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Day: 8 May 2023

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene enthuse support for King Charles at his coronation

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/05/2023
prince albert charlene coronation

Monaco’s Prince Albert and Princess Charlene were amongst the most stylish – and publicly supportive – guests at the Coronation of King Charles III in London over the weekend.  

The Princely couple joined numerous heads of state in attendance at the Coronation of King Charles on 6th May at Westminster Abbey in London.  

Both were spectacularly turned out, she in a tasteful and elegant cream skirt suit and he in full military regalia, looking dignified and at ease.

They were also invited to take part in the pre-coronation reception held at Buckingham Palace on Friday night, which was followed by a supper at exclusive club Oswald’s, where they were given much attention by the British press.  

It was an occasion that vacillated between ancient tradition and modern times to great effect. The coronation of Britain’s new King, the first in 70 years, was not one to be forgotten. All the pomp and pageantry from days of old was on full display, mingling alongside such contemporary touches as high-definition television transmission, a gospel octet and a far shorter and lower key ceremony than previous incarnations.  

This was the first time that a reigning Monegasque pprince has personally attended the crowning of a British monarch. In 1953, the coronation was attended by Prince Pierre on behalf of Prince Rainier III, but the relationship between Charles and Albert made the latter’s attendance more than natural.  

The two men have known each other for several years, and have attended many of the same ceremonies, events and festivities over the decades. This has allowed them to create a more personal bond, one which has grown with time due to common interests in the environment and in other charitable causes.  

In an interview with TF1 given before the coronation, Prince Albert had glowing things to say about King Charles, saying, “He goes spontaneously towards people, he likes crowds. I really believe that he has a natural empathy towards people. This will mark, I think, his reign.”  

 

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Photo source: Palais Princier de Monaco

Q&A with Elsa Head Chef Mélanie Serre

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/05/2023
Chef Mélanie Serre

When Elsa reopened in April for the season, the former 100% organic restaurant had a new emphasis: to be a restaurant inspired by nature, enhanced by delicate creativity.

Monaco Life spoke to Chef Mélanie Serre about the sustainable fine dining restaurant at Monte-Carlo Beach.

Monaco Life: This is your second year at Elsa. After understanding the restaurant, its clientele and the concept, how have you adapted/evolved the menu this year?

Mélanie Serre: This year, we have chosen to remove ourselves from the constraints of organic farming in order to work as closely as possible to the nature that surrounds us. It means fewer obligations for our suppliers, and more creative possibilities for me in the kitchen. For example, I used nettles on my spring menu: herbs that are found in large quantities in nature, along the paths, and which grow without chemicals and yet were not considered organic because they are not certified by an organisation.

Do you often get out in the gardens and see for yourself what is fresh and available? Does it inspire your dishes?

We work with the Domaine d’Agerbol, located in Roquebrune Cap Martin, 700m as the crow flies from the hotel. This garden produces only for Monte-Carlo Beach, and we go regularly with the teams or with my sous chef to admire the new shoots or to collect some herbs and flowers. We are then delivered produce two-to-three times a week to the restaurant for vegetables.

You’ve received some important accolades in the last year – Grande de Demain by Gault et Millau, the Ethical and Sustainability Award in the recent La Liste… As a young female chef, what do these acknowledgments mean to you?

These are two great rewards that I am very happy to share with my team in the kitchen, but also with my team in the dining room. We work hard every day to satisfy our customers, to create new recipes, to work responsibly from an ecological and environmental point of view. Today our daily steps seem completely normal to us because they have been acquired by the whole team, but it is always nice to be rewarded for our efforts.

Monte-Carlo Beach General Manager Daniele Garcelon says the goal now is to gain back the Michelin star that the restaurant lost under the previous chef. Is that your goal too?

The priority is and will always remain for me to have happy customers, and customers who come back and that we retain. Of course, we all want the Michelin star back at Elsa restaurant. But that’s not my motivation every morning to go to work. I think that if we take pleasure in doing our job, together as a team, the clients will feel it, and the guides will also feel it… So we have to continue the adventure, as we started last year, and one day, we will be rewarded.

 

SEE ALSO:

Elsa at Monte-Carlo Beach reopens with even more emphasis on local produce

 

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Photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM

 

Premium Japanese brand Decorté targets Monaco luxury market with new spa pop-up

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/05/2023

Monaco continues to raise the stakes in luxury wellbeing with high-end Japanese skincare brand Decorté setting up shop in the Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo spa this summer.

It’s a winning formula that began in 2022, when Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo launched the concept of pop-ups for guests: Paoma, MyBlend and Barbara Sturm… All high-end wellbeing brands available for a short time only.

For this summer season, the flagship spa of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer has teamed up with Japanese brand Decorté, part of the Kosé group and a market leader in Asia but lesser known in Europe.

“In a small place like Monaco, we have to make new opportunities and events,” says Vanessa Lunghi, General Deputy Director at Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo. “We have clients who come for each new pop-up to try the brands.”

It will be one of three premium brands hosted by the spa this year.

AQM Emulsion by Decorté

Skincare linking nature and traditional science

The brand statement of Decorté, created in 1970, is “undeniable elegance born from uncompromising Japanese craftsmanship”.

In 1992, Decorté revolutionised the world of cosmetics with the first liposomes, which are micro-capsules designed to protect and transport cosmetic active ingredients to the heart of the skin.

The brand uses regenerative medicine and neuroscience in the making of its skincare products, as well as rare ingredients, often from the plant world.

It is this harmony – between art and science, tradition and innovation – that made the brand attractive to Vanessa Lunghi who, together with her team, makes the careful selection of brands to feature in the spa.

“We choose brands that have a rich history and are not currently present in Monaco or the surrounding area,” says Lunghi. “The staff are very happy because with every new brand, they learn new protocols and techniques. They were trained for 10 days with a Decorté specialist.”

