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Cannes: prince albert celebrates new $80m+ superyacht that isn’t only about indulgence.

The Monaco royal is among the supporters of Yersin, an eco-friendly ship that offers 1-percenter luxuries in the name of scientific research.

By Nick Jeffery

Nick Jeffery

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Among the luxury party palaces dotting the waters off Cannes during the festival this year will float one slightly more virtuous vessel: the yellow-funneled, 250-foot motor yacht Yersin , which was blessed in the presence of Prince Albert II of Monaco in June. The world’s most efficient, clean and advanced ICE Class explorer superyacht (ICE designates serious ice-going vessels) was conceived and built for scientific research projects — while offering key comforts of more leisure-focused crafts — with the support of the likes of Prince Albert’s foundation (luxury watchmaker Blancpain also is a partner). Yersin likely will be the scene of a few fest shindigs in Cannes, but its future holds more excursions like the one Albert’s wife, Princess Charlene, hosted in June, with 11 schoolchildren from Nice observing dolphins off the coast of Monaco.

“There is a trend toward more interesting yachts, offering the potential for fuel-efficient, long-range cruising and self-sufficiency,” says Peter Wilson of Marine Construction Management in Newport, R.I., which has overseen 75 super­yacht builds. “Foundations operating expedition and research projects have become a fascinating area of expansion.”

Yersin’s wheelhouse features a print of the Belgian cartoon adventurer Tintin , a childhood hero of Fiat’s.

A meeting room for press and research presentations.

Yersin’s owner, French entrepreneur Francois Fiat (he and wife Genevieve Baud, a grocery and retail heiress, are involved in environmental causes), planned the craft with a focus on adventure, science and education. Named for Alexandre Emile Jean Yersin , who discovered the pathogen that caused the bubonic plague in 1894, it was built over 36 months in France’s Piriou Shipyard (in collaboration with Pierre Jacques Kubis Naval Design), where until March Jacques Cousteau’s Calypso was docked. Yersin carries enough diving and lab equipment for a National Geographic expedition and has a library stocked with Cousteau’s films.

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The master suite, along with another double close by, is situated one level above the main deck (where the remaining six cabins are located) and has two private recessed decks flanking it. Also on board: two gymnasiums, a massage room, hair salon and hammam . A glass sculpture in the main deck saloon portrays Prince Albert II on one side and his great-great-grandfather Prince Albert I, who inaugurated Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum, on the other. A pair of 25-foot military-grade, bullet-proof Zodiac rigid inflatable Hurricanes shadow the boat at anchor — they can be used to bring guests aboard or for expeditions. Yersin also has a more refined tender — a 37-foot Wajer Osprey launch — and several toys, including kayaks and an all-terrain quad bike, available for recreation and exploration.

The intimate upper-deck theater has 15 plush seats.

Yersin features electric propulsion through Azimuth thrusters powered by generators. At a cruising speed of 11 knots, it uses only 100 gallons of diesel per hour, about half what a conventional diesel yacht would guzzle. At a slow steaming speed of 9 knots, this drops to 47 gallons per hour, allowing 40 days at sea with 40 people on board, including crew. It’s available for charter, but only with a background check and a detailed research proposal; rates will vary according to the project but at a minimum will cover running costs (about $23,000 a day), with sponsorship opportunities available for scientific expeditions.

Whoever boards Yersin can enjoy large TV monitors in luxurious lounging areas as well as a 15-seat cinema. A 1,400-square-foot multipurpose platform can accommodate a reception marquee, suspended by a crane, and serve as a dance floor. If it all gets too exciting, there’s a well-equipped hospital room below decks. Gin and tonic, anybody? Just don’t throw the lime overboard — the vessel was designed “to make an impression but not leave a trace” in the ocean.

This story first appeared in the May 13 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe .

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Greenline team launches new brand gx superyachts at monaco yacht show.

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The GX42 is the newest brand to break into the superyacht category, launched at this year's Monaco ... [+] Yacht Show. This is the Coupé version, featuring a roof covered in gleaming solar panels that slide apart to reveal a sunning and Jacuzzi area.

The unveiling of a new superyacht brand doesn't come along very often, but when it does it is big news, particularly when it is on a global stage like the Monaco Yacht Show. The new superyacht brand, GX Superyachts , is the "brainchild" of the principals of Greenline Yachts , known for production of efficient hybrid yachts up to 58 feet. Greenline, headquartered in Begunje, Slovenia, began building yachts over 15 years ago, employing smart hull design, solar charging, and hybrid propulsion.

About The Yachts

GX Superyachts offers a custom lineup of yachts ranging from 78-164 feet (24-56 meters) constructed of aluminum, with priorities on quality, innovation, and respect for the planet. The yachts will also pay homage to sustainable but distinctive designs with high levels of luxury. The yachts will fully embrace Greenline's commitment to responsible yachting, aiming to set new standards for environmental performance.

The GX Superyacht, a brand new marque in the superyacht sector, is a product line of Greenline ... [+] Yachts. Two versions of the GX 42 both offer a large beach club with fold out wings and hydraulic step.

