A Solitary Prince on St Devote Day

Another year's Feast of St Devote has come and gone and much of the talk has been focused on who was not to be seen rather than who was. It was a very solitary Sovereign Prince Albert II attending the high mass and other of the day's festivities. Of course, few could question the absence of HRH the Princess of Hanover given all that she has been going through recently but it was rather disappointing not to see the Casiraghi trio -the young faces of Monaco's future or the smiling face of HSH Princess Stephanie. Their presence was not essential or required of course, but it would have been much more satisfying to see more of a family occasion made of the event. Aside from being patroness of Monaco, St Devote is also, after all, the special spiritual protector of the Princely Family. It is, perhaps, on such occasions as this that Prince Albert's lack of a family of his own is so especially evident. Events such as this seemed to have a different sort of feeling in the old days when Prince Rainier III, Princess Grace and the children were all on hand. One cannot criticize the lack of such a presence these days but it is noticed and felt nonetheless. Again, Princess Caroline's absence can be well understood, but given that in the absence of any heirs from Albert it is Andrea Casiraghi who will one day be Sovereign Prince of Monaco, his presence at least would have been a good sign that he is taking care to prepare for that eventuality. In any event, at least everything went off without a hitch and all can join in a prayer to St Devote for the continued protection and prosperity of the Principality of Monaco and the Princely Family. Vive l'Monaco!

Feast of Saint Devote

Today is the official feast of St Devote, patron saint of Monaco, and the festivities are well under way. Last night HSH Prince Albert II participated in the traditional ceremony which starts with a torch-lit procession ending with a small religious ceremony and blessing by the Catholic prelate of Monaco with the Sovereign Prince and others setting fire to a boat resting on a stake adorned with olive, pine and laurel branches at Port Hercules. This commemorates the events of 2,000 years ago when a boat carrying the body of St Devote was guided by the Holy Spirit to the port of Monaco and more particularly a latter attempt to steal the relics of St Devote which was miraculously stopped and the boat of the robbers burned. This morning the relics of St Devote will be brought out for veneration and the Princely Family will attend a Pontifical High Mass in honor of St Devote followed by a religious procession. To wrap it all up the usual fireworks display will be held tonight. Despite all the changes of the modern world the Catholic roots and traditions of Monaco are maintained. The boat burning ceremony is a slightly more recent touch being started in 1924 by HSH Prince Louis II. For more information on the life of St Devote and her history of veneration in Monaco read her post here.

Grimaldi Goings-On

Festivities get underway today in the Principality of Monaco for the Feast of St Devote, patron saint of Monaco and the Princely Family, which will last for two days, most of the 'main events' coming tomorrow on the official feast day. St Devote was from Corsica, a young Christian girl, martyred about 304 and her remains were put on a boat which drifted into the harbor of Monaco. Over time St Devote became recognized as the patron saint of both Corsica and Monaco with great devotion to her in the principality. As with many of the early Christian writers, some are now questioning whether the story of St Devote is true or if it was invented to simply provide some Christian roots to an area lacking them. Such speculations would not be so odd were not some of them coming from the Church itself. In any event, there is probably no more anticipated event other than National Day than the Feast of St Devote in Monaco.

The United Nations has declared 2010 International Biodiversity Year and Monaco's Uber-Green Prince has charged into the year taking the UN campaign very seriously. Monaco, the Princely Government, the Prince Albert II Foundation, the Oceanographic Institute and the Prince Albert I Foundation have all been charged with taking part in the campaign to preserve all forms of life which include the creation of new artificial reefs off the coast of Monaco to preserve fragile marine life in these areas.
Charlotte Casiraghi is still the subject of rumors, one being an old favorite recently kicked around again, that she and current boyfriend Alex Dellal, grandson of the London-based billionaire "Black Jack" Dellal. These rumors first surfaced in the usual places last year, of course with nothing to back them up. There has been no evidence that Charlotte is engaged and now would certainly seem like an odd time for her to take the plunge considering all that her mother is going through. I've never been a big fan of Alex (I always think Char could do better) but Charlotte has a good head on her shoulders and so far has given us nothing to worry about when it comes to her private life.

H.S.H. Princess Marie de Lorraine

Marie de Lorraine was Princess of Monaco from 1701 to 1724. She was born in Paris on August 12, 1674 to Louis d’Armagnac de Lorraine-Harcourt, Grand Squire of France, and Catherine de Neufville de Villeroi. She was favored by her parents and described as rather spoiled and allegedly took after her mother who held her nose rather high as they say. On June 13, 1688 at Versailles she was married to the Duke of Valentinois (later Prince Antoine I of Monaco) in a match that was arranged in part by King Louis XIV. She did not bring a large dowry to the Grimaldi clan but was a pretty and vivacious young girl being barely 16 at the time of the wedding. One is left wondering what was the reasoning behind the match.