Kosé Group is one of Asia’s top three cosmetics companies and has more than 30 brands, 200 scientists and 800 patents.

The Thermes Marins spa, linked by direct access to the Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo and the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, will be hosting the Decorté brand until 10th September 2023.

 

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Photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM

 

 

NAMA Enterprise moves to Monaco to enhance presence in global commodity market

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/05/2023

NAMA Enterprise has moved its operations to Monaco as part of its strategic expansion plans, aiming to strengthen its relationships with clients in the global commodity market.

NAMA Enterprise, established 15 years ago, has three business trading units that include food, feed, energy and petrochemicals.

“We are thrilled to announce our move to Monaco,” said Nicolas Mazza, NAMA Enterprise’s Managing Director. “This strategic move allows us to better serve our clients in the region and expand our reach in the global market.”

According to NAMA Enterprise, its move to Monaco comes at a time when the company is experiencing significant growth and expansion. Driven by the growing demand for renewable energy sources, NAMA Enterprise has expanded its operations into the biomass and wood pellet industry. The company is currently considering the acquisition of a production site in Greece to expand its biomass and wood pellet production capabilities.

“We are particularly excited about the growth and demand in the biomass and wood pellet industry, and are targeting sales of over 2000T of A1 premium wood pellets by the end of 2023,” said George Vasilopoulos, NAMA Enterprise’s European Head of Business.

In addition to its existing trading units, NAMA Enterprise has expanded its food trading units with whey protein concentrate and sugar. The company is looking to expand its dairy business with its production partner in Germany and has recently launched its own sugar brand, produced in the UAE.

“At NAMA Enterprise, we are committed to delivering exceptional results for our clients and establishing ourselves as a leading player in the industry,” added Mazza. “Our move to Monaco represents a significant milestone for our company, and we look forward to continuing to serve our clients with the highest levels of quality and service.”

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Monaco Life with press release

The 2023 Monaco ePrix in photos

by: Luke Entwistle
08/05/2023
Jake Hughes at the Monaco ePrix

After a thrilling Monaco ePrix, Monaco Life brings you a selection of the top photos from the “Electric Odyssey’s” passage in the Principality.

Monaco’s motor-sporting month of May kicked off with the 6th edition of the ePrix on Saturday, with Nick Cassidy winning a thrilling race that included 116 overtakes.

Before the return of Formula 1’s single-seaters later this month, it was the turn of their electrical cousins to take to the winding streets of Monte-Carlo. As Maserati MSG Racing team principal James Rossiter told Monaco Life, “the races in the Gen3 era have been phenomenal,” and the Monaco ePrix was no exception.

Here are some of the highlights of the week, both on and off the track:

 

READ ALSO:

FORMULA E HIGHLIGHTS: NICK CASSIDY COMES FROM NINTH TO WIN MONACO EPRIX

EXCLUSIVE: MSG’S JAMES ROSSITER SAYS “EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE” AT HOME MONACO EPRIX

 

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Photos by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life

Monaco news round-up

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/05/2023
monaco news

Monaco Life rounds up the latest news and announcements from the Monegasque government and local entities, from environmental discussions and food security to a new ambassador to China.  

Meetings, conferences and momentous occasions: here’s a rundown of the important local stories and events to happen in the Principality in recent days.  

ECO-RESPONSIBLE POLICIES 

The Department of Equipment, Environment and Urban Planning met on 18th April to discuss the present and future ways the country is approaching sustainable and environmentally responsible town planning, notably on the coast.

99% of Monaco’s coastline is artificial and the government is looking particularly hard at ways to limit impact whilst contributing to positive economic development. Among the measures discussed: limiting the size of cruise ships in the port, new tools for preserving marine biodiversity with tidepools and biohuts, and a tourism white paper to be distributed by the Tourist and Convention Authority. Future plans include building regulated mooring areas that will protect fragile seabeds. 

MONACO’S NEW AMBASSADOR IN CHINA 

Marie-Pascale Boisson, Monaco’s new Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, presented her Letters of Credence to President XI Jinping on 24th April in a ceremony at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. During his speech to the number of incoming ambassadors present, the Chinese Head of State stressed his country’s commitment to peaceful development and willingness to work with the international community to address global challenges as well as promote world security.  

Marie-Pascale Boisson and President Xi Jinping, photo source Government of Monaco

FOOD SECURITY CHALLENGES AT UN COUNCIL 

From 24th to 28th April, Monaco sent representatives to the 172nd session of the United Nations Council of Food and Agriculture in Rome. Ambassador Anne Eastwood met with many other diplomats and government representatives who had gathered to listen to expert reports about how wars, economic disruptions and climate change are jeopardising food security. Monaco aligned itself with European Union declarations to continue contributing to the positive contributions being made to deal with the crisis.  

SAINT BART’S COMES TO MONACO  

Thomas Gréaux and associates from the Multi-Professional Economic Chamber (CEM) of Saint Barthélemy visited the Principality from 24th to 28th April to meet with local players in the tourism, transportation and environmental sectors. They were welcomed by the Monaco Economic Board and key Monegasque companies, with whom they exchanged views on the socio-economic particularities of the Principality while discussing the similarities between the two states. One leading topic of conversation was how Monegasque systems could be applied to the Caribbean island nation.  

ISRAEL CELEBRATES 75TH ANNIVERSARY 

The State of Israel has turned 75 and Minister of State Pierre Dartout used the occasion to receive Haïm Waxman, Business Manager at the Israeli Embassy in France, to the Principality on 4th May to congratulate the nation on its landmark anniversary.  

 

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Photo of the Department of Equipment, Environment and Urban Planning meeting supplied by the Monaco Communications Department