Looking back at a year of Prince Rainier III centenary celebrations

23/02/2024

In honour of the final meeting of the Committee for the Commemorations of the Centenary of the Birth of Prince Rainier III on 20th February, we take a look back at the main events that punctuated a very special year for Monaco.

It has been a full nine months of homages, dedications and celebrations of the late Prince Rainier III in commemoration of what would have been his 100^th birthday. The events have run the gamut between intimate, solemn, fun-filled and deeply touching with one thing abundantly clear throughout – the trailblazing and extremely modern Prince, who reigned for 56 years, was much-adored by his people and his family.

As it all comes to a close, Monaco Life is looking back on the standout celebrations and events held in tribute to this extraordinary man.

*Official celebrations in the Palace Square. Photo source: Prince’s Palace*

The kick off

The celebrations started on 31^st May 2023, what would have been Prince Rainier’s 100^th birthday, with a party at the Prince’s Palace on the Rock. Music, dancing and general merriment punctuated the all-day and evening event and a showcase of vehicles from the Rainier-inspired Prince’s Car Collection were trotted out, with some members of the Princely family taking turns behind the wheel.

*Prince Albert, Princess Charlene and their children in a car from the Prince’s Car Collection, a project initiated by Prince Rainier III, on 31st May 2023. Photo source: Prince’s Palace*

The commemorations continued with a series of lectures, films, exhibitions and concerts, including a gala hosted by the Rainier III Academy on 14^th June featuring students accompanied by the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra.

This was followed in July by the premiere of a documentary by Yann-Antony Noghes called Rainier III par Lui-Même and an exhibition entitled Rainer III, The Builder Prince, tracking the Prince’s commitment to modernising his state: physically, politically and economically.

Prince Albert with Princess Stephanie, her son Louis Ducruet and Lara Terlizzi-Enza, Director of the Office of Postage Stamp Issues, during the presentation of the €50 gold commemorative coin. Photo credit: Frederic Nebinger, Communication Department

Some other highlights include the minting of a €2 coin, as well as a €50 gold commemorative coin in his honour, musical shows featuring classical music and his beloved jazz, performances of his favourite ballets by the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, and a fun and well-received window decoration competition.

One of the biggest events was the Bal du Centenaire at the Casino on 20^th October. Prince Albert and Princess Stephanie headed up the gala evening, that included a private performance by Leona Lewis on the stage of the Opera de Monte-Carlo.

*Prince Albert II and Princess Stephanie dancing at the Centenary Ball in the Opera Garnier of the Casino de Monte-Carlo. Photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM*

In November, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene inaugurated two canons from 1881 that have been recommissioned specially to mark the centenary of the birth of the late Prince Rainier III.

As 2023 came to an end, the annual Christmas Village, this year entitled Rainier III, Passionate Prince, was dedicated to him as well, featuring scenes decorated with photos of the Prince enjoying the things he loved most: motor sports, the arts, animals and the sea.

monaco cannons — *Prince Albert and Princess Charlene officially inaugurated the recommissioning of two cannons in November. Photo credit: Eric Mathon / Palais Princier de Monaco*

But it’s not over just yet. The exhibition Un Prince, Un Musée (One Prince, One Museum) will br running until 31^st March at the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology.

SEE ALSO:

Prince Albert and Princess Stéphanie give glimpse into life with father Prince Rainier III

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How much is the maritime sector worth in Monaco? €1.8 billion to be exact

by: Elsa Carpenter

23/02/2024

For the very first time, the real and quantifiable economic impact of Monaco’s maritime sector has been revealed in an official report, confirming the enormous value of this industry in a Principality that “cannot exist without the sea”.

The sea has been a feature of daily life in Monaco since the very beginning. It is possible that the Principality owes its name to passing Phoenicians of the Ancient Mediterranean, who are believed to have stopped off in its natural harbours sometime around 1,700BCE and brought their style of civilisation to the Ligurian tribes who likely lived in the area.

In the millennia that followed, fishing boats would have been the most dominant crafts floating in the port, but today they have been largely replaced by sleek sailboats, luxurious motor yachts, giant cruise ships and vessels destined for international waters the world over.