Marie was a vivacious, fun-loving girl known for her infatuations with balls, parties and flashy fashions with shockingly low necklines. As taken as Antoine might have been with dark eyes and lavish chestnut hair of his young bride the two had very different personalities. Prince Antoine was known for his love of opera and opera singers in particular and considered himself an expert on female quality but while Marie might have had ideal physical attributes she did not display the necessary qualities for a wife, consort and mother. Some think the driving force behind the match might have been the famous Madame de Maintenon, longtime mistress of Louis XIV, who pushed for the marriage to remove Marie de Lorraine as rival once the King had started to notice her.

However, her marriage to Prince Antoine did not remove her from notice by other high placed young men and one observer noted that Marie de Lorraine was, “More of an elegant flirt than all the ladies of the kingdom put together”. Marie’s father-in-law, HSH Prince Louis I, tried to hush the gossip about affairs between Marie and the young men who frequently visited her parents’ home as well as those about Prince Antoine and the Parisian opera singers when he was not away at the front fighting in the French army. Prince Louis advised his son to be tolerant and forgiving of his new bride on the grounds of her youth and try to master her by winning over her mother.

At the behest of Prince Louis, King Louis XIV bid Marie to go to Monaco with Louis I while her husband was away with his regiment, where he was shortly wounded at the battle of Namur. Marie at first seemed to enjoy the independence of living in Monaco, establishing herself in a residence called “le désert”, situated at the extreme north-east of the Rock. She was not always on the best of terms with her husband, a man whose commanding size and rugged features earned him the nickname “Goliath” while in the army. When Antoine announced his return to his regiment she begged to be allowed to go back to Paris and, inexplicably, once there began to spread rumors that Prince Louis I had tried to rape her.

Prince Louis was aghast by her behavior as was most of the French court who knew Louis I as a very kind and genteel man. Prince Antoine was absolutely livid about the whole absurd affair and when he returned to Paris lived separately from Marie for six years during which Marie engaged in numerous affairs. Finally King Louis XIV intervened with her father to effect a reconciliation of the couple.

This was no easy task as the veteran warrior Prince Antoine was known to be short-tempered and according to several accounts had hung in effigy all of the lovers Marie had allegedly taken. When King Louis spoke disapprovingly of this the Hereditary Prince of Monaco retorted that he should be grateful he restricted himself to hanging straw men only. When Marie’s mother fetched her back to Antoine she had to walk through the effigies on her way to the house. Nonetheless, a reconciliation of sorts was effected which produced the only two surviving children of the six Marie and Antoine had, one of which was his heir Princess Louise-Hippolyte.

The lack of a male heir troubled Prince Louis I greatly and there were rumors that he would have preferred the Chevalier de Grimaldi, his natural son, to succeed him instead of Prince Antoine but as the chevalier was illegitimate this was impossible and in 1701 Antoine and Marie became Sovereign Prince and Princess consort of Monaco.

The couple returned to Monaco together to take up their official duties and lived together, if not exceptionally happily, at least without any scandals or disastrous public fights like they had before. However, by this time it was certain that Marie would have no more children and the future of the Principality of Monaco would depend on the marriages her two daughters made. Marie de Lorraine, Princess of Monaco died in Monaco on October 30, 1724 after having married Louise-Hippolyte to Jacques (Mantignon) Grimaldi and her younger, Margaretha Camilla to Marshal Duke d’Isenghien.

Albert II, Energy and the Persian Gulf

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco joined a number of other royals in recent days in the Persian Gulf state of Abu Dhabi for the World Future Energy Summit. He discussed his favorite topic and the concerns of future energy sources and talked to some bright locals who have come up with innovative ideas to produce energy such as a handicapped Emirati who designed a solar-powered wheelchair. The Sovereign Prince also was given an exclusive tour of Ferrari World, a new 86,000 m2 theme park on Yas Island just off the coast of Abu Dhabi. Prince Albert II is a known Ferrari fan and enthusiastic car collector. The park is scheduled to open sometime during the second half of this year.