Greenline yard owner Vladimir Zinchenko explains, "Our journey started with Greenline Yachts, where we pioneered the world's first serial production hybrid yacht over 10 meters back in 2008," continuing, "With more than 1,000 yachts delivered globally, Greenline has been at the forefront of innovation in the boating industry. Through that time, we have tried to further our vision of responsible yachting — from sourcing raw materials right through to the operation of the yacht itself."

Andrea Armas To Act As Consultant To Board

With 28 years of experience as an owner's representative working with major international shipyards, Andreas Armas has earned a post as consultant to the Board of Directors at GX Superyachts. A naval architect and marine engineer, Arnas specializes in yachtbuilding supervision for experienced and discerning owners.

Arnas noted, "I am backing GX Superyachts because I admire their ambition and vision. My goal is to help the team translate their decade-long experience in hybrid recreational boat building into the highly regulated superyacht sector."

This rendering of the GX Superyachts 42 Coupé shows the view of the stern. The GX Superyachts brand ... [+] is the newest superyacht marque, bringing an entirely new look to the market.

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At the 2018 Monaco Yacht Show, a 32-foot (9.9-meter) all electric Greenline yacht found His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, known for his keen appreciation of environmental practices, requesting an escort to the Monaco Yacht Club in the boat. That scenario sparked the idea to expand the Greenline models to include superyachts. The result brought GX Superyachts to fruition at this year's 2024 show.

Sustainable Capabilities And Solid Range

"Each yacht in our GX Superyacht range is equipped with our innovative hybrid propulsion system, allowing for both efficient electric cruising and powerful diesel performance when needed," Luca Raumland, Chief Commercial Officer, commented. He further stated that at 6 knots in electric mode, these yachts have a 100 nautical mile range, extending to 11,571 nautical miles at 6 knots. The yachts can make trans-Atlantic crossings at 12 knots.

Comparisons to conventional yachts show that the GX range will emit less than 40 percent in comparable carbon emissions. Designed with a large solar array and lithium battery bank, the yacht can sit silently at anchor for over 48 hours, running full hotel systems including air conditioning without requiring help from a generator. That also translates to noiseless, vibration-free, odor-free operation that finds increasing appeal with superyacht owners.

The GX RPH flybridge is the latest marque to enter the superyacht scene, with brand launch recently ... [+] at the Monaco Yacht Show.

GX42 In Build

Already well underway with the keel laying ceremony on June 1, 2024, the first GX 42 will go to a customer that came through the Greenline network. Specializing in composite construction up to 78 feet (24 meters) in the Slovenian shipyard, the GX team needed to select a new build partner experienced in building larger aluminum yachts. They signed with SES Yachts in Tuzla, Türkiye, a custom aluminum yacht expert.

According to Elif Yildirim, Managing Partner of SES, "We embrace custom and semi-custom projects, and the new GX Superyachts range plays perfectly to the skills we have in house." Yildirim also emphasized the importance of being a family-owned business focused on sustainability, acknowledging that collaboration has been very smooth on this first build, looking toward a future with GX and many more yachts.

The Importance of Design

The GX Superyachts GX42 RPH has an expansive aft beach club deck, designed by Marco Casali of Too ... [+] Design.

Described as "achingly sleek exterior lines," the GX Superyachts sport lines from Marco Casali, displaying an efficient, low-profile superstructure allowing large interior volume. Two variations of the model, the Coupé and the RPH, are available.

The Coupé sports a long, curved superstructure. The roof is covered in gleaming solar panels which slide apart to reveal a hidden sun deck with jacuzzi and bar. The RPH version is designed with a large flybridge in clean, modern aesthetics, with 353 GT volume. Both versions offer guests an expansive beach club with fold-down wings and hydraulic step platform.

For the interiors, Casali continues the chic simplicity of the exteriors, styling the first GX42 with impressive bath fixtures from Antonio Lupi and porcelainware from Dornbracht. Loose furnishings from Poltrona Frau and Rugiano are complemented by Foglizzo leathers and Cadorin natural wood flooring.

Casali, founder of Too Design, commented, "Our studio has long worked with Greenline Yachts, so we understood exactly what the new GX Superyachts brief required. "I am proud of the way we have reinterpreted the timeless looks of the smaller yachts to give soul and purpose to the lines of the new superyachts."

The latest superyacht brand, GX Superyachts, will be built in two versions: a Coupé and an RPH. Both ... [+] will be sustainable, have long range, and enjoy suitable luxury superyacht amenities.

Technical Talent

Underwater hull lines maximizing stability and speed potential from Francesco Rogantin of NAMES Studio proves an important element in achieving the long range of the GX Superyachts with respectable speed. Rogantin said, "The challenge was to analyze the different operational scenarios and ensure that the hull and appendages performed to their best for each one."

Delivery Schedule

On track for a summer 2026 delivery, the first GX42 will put the exclamation point on this new superyacht brand. To learn more about GX Superyachts head to the website , or stop by the stand at the Monaco Show, QA1 Quai Antione IER.

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Take a tour of prince albert of monaco's yacht.

One of the best stories of this season was the rise of plucky Monaco, a squad laden with exciting young talent that won Ligue 1 and made it to the Champions League semifinals. One story that was overlooked regarding Monaco is that Prince Albert of Monaco, whose family owns part of AS Monaco Football Club, has an exceptionally nice boat.

