Day: 27 August 2018

An official at the Prince’s Palace has poured scorn on the claim that the family of a descendant of Prince Honoré III should have acceded to the throne of the Principality.

Count Louis de Causans has submitted a legal claim for more than 350 million euros against the French state for giving preference to a different line of the family. dismissing his family from the throne of Monaco.

Thomas Fouilleron, director of the archives of the Prince’s Palace said that the claim “makes no sense.” He points out that Prince Albert I used his authority by means of a decree, on November 15, 1911, to recognise the illegitimate daughter of Prince Louis, Charlotte, conferring on her a right of succession in the absence of a legitimate direct male heir of his son. Princess Charlotte renounced her position in 1944 in favour of her own son, Prince Rainier III.

Had Prince Albert I not made this move, it would have been possible for the Urach-Württemberg branch to become the rulers of Monaco at a time when Europe was in great turmoil. Certainly, the French authorities would not countenance German aristocrats at the head of the House of Grimaldi in the years just before the First World War.

Mr Fullerton claims: “It is the sovereign Princes of Monaco who have sovereignly organised their succession.The claim of Louis Causans… is without historical foundation.”

Despite dire warnings during the very dry summer that the French wine harvest would be one of the worst on record, news from the vineyards is rather positive. Indeed,  a report by phys.org says that the 2018 harvest promises to be a vintage year for French wine.

The earliest harvest in 15 years is already in full swing in the Champagne region – which has benefited most from the hot weather – with the first grapes picked in equally northerly Alsace two weeks ahead of schedule. With the quality of the grapes said to be high, a truly vintage year to match 2009 could be in the offing.

Only Corsica, Languedoc-Roussillon and the Riviera coast have reported poor grapes compared to the last five years.

Mildew could have been a problem during the wet spring, but the long, dry and hot summer has helped battle it, growers say.

The French government agency FranceAgriMer said that mildew and violent spring storms had also hit the harvest along “the Atlantic coast and particularly along the Mediterranean”.

“Vines love the sun,” said Bernard Farges, head of the union of winemakers in the prestigious Bordeaux region, where mildew took a toll on the Merlot grapes used in its famous clarets. However, production is still likely to be much higher than the disastrously small crop of 2017.

Two Nice residents have appeared in front of Monaco’s Criminal Court charged with theft involving top-end Gucci clothing.

Originally from the Ivory Coast, the two culprits were able to obtain a refund of 5,795 euros for clothes bought in Milan by a third party, a Russian. The garments had been stolen from a car in front of the upmarket Hotel Negresco in Nice on the day before the incident in Monaco.

When the man returned on the following day to cash in a credit note, the Monte-Carlo outlet had been told about the theft in Nice and the police were called.

In court, the two claimed to have bought the clothing for the sum of 900 euros on the street in Nice from a person of North Africa appearance.

Their alibi was not believed by the court and the male defendant was sentenced to eight months in jail, while his partner in crime escaped with one month suspended, as called for by the prosecuting counsel.

Monaco’s big efforts to fight greenhouse gas emissions is being noticed in the wider world, helping to changing perceptions about the Principality.

Monaco is not always the first destination that springs to mind when visitors consider sustainability, according to jetsettersblog.com. However, Visit Monaco’s newly-launched ‘Green is the New Glam’ campaign is working hard to change these perceptions as the Principality aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent before 2030, compared with 1990 levels, and reach total carbon neutrality by 2050.

“To ensure these goals are reached, Monaco has introduced several initiatives encouraging tourists and locals alike to be more eco-friendly. Seventeen bike stations, a solar-powered bus boat, a dozen hybrid buses and two Tesla-compatible charging stations mean that eco-conscious travellers can still experience the thrill of Monaco’s iconic roads and hairpin bends in style while reducing their carbon footprint. Monaco’s hotels are also getting on-board and participating in the government-funded ‘Smart+’ programme,” the blog says.