See more: How did Monaco’s Port Hercule get its name?

In early February, the most important regional players in the yachting industry gathered at the Yacht Club de Monaco for the annual La Belle Classe Superyachts Business Symposium.

A platform for discussion on the trends, influences and challenges of the sector in Monaco and in the French Riviera, this year’s edition also provided Pascal Ferry and Benjamin Cauquil, the deputy director and research manager of IMSEE, with the perfect opportunity to present the statistical agency’s first ever compilation of data on the Principality’s maritime and yachting sectors.

Understanding the maritime industry

As explained in the report, Monaco’s maritime economy encompasses all activities that cannot exist without the sea, from trade and design to naval consultancy, repair and maintenance, legal services relating to maritime law, and fisheries and aquaculture, among others.

In 2022, the year from which the data was gathered, the maritime industry in Monaco was made up of 635 establishments representing a range of major economic sectors. The largest share belonged to the wholesale trade sector, followed by scientific and technical activities, then transportation and storage.

There were 15 companies dedicated to financial and insurance activities, nine handling retail trade, nine running affiliated information and communications businesses, and six construction entities.

Combined, these 635 businesses represented 3,268 employees and generated €1.8 billion in revenue in 2022 – almost 10% of the overall revenue produced in Monaco that year.

Yachting, a thriving sector

The yachting industry is considered a sub-sector of the maritime economy in the report, but accounted for 411 of the afore-mentioned maritime businesses, equating to 3.7% of all companies registered in Monaco, and employed just shy of 1,500 salaried workers.

The largest sector was, again, wholesale trade. Almost one in two yachting businesses recorded in the report were linked to this area of expertise, with a particular weight given to those involved in the sale of vessels.

Of the €567.1 million generated by the yachting sector in 2022, close to €310 million was produced by the wholesale trade sector. This influence was summarised in the report as being “largely thanks to the agents involved in the sale of ships, who generate more than half of the yachting turnover: €288.6 million or 50.9%”.

Other yachting sectors highlighted in the report: the scientific and technical activities sector, which generated €84.7 million, with €21.2 million deriving from specialist design services; and the transportation and storage sector, the second-largest after wholesale trade with a 17.8% share of total revenue. This sub-sector includes services such as chartering and transportation organisation (€43.6 million), sea and coastal passenger water transportation (€47.1 million) and service activities incidental to water transportation (€47.1 million).

Monaco’s role in the regional yachting scene

Alongside the presentation of the IMSEE report, a number of enlightening insights into Monaco’s role in the broader yachting industry of the French Riviera were also revealed. It is estimated that the yachting sector in the ‘Région Sud’ brought in €1.1 billion during 2022, meaning that the Principality contributed close to half of this total.

Alluding to the positive changes behind made by Monaco’s own yachting industry, namely in the realm of environmental practice, François de Canson, the president of the Regional Tourism Committee, said, “We must embody the yachting of tomorrow, as it is in the Western Mediterranean where everything happens, is invented and implemented. It’s by combining forces with the Principality that we will rise to these challenges, while ensuring we maintain our attractiveness and continue to develop this sector in our region.”

To read the report for yourself, click here.

Read related:

YCM inaugurates green hydrogen pontoon, plunging further into sustainable yachting

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Main photo credit: Yacht Club de Monaco

March to be Video Game Month at the Médiathèque de Monaco

by: Stephanie Horsman

23/02/2024

Throughout the month of March, the Médiathèque de Monaco will be hosting a series of video game-themed events, including tournaments, exhibitions and movie screenings.

It may be hard to imagine, but mainstream video games have been around for five decades now. The first games from back in the 1970s were much less sophisticated affairs than today’s, with simple tennis-style games like Pong dominating the market. A few years later came the explosively popular Pac-Man and Space Invaders, games that really did take the world by storm.

The gaming world of 2024 is incredibly refined by those standards, with hi-tech advances in imagery and interactivity allowing gamers to enjoy experiences far beyond what was even imaginable in the early days.