The Pope and Princess Grace in Great Britain

The American Friends of Monaco have reported on the historic upcoming visit this year of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom. This will be the first official papal visit to England in history, the only previous visit being a pastoral trip by Pope John Paul II. Catholics in Britain for the papal visit will also have the opportunity to see something from the Catholic Principality of Monaco as the occasion will coincide with the exhibition of "Grace Kelly: Style Icon" which will leave Rome and be on display at the Albert & Victoria Museum in London from April 17 to September 26. The exhibition will include over 50 items once belonging to HSH Princess Grace of Monaco such as clothes, hats, jewelry and accessories. The displays will trace the transformation of Grace Kelly from icon of the golden age of Hollywood to Princess consort of Monaco. Some notable items that will be included are some of the dresses from her film (one of my favorites) "High Society", the gown she wore to the 1955 Academy Awards in which she won her Oscar (the award itself will be on display) and posters, photographs and clips from her films.

The exhibition was first unveiled at the Grimaldi Forum in 2007 and has been displayed in Doha, Paris, Moscow and Rome after leaving Monaco. Currently the Principality of Monaco does not have full diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom but has long had consular relations with the country. The current Consul General of the Principality of Monaco in Great Britain is Mme. Evelyne Genta.

To quote the Friends of Monaco, "There is no doubt that even after her death twenty-seven years ago last September, the late Princess Grace of Monaco still remains a Catholic royal icon of great interest to the world—and as the Sovereign Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King on earth, so too does the Catholic papal monarch, Pope Benedict XVI. Together, both events, the visit of Pope Benedict XVI and the Princess Grace exhibit will draw standing-room-only crowds in Great Britain as they continue to do in Rome, if for nothing else but for the cause of satisfying latent historical and cultural curiosity of the UK masses in an era of dying icons of sustaining truth and enduring beauty."

More information on the exhibit at the Albert & Victoria Museum in London can be found at the Museum’s website at www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/future_exhibs/index.html.

Happy Birthday Princess Caroline!

It was on this day in 1957 that TSH Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace of Monaco welcomed their first-born into the world. It was raining that morning, but the mood was to be a bright one across the Principality of Monaco when the canon at Fort Antoine began booming out a 21-gun-salute. The Sovereign Prince addressed his subjects with the following message:

“In a close union of spirit and heart you have always shown your affection by intimately associating yourselves with the events in my life, happy or sad. On each occasion your desire has been to share with me my sorrows and my joys. This communion of feeling, whose comfort I have always appreciated, unites us again today in a great happiness.

“At 9:27 this morning, 23 January, 1957, the Princess, my beloved wife, gave birth to a Princess who has received the names Caroline-Louise-Marguerite.

“The Princess and her daughter are in good health. With us thank God and be joyful.”

And joyful the people of Monaco certainly were. From that day on the people have shared the joys and the sorrows of Princess Caroline, as they did with her parents. They marveled at her stoic courage in the face of the tragic loss of her mother. They saw her take her place as the first lady of Monaco with dignity and determination. They celebrated the births of her three children, mourned at the loss of her beloved husband Stefano Casiraghi and shared in jumble of mixed emotions as her father left this life and her brother became Sovereign Prince of Monaco. Today also marks the anniversary of the marriage of Princess Caroline and HRH Prince Ernst August V of Hanover; which is most probably not a very fond memory for the family at this point though the face of little Princess Alexandra surely serves as a silver lining to the cloud that has become the Wettin-Grimaldi match. One thing can be said for sure; Princess Caroline has endured hard times before; in fact much more difficult situations than this, and surely she will come through this troubled period with the same style and civility she has always shown. Happy birthday Princess Caroline! May you have many, many more to come.

Shameless Plug

Monaco and the Regicide of Louis XVI

It was today in 1793 that His Most Christian Majesty King Louis XVI of France was beheaded by revolutionaries in Paris. This tragic event had a huge impact, not only on France, but on the neighboring Principality of Monaco as well. The French Revolution had already spread to Monaco, a Jacobin club was established on "The Rock" itself and HSH Prince Honore III had gone to Paris in an effort to save his rights and lands as a member of the French aristocracy. In the end, although the revolutionary government recognized the right of Honore's claim, he was given none of the compensation promised to him and a month after the regicide of the King the French republic took over Monaco and Honore III was deposed. The Princely flag was torn down and the French tricolor took its place.

This is something that Monegasque monarchists should keep in mind as it can be tempting to view Monaco as an isolated enclave of paradise, safe from the trials and tribulations of the outside world. Ever since Prince Honore II led his coup against the Spanish and brought Monaco under the protection of Louis XIII of France the two countries have had a special relationship which endures to this day. However, it is worth remembering, lest anyone think it does not matter to Monaco whether France is a monarchy or a republic, that the only time France ever violated Monegasque sovereignty it was the French republic that did so. No King of France ever invaded or in any way harmed the nation of Monaco -but the republic did. In fact, the Kings of France and the Princes of Monaco enjoyed a very friendly relationship, helping each other in many instances.