Prince Albert's boat is named the Koning Albert II, because when you are the billionaire Prince of Monaco you get to name luxury oceangoing vessels after yourself, it's just what you do. Let's take a look around.

0:00 The video opens with a wide shot, wide enough for you to relize that this boat is really, truly large. You, a commoner, will never be on a boat this big unless you are in the Navy or go on cruises as vacations. (Note: do not go on cruises for vacations. Do something interesting instead. Please. Unless you're using the cruise to see a bunch of different places in a short amount of time. That's what I did when I went on a cruise. I had to qualify my original statement about all cruises being bad because I went on a cruise once and I am great and never make bad decisions.)

It's just a big damn boat. I wish I had one and you do too.

0:06 The second shot is looking down on the pool. The boat, which is built to travel on water, has a feature in which you can play in water and remain on the boat. You don't have to go into the outside water. You can stay safely on the boat and still be in water. Please note the pool can be converted into a helicopter pad. If you were wondering what a billion dollars can buy you, it's that. Near the pool is a full bar, lounging space for six people to lounge comfortably in and two staircases.

0:12 The pool shot is followed by another wide shot in case you forgot how goddamn big this boat is.

0:15 This wide shot is followed by another wide shot, for even more emphasis, set in water so turquoise it cannot possibly be real.

(Prince Albert of Monaco has enough money that he could pay for them to dye the sea the perfect shad of turquoise just for that photo. Do not put that past him.)

0:20 There are two balconies overlooking the pool. The first is bigger than my apartment and the second has a hot tub.

0:25 The view from said balconies is obviously spectacular.

0:31 See? I told you the pool turns into a helicopter pad.

0:35 The walkways on the outside edges of Prince Albert of Monaco's yacht are tastefully-appointed and modern. Duh.

0:40 That's not the hot tub on the balcony overlooking the pool. That's a different hot tub.

0:45 This is a boat and as such it contains many nautical instruments.

0:50 Gangplanks are for poor people.

0:55 How is Prince Albert of Monaco not just absolutely wasted on champagne and fruity island drinks all the time? Maybe he is, but he's really good at hiding it in public and none of his servants want to talk about it.

1:00 Y'all it has a garage.

1:05 Seriously though.

1:10 I mean, come on.

1:15 From what I can tell, this boat has upwards of 20 places with the sole purpose of comfortably lounging. Which, luxury yacht, so I guess that makes sense.

1:20 A classy dining room, just in case any other princes happen to wander by.

1:25 This just looks like a normal living room. I am confused.

1:30 That looks like either a fish tank or an elevator shaft and I'm real curious to find out which one.

1:35 Never mind I have been distracted by the grand piano with what appear to be flame decals on it.

1:40 Another classy dining room. In case one needs to host two different classy meals at two different locations within the yacht.

1:45 Salmon is not really what we were expecting from the bedroom but whatever floats your boat, buddy.

Oh god I am so sorry for the "whatever floats your boat" thing. Please forgive me.

1:50 Just a bigger version of a hotel bathroom, really.

1:55 Twin beds? What is this, a youth hostel?

2:00 Industrial kitchen, yes, of course, moving on.

2:05 That must be the servants' quarters or something.

2:10 Definitely servants' quarters. I doubt Prince Albert of Monaco has ever even been in that room.

2:15 The bridge, you've seen movies.

2:20 Important technical boat stuff happens here. More photos of the pool/helicopter pad, please.

2:25 That is not the pool or even anywhere near it. That is a picture of some stairs you could find on any old boat. Come on guys I need glitz! Glamour! Elegance! Placate me!

2:30 Oh, cool, toolboxes. Thanks guys. Really what I was looking for.

2:35 Valves, awesome.

2:40 Different Angle on the valves. This is no way to end a tour. I am so sorry.

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Prince Albert and Princess step aboard the new Saint Georges

The first day of the Monaco Yacht Show provided the perfect opportunity for the Monaco Police Department to officially launch its new high-performance rapid intervention vessel, the Saint Georges.  

Ever keen to keep up with – if not stay ahead of – the times, Monaco’s Maritime Police Division has welcomed into its fleet a brand-new rapid intervention vessel (RIV).  

The Saint Georges is a 10-metre Rafale 1000 model from the French maker and shipyard Sillinger. The semi-rigid vessel, which features the latest performance technology, will be a key tool in the arsenal of Monaco’s specialist maritime police department when performing at-sea rescue missions.  

It can welcome onboard up to 12 people and has a maximum speed of 45 knots or just over 83 kmph.  

The vessel, which replaces the outgoing Libecciu, was officially inaugurated in Port Hercule on Wednesday 27 th September in the presence of Prince Albert II of Monaco, his wife Princess Charlene and niece Charlotte Casiraghi. The Saint Georges received the blessing of the Archbishop of Monaco, Dominique-Marie David, ahead of its first outing. 

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Photo credit: Stéphane Danna / Monaco Communications Department 

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Prince Albert II discovers future of yachting at 11th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge

The winner of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge received a grant from the Prince Albert II Foundation. 

Hundreds of engineering students, representing 40 universities and 25 nations, came to the Principality for the unique competition, to showcase their prototypes and meet key players in the yachting industry.

