The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall continued their three-day visit to the South of France on Tuesday, after having spent Monday night privately in the Alpes-Maritimes.
The couple’s French sojourn started with the Prince and Duchess paying tribute to the victims of Bastille Day, almost two years ago in Nice. The heir to the British throne met a number of relatives of those who lost their lives and also members of the security services.
They had been welcomed on the tarmac of Nice-Côte d’Azur Airport by the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, and his wife, and the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, Georges-François Leclerc.
The Royal Couple were then greeted at Musée Massena, across from the Negresco Hotel, where the 69-year-old Royal gave a speech, alternating seamlessly between French and English, before meeting with local British residents, including some of the 30 people from Monaco who were present for the ceremony.
Photo: Advance/Monaco Life
This was the HSH’s 33rd official visit to France, a result, he said, of “the special closeness between the two countries and the indispensable relationship we enjoy”.
“We are neighbours by fate, partners by choice and friends because of the shared experience and deep affection that binds us,” declared Prince Charles, whose youngest son, Prince Harry, will marry the American actress Meghan Markle on May 19.
“Time and again, we have stood together, and struggled together, for the values we both cherish. These are the ties that bind and ones that will continue to evolve.”
Photo: Advance/Monaco Life
Also on Monday, Prince Charles and Camilla visited the old town of Eze, reportedly chatting with townspeople.
On Tuesday, the couple headed to Lyon for a ceremony commemorating VE Day during which the Prince of Wales laid a wreath to honour the victims of the Second World War in Europe.
They plan to return to Nice on Wednesday, May 9, for a “stroll in the heart of town,” before returning to London.
To mark the royal visit, Union jacks have been flying along the Promenade des Anglais. Notably, Paris was not on the couple’s itinerary on this French visit.
Prince Albert was received by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday, May 7, when he arrived at Parliament House in Ottawa, Canada’s capital. The two Heads of State, who share the same interests in environmental issues, discussed the commitments made under the Paris Agreement, the threats related to climate change, particularly in the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as the preservation of the oceans.
All of these are common concerns that have a long history of bringing the two countries closer together.
The North and South Poles are the first witnesses to global warming and Canada’s geographical position makes it one of the world’s first impacted territories. The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has been addressing these issues since its inception in 2006.
Photo: F. Nebinger/Palais Princier de Monaco
Photo: F. Nebinger/Palais Princier de Monaco
Photo: F. Nebinger/Palais Princier de Monaco
Photo: F. Nebinger/Palais Princier de Monaco
Photo: F. Nebinger/Palais Princier de Monaco
Photo: F. Nebinger/Palais Princier de Monaco
Photo: F. Nebinger/Palais Princier de Monaco
Photo: F. Nebinger/Palais Princier de Monaco
The visit of the Sovereign Prince and his delegation continued with a luncheon hosted by Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, where issues of common interest to both parties were discussed, particularly ocean conservation and marine pollution.
Prince Albert later went to the Canadian Museum of History to see the exhibition “To perish in the ice: The mystery of the Franklin Expedition.” The Sovereign was received by George J. Furey and Geoff Regan, respectively Speaker of the Senate and Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons.
In the evening, the Monegasque delegation took part in a dinner hosted by Governor General Julie Payette to celebrate 10 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The eleventh Grand Prix Historique will take place from Friday, May 11 to Sunday, May 13 in the Principality with, this year, trial sessions from Friday in the morning.
In the circumstances, the Prince’s Government wishes to draw the attention of road users to the fact that the circuit will be closed on Friday, May 11, from 7 am with reopening scheduled for the same evening at 7:30 pm.
On the following days, the opening and closing times of the circuit are programmed as follows: Saturday, May 12: closure of the circuit at 6:30 am, reopening at 7:30 pm; Sunday, May 13: closure of the circuit at 7 am and reopening at 7:30 pm. Additional information: www.acm.mc
Following their installation in new premises on Monday, May 7, the Children and Family Division, whose offices were previously in the buildings of San Sebastian and Les Cedres, and the Social Inclusion and Disability Division, previously at the Louis II Stadium, are now grouped together on the same site as their Management, on the second floor and third floors of the Fontvieille Shopping Centre. The lift for access is next to the Fontvieille Pharmacy.
Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Didier Gamerdinger, who wanted to meet the professionals of the Department, said that the new spaces will allow for a more efficient operation of the social action of the Principality.
The directorate has forged positive links with its beneficiaries over the years in all areas, particularly in the granting of aid to disabled persons and psycho-socio-educational support for children at risk and disabled persons, both youth and adults.
Behind Stéphane Valeri and Marie-Pierre Grimaglia, Fabrice Notari, President of the National Council’s Commission “Environment and Quality of Life” , Brigitte Boccone-Pagès, Vice-President of the Institution and Jean-Luc Nguy. Photo: Michaël Alesi/DC
Stéphane Valeri, President of the National Council, on Monday, May 7, signed a Charter of Commitment to the National Pact for Energy Transition, in the name of the High Assembly of the Principality in the presence of Marie-Pierre Gramaglia, Minister of Public Works, Environment and Urban Development. The objective is to commit to a decarbonated Monaco.
