair-dealing. If Monaco thought that by following their republican example they could continue on as they had before only with their own political clique holding power rather than the House of Grimaldi they were very much mistaken. It would not be long (less than a month) before the French Republic decided to annex the whole of Monaco (Menton and Roquebrune included at that time) and the former principality became simply a forgotten little corner of the French Republic, renamed Fort Hercules just so there would be no lingering memories of the past Grimaldi glories of the Principality of Monaco.

Thankfully, although it would take time, this situation was not to be permanent. Like their Bourbon friends the Grimaldis were finally restored to their throne, though unlike the Bourbons they have managed to remain ever since with absolutely no nostalgia for the republican era when independence was lost.

Favorite Grimaldi Images

Princess Grace and Princess Caroline -two big winners of the genetic lottery.

Prince in the Middle East

Despite the recent troubles there, HSH Prince Albert II was not put off from visiting Lebanon, arriving late Wednesday. Information Minister Tareq Mitri met him at the airport and there was a review of the guard of honor with Defense Minister Elias al-Murr. Later, the Prince met with the Prime Minister, Saad al-Hariri and the Cardinal Patriarch of the Maronite Christian community. Later the Prince visited the UNRWA at the ESCWA building in Beirut. Monaco and Lebanon have more in common than most might think. As a French mandate, Lebanon was once a protectorate of France as Monaco has long been and both are members of the community of French speaking countries. The fleets of Charles Grimaldi also once raided Venetian shipping off the Lebanese and Syrian coasts.