Imagining the future of yachting

Organised by Monaco Yacht Club in collaboration with the Prince Albert II Foundation, the challenge is about innovation and sustainability. Since 2014, it has been part of the “Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting” initiative, combining alternative energies, design and hull construction.

Yachting: SEA Index® introduced in 15 Côte d’Azur ports

Awards for the best teams

A panel of professionals attended technical conferences and industry boat tours. But most importantly, they awarded five prizes, including the coveted innovation prize, won by Sea Sakthi, the Ecodesign prize won by TSB Energy Portugal, and the Jury Favourite, which went to Poseidon – INOCEL.

The Champion of the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge 2024 was Oceanos – NTUA, from Greece. Registration is already open for 2025!

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco enjoy family time as they lap up the sunshine on a yacht trip to Corsica

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco with Prince Jacques of Monaco and Princess Gabriella earlier this summer at the Olympic flame lighting

Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco put on a friendly display as they enjoyed a family holiday in Corsica this week.

The royal couple jetted off with Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, both nine, for a relaxing break this week. They were seen splashing around in the sea together as they played with their children in the warm waves, enjoying the last of the summer sun.

Prince Albert, who donned a black, blue and white wetsuit for the outing, could be seen tossing a ball to Princess Gabriella, who opted for a baby pink t-shirt for the occasion. Ever the attentive mother, Princess Charlene could be seen beaming from the deck of the yacht and snapping photographs of the trio playing together.

Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene of Monaco during a reception for foreign leaders prior to the Olympics Opening Ceremony at Elysee Palace

Over the years, the couple have found their marriage under the microscope, with European tabloids reporting the couple are living in separate countries . Charlene was said to be living in Switzerland while Albert remained in Monaco with their twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella. Yet the new images appeared to suggest there has been a change for the couple, showing Albert and Charlene apparently happier than ever.

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In fact, they have made a number of high profile public appearances together in recent months, including attending the Olympics and Monaco E-Prix side-by-side.

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco attending the Monaco E-Prix alongside their children earlier this summer

The family are likely enjoying their quality time together before the new school year starts for Jacques and Gabriella in the next few weeks. Speaking last year, Charlene revealed how her children have been enjoying school.

In this feature, first published in 2015, David Jenkins questioned if peace had finally come to Jamie Blandford…and what sort of man he is

She said, 'Jacques and Gabriella were both very excited to see their friends again after such a long vacation. It's also the first time that they won't be in the same class.

'It's a big step for them, and that seems good to me. So, like for any student on their first day back at school, they had a lot of expectations about their new classmates, their teachers, about what they were going to wear for their first day.'

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• Meet GX Superyachts, a New Shipyard Creating Custom Hybrids Ranging From 78 to 164 Feet

The first 138-footer is already under construction, with delivery expected in summer 2026.

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Greenline Yachts didn’t just decide to unveil a new fleet member at the Monaco Yacht Show (MYS), but rather an entire brand.

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Marking something of a full circle moment, the Greenline team got the idea for the new brand at the MYS in 2018. The story goes that Prince Albert II of Monaco fell in love with the yard’s electric 33-footer and even requested an escort to the Monaco Yacht Club in the yacht. That high praise pushed the Greenline team to scale their green tech for the superyacht sector.

Each GX cruiser will feature a cutting-edge hybrid propulsion system, a highly efficient hull, and a large solar array. The hybrids will be able to seamlessly switch between diesel and electric power, allowing seafarers to cruise leisurely sans emissions or tear it up at speed. “At six knots in electric mode, these yachts can achieve an incredible range of up to 100 nautical miles,” Greenline CCO Luca Raumland said in a statement. “In diesel mode, they can cross the Atlantic at 12 knots, while the max range is 11,571 nautical miles at six knots”

The GX superyachts will produce 40 percent fewer carbon emissions than conventional diesel-powered vessels, according to Greenline. Each yacht will also be fitted with solar panels and a large lithium battery bank that together will offer enough green energy to power the hotel load silently and cleanly for 48 hours or more, the yard says.

GX has already reeled in a customer, too. The yard is in the process of constructing a 138-footer for an existing Greenline client. (As the GX models are too big for Greenline’s Slovenian yard, the fleet will be built in partnership with SES Yachts of Tuzla, Turkey.) The stylish new GX42 RPH will showcase leatherwork by Foglizzo, natural wood flooring by Cadorin, and furniture by Poltrona Frau and Rugiano. With 50 percent of the hull already complete, the yacht is expected to hit the seas in summer 2026.

Click here to see the GX Superyachts lineup.

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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Prince Albert II: A 15 Year Transformation and Enrichment of Life in the Principality

On March 31, 2005 — Monaco’s Crown Council transferred the regency of the tiny Principality to Prince Albert II, the heir to the throne. And if you take a look around you, no matter where you look the Principality has been transformed in this last 15 years and the pace continues.

The 21st Century Prince  

Even the icons of the Principality are experiencing an enhancement including the Hôtel de Paris and Casino Square . And new icons have emerged, the luxury shopping district One Monte-Carlo , the beautiful Yacht Club and Monaco’s grand latest extension into the sea, Portier Cove. Portier Cove follows Fontvieille which was Prince Albert’s father Prince Rainier’s prior achievement in extending the territory of the Principality.