The French Revolution was a disaster for Monaco and the death of Louis XVI should be remembered with sadness in Monaco as much as in France for a benevolent protector was taken from them unjustly. As the tumult reached its zenith Monaco would be taken over by the French republic, the Princely Palace looted and occupied and the Grimaldi family deposed, thrown into prison and in the case of one tragic princess, sent to the guillotine. Fortunately for Monaco, the Grimaldi monarchy was restored and reigned without interruption ever since. While revolution and republicanism brought a succession of governments to France in all the years since, Monaco has remained peaceful and stable under their Princely Family. This simple fact is one French republicans should perhaps give some consideration.

Rest in peace King Louis.

More Bad Signs for the Hanovers

New signs that the marital situation of the Prince and Princess of Hanover are even worse and not about to improve. HRH Prince Ernst August V was photographed again recently with his pramour, now identified as Moroccan publicity-event manager Myriam I. age 41 (the Prince is 55). The two were spotted getting romantic at an elite Austrian ski resort and the Prince is said to be taking legal action against the magazine that first published photos of the pair frolicking in the surf at Phuket, Thailand. It should be noted that the Prince and Princess of Hanover's 11th wedding anniversary is only a few days away and is also Princess Caroline's 53rd birthday. Something tells me this year's anniversary will not be a cause for much celebration for the Hanoverian couple. This has sparked new rumblings about if or when one of the two will file for divorce. It is a shame any time any marriage falls apart, especially when children are involved (thankfully in this case Princess Alexandra seems happy and sheltered with her mother in Monaco) but as far as Prince Ernst's deplorable public flaunting of his wedding vows, unfortunately Mad for Monaco is not the least surprised. Whether the pair divorce or come to some sort of an understanding and remain simply apart, I only hope they can remain cordial and act in such a way as to minimize the damage to Princess Alexandra. Whereas my sympathies are quite naturally with Princess Caroline, it has to be said that she should have known what sort she was getting when she became involved with him in the first place. There's more truth than poetry in the old saying, 'if he cheats with you, he will cheat on you'.

Monaco Rushes Aid to Haiti

From the Princely Palace:

"H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, upset by the tragedy which has just struck so cruelly the Haitian population, leaving a country in mourning, the distress and the destitution, decided to mobilize the whole of the institutional and humanitarian abilities of the Principality. The Sovereign Prince asked the Princely Government, the Monegasque Red Cross and ONG to meet on Friday January 15 with the Ministry of State in order to support a joint project: Collective Monaco Haiti. The organizations responded and presented themselves, showing their will to support this project for the duration of the disaster. The collected funds will be used, in bond with the local authorities, to help with the rebuilding of the public structure mainly in the field of Health and/or Education; all while respecting environmental standards, seismic and anti-cyclonic. In addition, the Princely Government has just released part of its emergency funds in the amount of 150.000 €, by the means of the United Nations and the International federation of the Red Cross. A complement will be brought in the next days to answer the urgent call of the International organizations. The provisional figures announced by the Haitian Red Cross evoke 50.000 dead and 3 million people delivered to itself, which represents a third of the population. L' UNO, as for it, reports 300.000 people left homeless in the capital."

First Monegasque in DC

Regular readers of Mad for Monaco will recall that HSH Prince Albert I was the first Grimaldi to visit the United States when he went on a bear hunt in Wyoming with the famous "Buffalo Bill" Cody. You may also recall that Albert I tried to arrange the trip through President Teddy Roosevelt, himself a noted hunter, but was brushed off by the former Rough Rider. Well, many years later after a World War and Prince Albert becoming famous around the world for his trailblazing work in the field of oceanography as well as his service in trying to ease the suffering of the Great War the Prince of Monaco was honored by the American executive in a special way. Albert I became the first Prince of Monaco to be received at the White House when U.S. President Warren G. Harding had the Monegasque sovereign over to decorate him with the National Geographic medal and a medal from the National Academy of Sciences. As an interesting side note, the current Monegasque monarch, HSH Prince Albert II, has long said that it was a National Geographic map showing the environment in peril that first sparked his interest in environmentalism and eventually led to his long-standing crusade against global warming. The next Prince of Monaco, after Albert I, to visit the White House was HSH Prince Rainier III who was received by President Dwight D. Eisenhower with his soon-to-be wife and consort Grace Kelly.