To celebrate this rich alt-world, the Louis Notari Library, the Princess Caroline Library and the José Notari Video-Sound Library will be hosting a series of events focused entirely on video games next month.

Enthusiasts can attend video game-themed workshops, conferences, screenings, exhibitions and concerts, and there will even be a tournament headed up by The Nice Geek for the more competitive players.

In all, 19 events will take place over the course of the month. The full programme is available here as well as all the information you need on how to sign up for specific events.

Photo source: Jeshoots.com, Unsplash

Maternity leave rights extended to independent workers in Monaco

by: Stephanie Horsman

23/02/2024

In a landmark decision, the Conseil National has voted in a new law enshrining maternity rights for Monaco’s independent workforce.

The government-inspired bill was presented to the Council just three months ago.

On 22nd February, it became law following a unanimous decision by Council members, without amendment, to offer the same benefits enjoyed by public and private sector employees to independent workers affiliated with Monaco’s Caisse d’Assurance Maladie, Accident et Maternité des Travailleurs Indépendants (CAMTI).

A full breakdown of the rights accorded to pregnant women and new mothers in Monaco can be found here.

A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

A collaborative effort between the CAMTI Control Committee, representatives of the Government and the Monaco Social Funds, the new scheme was created not only to benefit independent workers, but to improve the system in general.

According to Government Advisor-Minister of Social Affairs and Health Christophe Robino, the reforms “will make it possible to further strengthen the social protection system of the Principality”.

“This system will constitute, at the same time, an additional tool of socio-economic attractiveness in a key sector for the economy and competitiveness of the country,” he said.

The CAMTI scheme is the latest measure in a series of forward-thinking policies being instituted by the government, such as the establishment of family allowances under CAMTI, the legal sharing of leave among colleagues, and the extension of maternity and paternity leave to all workers, regardless of the sector they work in.

In the coming weeks and months, a further text on parental leave rights for private law employers is due to be discussed by the Conseil National.

Photo source: Camylla Battani, Unsplash

Monaco Oceanographic Institute and AWI join forces to save polar wildlife

by: Cassandra Tanti

23/02/2024

In a landmark collaboration aimed at preserving the fragile ecosystems of polar regions, the Monaco Oceanographic Institute and the Alfred Wegener Institute have forged a strategic alliance. The partnership, inaugurated in the presence of Prince Albert II of Monaco, signifies a profound commitment to scientific cooperation and public engagement in the realm of polar, marine, and coastal conservation.

Against the backdrop of the prestigious Polar Symposium hosted by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), the Oceanographic Institute and Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) penned a historic Memorandum of Understanding on 22nd February.

The AWI conducts research in the polar regions, and provides ships such as the research icebreaker Polarstern, as well as stations to the international scientific community.

This agreement pledges a concerted joint effort over the next five years to advance research, protection, and public awareness initiatives crucial for safeguarding polar biodiversity.

It will include collaborative research projects, the organisation of scientific events, and the exchange of information useful for research.

Shaping the future of polar conservation

The partnership strengthens the actions already being jointly undertaken by the Oceanographic Institute and AWI in supporting the creation of Marine Protected Areas.

An engagement journey organised by the Oceanographic Institute to the Antarctic Peninsula welcomed several scientists on board, facilitating the collection of data on the Danger Islands archipelago, a rarely visited part of the peninsula. This data: biological, ecological, topographical, and pollution-related, will be valuable to AWI and will contribute to discussions surrounding the creation of a Specially Protected Area of Antarctica (SPAA) on the Danger Islands, home to one of the largest penguin colonies in the world.

Photo: Prince Albert II of Monaco with, from left to right, Robert Calcagno (Director General of the Oceanographic Institute), Timm A. Bergold (Honorary Consul of Germany in the Principality of Monaco), Prof. Dr Antje Boetius (Director of the Alfred Wegener AWI Institute), Henry Burgess (President of the International Arctic Science Committee IASC) and Cyril Gomez (Deputy Director General of the Oceanographic Institute). Source: Monaco Oceanographic Institute

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Monaco Ocean Week 2024: A quest for viable and achievable solutions

Day: 23 February 2024