The fifteen year enrichment covers whole quarters of the Principality, for example, starting with a new resort Hotel, the Monte-Carlo Bay, and now Larvotto itself and the Commercial Centre of Fontvieille in a massive futuristic sustainable «greening» project.

The Renaissance is also transforming health care. Under the impetus of Prince Albert, the Prince’s Government commissioned a study for, and the construction of, an entirely new Hospital. This ambitious project targeted for completion in 2029 is already underway and will enable the Princess Grace Hospital to meet the technical, human, medical and scientific challenges of the 21st century.

If we look to the skyline, Europe’s second largest tower, the Odéon, has taken root and is crowned with the most expensive penthouse apartment in Europe overlooking Monte-Carlo. In the sky and in Space, Monaco has its own satellite with nano-satellites ever nearer to being launched — and collaborations with NASA creating the potential for Monegasques to train as astronauts. 

The «Green» Prince 

Prince Albert’s reign started with him already focused on protecting the Oceans as chair of the Mediterranean Science Commission — an intergovernmental body with 24 member states that mostly border the Mediterranean coast. In addition, since 28th May 1993, the Prince had already led the Monegasque delegation to the General Assembly of the United Nations. Already seated at the head of global institutions Prince Albert’s reign is subsequently continually punctuated with landmark events driven by his passion to protect the marine environment and sustain the global environment for future generations.

In 2006, Prince Albert created the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The foundation focuses on three main challenges: climate change and renewable energy development; combating the loss of biodiversity; and water management (improving universal access to clean water).

Continuing in the same vein to highlight global warming, on April 16, 2006, Prince Albert travelled to the North Pole by dogsled. 

A year later in March 2, 2007 — Prince Albert presided over the opening ceremony in Paris of International Polar Year, a research program with a focus on the Polar Regions involving 50,000 scientists from 63 countries.

Only two years into his reign Prince Albert was already being recognized globally for his indefatigable work to protect the environment for future generations. Thus, on January 28, 2008 — The Sovereign Prince is named as one of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) «Champions of the Earth».

Prince Albert II — the Polar Explorer

January 5–14, 2009 — Prince Albert II completes an expedition to the South Pole evaluating climate impact on Antarctica along the way. He is the only head of state to have visited both poles. For his work on climate change research and environmental conservation efforts on December 14, 2015 — Prince Albert is presented with the 2015 Global Advocate Award by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

At last the world acts and on 22 April 2016 Monaco signed the Paris Climate Accord. 

In keeping with the spirit of the accord the Principality of Monaco has set itself a target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. To that end, it has committed to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 % by 2030 from their 1990 levels. Following which the National Pact for Energy Transition was launched in early 2018 to fulfil the objective of a low-carbon Principality by 2050. And there is another landmark event to record — the celebration of a centenary. 100 institutions have now joined the National Pact for Energy Transition.

Ocean Galas

On the initiative of the sovereign and the Prince Albert II Foundation, and with the support of the businessman Milutin Gatsby, the first Ocean Gala was organized on September 28, 2017 on the Terraces of the Monte-Carlo Opera. 

The Gala helps to raise funds and awareness to promote the sustainable management of marine and land resources. The gala now takes place each September during the Monaco Yacht Show, Europe’s biggest in-water display of large yachts — 4.5 billion euros of superyachts on display. Guests of the Ocean Galas have included Robert Redford, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Leonardo DiCaprio, Uma Thurman, Nicole Kidman and many others.

Moreover, this year the event has achieved a new level and became an international gala. The Global Ocean Gala presented by Chopard was held on February 6th 2020 in Hollywood where Prince Albert II of Monaco received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his leadership and commitment to the Planet and Ocean conservation. One cannot miss the thread that inexorably travels across time and links it with the present. Grace Kelly, Prince Albert’s mother, came to Monaco from Hollywood and found her destiny and home here, while today Monaco goes back to Hollywood with a green initiative to protect the Oceans led by the «Green Prince» Albert II.

The Diplomatic Prince

As regards its international presence, the Monegasque Government implements the policies of H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince, who is the chief advocate of Monaco to the world, particularly through his official visits and ambitious positions in a community of nations confronted with important challenges.

The Principality of Monaco is a full member of the United Nations, and has its own embassies abroad, including 137 honorary consulates in 83 countries. Monaco counts 15 embassies accredited to twenty-eight states. Monaco takes part in many international conferences. The 140 different nationalities who live in harmony in Monaco and work to develop the country help to make its position known.

Monaco’s Royal welcome is extended also by Princess Charlène who is active hosting events to welcome global heads of state, such as China’s President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan. In March 2017, Xi made the first ever state visit to Monaco by a Chinese president.

The most noticeable progression of Monaco’s influence is due to Prince Albert II of Monaco’s strong commitment to issues of sustainable development and cooperation on the international scene.

Monegasque Paradise

  Fifteen years into the stable, affluent reign of Prince Albert II with the world in political, social and economic flux in every direction you look, the constitutional monarchy and steady governance of Monaco with its reputation as a centre for philanthropy and ecological responsibility looks very reassuring — all the while maintaining its reputation as a Mediterranean paradise for tourists and residents alike, and a magnet for the rich and famous in every walk of life. The Principality is enriched by its residents, who represent at least 140 nationalities. French, Italian and British nationals make up the majority of the foreigners resident in Monaco.