The National Pact, set up last January, aims to engage the those living and working in Monaco in order to reach the objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, set at a reduction of 50 percent in 2030 compared to 1990, and to carbon neutrality in 2050.
The three priorities are mobility, waste and energy. There are also a dozen sectoral action plans – for institutions, individuals, hotels, businesses, developers, architects, industries – that have mandatory minimums in terms of avoiding greenhouse gas emissions.
Prince Albert, followed by his Government, were the first signatories of the National Pact, which now has nearly 400 adherents.
For more information on the pact, see the website.
In a recent Forbes’ article titled, “Is Overweight A Fact Or A Feeling?”, published in January of this year, a Gallup Poll reported that 42 percent of Americans self-report as being “overweight”. Journanalist Michael Durkheimer was trying to determine whether “‘overweight’ a fact or a feeling”.
If you fall into the “fact” category and are considering how to go about shedding those extra pounds, there are two proven methods to choose, based on your personal needs and preferences.
The first option – Lifestyle Tweak – starts and ends with yourself, so if you really want to keep weight off, it requires permanent lifestyle tweaks. There are no quick fixes, otherwise, the weight loss is temporary.
To get started on your weight loss journey, you need to take a look at four areas of your lifestyle that are likely to require change: food, exercise, sleep and stress management.
For example, you might start eating more fibre-rich vegetables and aim to drink more water. Or being more physically active might involve simply getting up every hour if you have a desk job, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and parking your car farther from an entrance. If you’re living in Monaco, all you need is a comfortable pair of shoes and stay away from anything that transports you without you having to move your legs.
Going to the gym regularly is helpful, but don’t expect it to make up for those morning pancakes. Generally speaking, the amount of exercise required to burn off calories is massive: two hours of brisk walking to work off a 500-calorie piece of cake). This is why we say weight loss is 80 percent diet and 20 percent exercise.
Then there’s lifestyle factor #4: sleep. Since sleep impacts hunger and satiety hormones, getting enough shuteye can make or break your weight loss efforts.
I have clients who are doing all these great things with their eating habits and going to the gym, but they don’t realize that a lack of sleep is really shattering their goals. Sleep is critical for weight loss.
The majority of adults require seven to eight hours of sleep, some need as many as nine. A lot of people are walking around sleep-deprived – but the less sleep you get, the higher your weight tends to be.
Last but not least, stress is also a big hurdle when it comes to losing weight. A steroid hormone, cortisol release under enduring stress can make weight loss difficult for a couple of reasons. High levels of the hormone attack muscle mass, slowing metabolism as the muscle burns calories to simply exist. Additionally, unwanted cortisol release results in the storage of fat mostly in the abdominal area as emergency storage.
Other signs of elevated cortisol levels are high blood glucose levels, high blood pressure and fatigue.
Experiencing stressful situations causes the body to undergo a variety of hormonal changes, including the release of adrenaline and cortisol. Under enduring stress, these cravings can lead to unwanted weight gain due to high level of cortisol release in the body. When a stressful situation is over, the release of cortisol results in an increase of appetite.
If you’re not seeing any results after a couple of months, meeting with a professional who is aware of your health history and can personalise a plan based on your habits and food preferences can be enormously helpful. For those with medical conditions, it’s especially important to avoid fad diets or diets that eliminate food groups and seek the expertise of an experienced registered practitioner.
Applying behavioural changes and strategies to help you achieve your goals can help you. Set mini-goals that are specific and measured on a weekly basis, like taking a daily 15-minute walk before dinner.
For many, the simple notion of just “eating less and moving more” in order to lose weight might seem oversimplified – and a hard nut to crack. In fact, there is a physiological basis for why it is so difficult. Once you lose even a few pounds by reducing calories, your body fights to preserve your “original” weight, in part by slowing down your metabolism and increasing your appetite. This can lead to frustration and the desire to give up, which can cause us to regain the weight we’ve lost, and more, despite our best intentions and effort.
If despite making changes to your diet, exercising, sleep patterns and managing your stress, you’re not seeing results after a couple of months, meeting with a professional who is aware of your health history and who can personalise a plan based on your habits and food preferences can be enormously helpful. For those with medical conditions, it’s especially important to avoid fad diets or diets that eliminate food groups and seek the expertise of an experienced registered practitioner.
If you are unable to lose weight or you hit a plateau, and you’ve ruled out other possible causes that might prevent weight loss – such as hypothyroidism, Cushing Syndrome or medications associated with weight gain – it might be time to consider medical options such as weight loss medication or surgery. More on that next time.
Udi Gon-Paz is a Clinical Nutritionist licensed in Monaco and specialising in stress management for holistic wellbeing. Article first published May 7, 2018.