Two Fairy Tales 

It’s not easy to follow the fairy tale of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace , royalty combined with the pinnacle of beauty, style and Hollywood. You can only do it by creating a fairy tale just as compelling — Royalty with beauty and style remaining a constant with two Olympians joined in marriage as standard bearers of the Principality. Two gorgeous twin children, including a princely heir complete the picture. 

  There are many accomplishments and victories to record over Prince Albert’s first fifteen years at the helm — but on a personal level, surely his family must give him an incomparable sense of accomplishment. Long live Prince Albert and a toast to the next 15 years!

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Prince albert of monaco: boating evolves and is an engine of change.

The Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous Will Help Support Solutions to Climate Change in the World of Boating

Yacht Club of Monaco

MONACO, July 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "The world of yachting must change to meet the challenges of a warming planet," said  Prince Albert II of Monaco,  who is also president of the  Yacht Club of Monaco.

“Faced with the climatic emergency that we are witnessing more and more every day, it is the entire yachting ecosystem that is concerned and must evolve: both the yachts and the port infrastructures. We must be agents of change and contribute to this transformation. It is for these reasons that I wanted our  Yacht Club and My Foundation  to support the  Monaco Smart & Sustainable Marina Rendezvous.  The aim is to present innovative solutions and encourage their implementation for the development of virtuous tourist ports,” said  Prince Albert , speaking at the annual cocktail of the members of the  Yacht Club of Monaco .

Some 40 new members have joined the club, including British sailor  Saskia Clark  and former NBA basketball player  Tony Parker . About a thousand people attended the party. Prince Albert II  also recalled that the club is organizing the Monaco Energy Boat Challenge from 4 to 9 July. All these initiatives are part of the  Monaco Capital of Advanced Yachting ,   a project born in 2012 with the name of “Monaco Capital of Yachting,” a network brand whose aim is to consolidate the position of the Principality as a center of excellence in the yachting sector.

For more information: LaPresse SpA Communication and Press Office Director Barbara Sanicola - [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2fda51ff-4d9e-40cc-aa34-15fd04f3dd1d

The photo is also available at Newscom,  www.newscom.com , and via AP PhotoExpress.

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Prince Albert 1 honoured

Prince Albert 1 honoured

The fifth Albert 1 st -2022 Executive Committee meeting was held at the Yacht Club de Monaco this Wednesday 30 th September.

Established by HSH the Sovereign Prince Albert II and chaired by H.E. Mr Robert Fillon,   Monaco’s Ambassador in Italy, the Prince Albert 1 Commemoration Committee brings together Monegasque dignitaries, political figures at the highest level and heads of institutions involved in work related to the “Learned Prince” .

The Committee’s task is to prepare a programme of events and actions to honour the memory of this emblematic prince who was a scholar, humanist and patron.

The commemorations will be officially launched on 19 th October 2020 at the Lycée Albert I er .

The programme (publications, seminars, conferences, exhibitions, etc.) will continue in Monaco and abroad from October 2020 to the end of 2022, the centenary year of the death of Prince Albert 1 (1848-1922).

For more information:  https://www.princealbert1.mc

© Direction de la Communication – Manuel Vitali

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Prince Edward heads overseas as daughter Lady Louise Windsor returns to university

The duke of edinburgh joined a european royal for dinner.

The Duke of Edinburgh travels all over the UK and abroad for his royal duties, and this week Prince Edward has been in Monaco.

The King's brother, 60, arrived at  Nice Côte d'Azur Airport from London on Tuesday, with his visit centred around his role as Chairman of The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award.

The charity supports young people to find their purpose, place and passion in the world, and was founded by Edward's father, Prince Philip , the late Duke of Edinburgh, in 1956.

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Edward attended a dinner at the Stelios Foundation Conference Hall on Tuesday, which saw guests raise €102,000 (around £85,000) for the charity, according to local media. 

The Duke also visited the International School of Monaco, the British School of Monaco and St Paul's Anglican Church Monaco.

 He then joined a Blue Marine Foundation reception hosted by Prince Albert of Monaco at the Yacht Club de Monaco on Wednesday event.

Edward's overseas trip comes as his daughter, Lady Louise Windsor , 20, returned to the University of St Andrews in Scotland to start the third year of her English degree.

The young royal, who has competed in carriage driving competitions this summer, has enrolled in a four-year course, as is standard at Scottish universities.

Meanwhile, the Duke's wife, Sophie , travelled to Tanzania last week in her capacity as Global Ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, where she also delivered a message from the King.

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There's set to be more overseas engagements for the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh next month, as they travel to Malta on 7 October.

The royal family shares a close affinity with the country as it's where the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip enjoyed life as newlyweds.

After their wedding in November 1947, the couple lived in Malta from 1949 to 1951, where Philip was stationed as a naval officer and when their eldest children Charles and Anne were infants.

LISTEN: Why the Princess of Wales decided to release incredible family video

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• PLANET POSSIBLE

How tiny Monaco became a giant in ocean conservation

In the 19th century, Prince Albert I of Monaco devoted himself to the ocean. His great-great-grandson has carried on the tradition.

The Principality of Monaco, a Mediterranean enclave surrounded by France, is the second smallest country in the world, after the Vatican. You could circumnavigate it on your morning walk; it is smaller than Central Park. “When I first came to this country,” says Maguy Maccario-Doyle, Monaco’s ambassador to the United States, “I thought, all of us Monegasques could fit in the New York City Hilton, because it had 3,000 rooms.” There are only about 9,000 citizens of Monaco, although the population, mostly affluent, is three times larger.  

A hundred years ago last month, on April 25, 1921, to be precise, the ruler of Monaco, Prince Albert I, came to Washington, D.C. to attend a meeting of the National Academy of Sciences and to receive a medal . It’s as good a point as any to begin a story about how his tiny country came to play an outsize role in marine conservation—a tale of inheritance passed across four generations from one Albert to another.

Prince Albert I arrived first in New York on his royal yacht, the Hirondelle II , which was a fully equipped oceanographic research vessel: This prince was an explorer, with 28 scientific expeditions under his belt. Beginning in the 1880s he had roamed the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, ranging from the Cape Verde Islands off West Africa to Spitsbergen in the Arctic. He had charted the currents of the North Atlantic and pulled all manner of strange creatures from the abyss. For that, the Academy had awarded him the Agassiz Medal in 1918. The Spanish flu pandemic had delayed his coming to get it.

Albert Einstein was at the meeting in 1921, explaining his theory of relativity. But there were also talks “On the problem of steering an automobile around a corner” and on “The skin temperature of pachyderms.” (“I’ve just developed a theory of eternity,” Einstein is said to have muttered dryly , as time slowed in the lecture hall.) Prince Albert Grimaldi’s contribution, “Studies of the Ocean,” fell somewhere in the middle on the spectrum of scientific importance.  

And yet one thing about that speech still resonates powerfully today: Albert’s prescient awareness, highly unusual for the time, that even the ocean had limits. Long before the rise of factory ships, before the decline of fish stocks and coral reefs worldwide, at a time when the human population was a quarter of what it is now and few people were talking about the environment, let alone the global environment, the prince warned of the destructive effects of trawling the seas with “more and more powerful” ships that “work farther and farther, deeper and deeper.” He advocated the enforcement of “the reserved district principle”—what we would call marine protected areas.  

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A century later, the National Geographic Society promotes the establishment of such protected areas through its Pristine Seas program. The chairman of that program’s advisory board (though not a funder) is Prince Albert II, the great-great-grandson of Albert I. The current Prince Albert is not an oceanographer, but he has traveled more widely than Albert I and seen the damage to the ocean that his ancestor could only dimly foresee. As a head of state, even the second tiniest state, Prince Albert II has occasion to talk with others of that rank—and to open doors on behalf of the ocean.

“He’s been a key partner in the creation of some of these marine reserves,” says Enric Sala, the marine ecologist and National Geographic Explorer in Residence who founded Pristine Seas. “He works so hard for this.”  

Many people do that, of course. But not many have such a backstory.

A chance meeting in Paris with a gulper eel

The year Prince Albert I was born, 1848, was the year Monaco was reduced to its present size, losing its agricultural hinterlands, which ultimately became part of France. For Monaco and the Grimaldis, who had ruled the place since 1297, times were tough. Before Albert came of age, however, his father and canny grandmother had found a way out: They opened the Monte Carlo Casino. That move would later enable Albert’s ocean-combing life—but cast a shadow on it too.

In the early 1880s, after stints in the French and Spanish navies and a brief, catastrophic first marriage, Albert was living a life of undefined purpose in Paris, courting an American widow of whom his father disapproved. Then, in early 1884, he walked into an exhibit at the Museum of Natural History.

Two French ships had just completed   a series of expeditions in the Atlantic , and the exhibit was full of the deep-sea creatures they had collected. Tables were packed with jars of preserved specimens: a gulper eel with gaping jaws like a pelican’s; an assortment of odd crabs, worms, and mollusks; the first deep-sea microbes, analyzed in the lab of Louis Pasteur. The walls were tiled with drawings of the creatures. Nets used to collect them hung from the ceilings. Men in top hats and women in floor-length dresses crowded around the tables.

The exhibit was a smash hit—and a turning point for Albert. Already fond of cruising on his yacht, he resolved now to do science with it, “despite,” as he later recalled, “a complete lack of encouragement from my immediate entourage.” Oceanography was not a typical occupation of princes. But Albert had the resources, thanks to the casino, and he was convinced he could do it better than anyone.  

“That sense of will, maybe because he’s a sovereign, comes across in his writings,” says Antony Adler, a Carleton College historian, whose book Neptune’s Laboratory   includes an extensive account of Prince Albert. “He’s not a person who expresses uncertainty.”  

By 1889 he had enough specimens to mount his own first exhibit. At the Paris Universal Exposition, where the Eiffel Tower made its debut, Albert filled half the Monaco pavilion at the foot of the tower with ocean specimens and paraphernalia. 1889 was a big year for him: In September his father died, and Albert succeeded him as the ruler of Monaco. A few weeks later he married the American widow, who became Princess Alice.  

Soon she had a new yacht named after her, aboard which Albert would spend much of his time away from her at sea. So it went for the next quarter century, until World War I. His ships got progressively larger and better equipped.

“That the head of state would spend so much time on exploration—these expeditions were epic,” says Sala, who has led quite a few himself. “He was so ahead of his time.”

The oceanographer as rock star

Albert was a pioneering popularizer too. If you can believe a 1913 article in the San Francisco Chronicle , which Adler pointed out to me, Prince Albert’s public lectures in Paris were free but sold out and so popular that people scalped tickets for high prices. “At Peril of Life, Monaco Potentate Wrests Treasures from Great Depths,” read a headline on that article.

Journalists weren’t always so kind. Prince Albert’s wealth came from Monte Carlo at a time when gambling was widely considered immoral or even illegal. All his life he endured withering commentary about that from journalists on both sides of the Atlantic.

“There was a whole collection of satirical cartoons that appeared in France and other European countries and the U.S.,” says his descendant, Prince Albert II. “That upset him a lot.”  

But it may have strengthened his motivation to do good with his money.

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In Paris Albert I established institutes of peace and of paleontology, as well as oceanography. “For him all of these things were connected,” Adler says, by the idea that science could be the engine of human progress and international understanding.  

Albert’s greatest institutional creation, no doubt, was the Oceanographic Museum that he planted right in the Rock of Monaco , flush with the cliff that plunges to the Mediterranean. It was a kind of monumental counterweight to the casino at Monte Carlo, on the other side of the harbor, and he stuffed it with his own specimens and equipment—such as the   trihedral trap he had used to snare a new kind of deep-sea fish, Grimaldichthys profondissimus , from a depth of almost 20,000 feet off the Cape Verde Islands.

Sala, who grew up north of Barcelona, Spain, near the Costa Brava, remembers vividly his first visit to that “temple of the sea.”

“When I turned 19 and got my driving license and got my first used car, one of the first trips I made was to drive from my house to Monaco,” he says. “I left at night and got there in the morning when they opened the museum.”   Sleep-deprived but elated, Sala wandered through a magical world—“like an architectural version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea , like if Jules Verne had been an architect.”  

When that museum opened for the very first time, in 1910, Albert’s only son, Louis, was not there for the ceremony. The two were estranged. The boy’s mother, Albert’s first wife, had fled the palace in Monaco only a few months into their marriage, while she was still pregnant; Albert had not met Louis until the boy was 10. During his long absences at sea, his second wife, Alice, had taken up with a composer. One evening in 1902, seeing the two lovers exchange whispers at the opera house in Monaco, Albert became enraged and slapped her publicly. She fled too.  

“The voices of the stormy sea and the tempest winds are less cruel than a single mean word from the mouth of those one has loved,” Albert wrote in his memoir, The Career of a Navigator.

For a time it seemed his failure as a family man would cripple his legacy as an explorer. Louis took not the slightest interest in the sea. After the great man’s death in 1922, the Hirondelle II was sold off. It finished its own career as a coal ship on the Panama Canal.

Generations passed.

In 1957, Jacques Cousteau took over as director of the Oceanographic Museum; he had just made The Silent World , a film that introduced a new generation to the wonders of the deep.

A photo taken at the museum in 1960 shows a beaming Cousteau looking on as Prince Rainier III and his wife, the famous actress Grace Kelly, examine a life-size photo of Prince Albert I, leaning against the rail of one of his boats. Rainier is holding up his two-year-old son and heir, Albert, so that the little boy is face to face with his ancestor. Young Albert looks alarmed but also absolutely riveted.

Picking up the torch

One passage in Prince Albert’s 1921 speech brought me up short when I first read it:

"Finding himself in the presence of wealth, one might say, man loses completely the idea of providence. He seems then to suffer from a vertigo which drags him to the radical destruction of things, for there is no gift of nature that can survive the ill-considered enterprises of human industry."

When I spoke to Prince Albert II not long ago, I asked him about that passage. He was sitting in his office on the third floor of the east tower of the palace in Monaco, the office that had been his mother’s. It has windows on three sides, looking out over the harbor, the palace square, and the mountains. The Prince was in a reflective mood.

World War I had left his ancestor distraught, Prince Albert said, and the speech to the National Academy still carried the tinge of that disappointment. “He saw that humanity could easily destroy itself,” Albert II said. “The idea that it could destroy the planet came much later, but I think it was in the back of his mind.”

Yet Albert I retained to the end his optimistic belief in the power of science to guide us, said Albert II. And to the end, “he did not appreciate idle people.”

The current Prince’s own turning point came in 1992, when he accompanied his father, Prince Rainier, to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. There he realized that “aside from great speeches, very little is being done” to address global environmental problems. He resolved that Monaco would do more when his time came. The foundation he established 15 years ago has given more than a hundred million dollars to various causes, including marine conservation. The Monaco Blue Initiative promotes high-level global dialogue on the subject. The casino these days accounts for less than 4 percent of his country’s revenues, the Prince added.

“I hope people come to the realization that the time to act is now,” he said. “And I hope that my great-great-grandfather’s words still find an echo and can inspire them, the way he inspired me.”

An earlier version of this story said that the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation had donated nearly half a billion dollars to various causes. The correct figure is more than a hundred million dollars.

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