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Month: May 2024

Photos: Princess Charlene celebrates 10th anniversary with COCC

by: Elsa Carpenter
06/05/2024

Over the weekend, Monaco’s Princess Charlene joined in with the street party celebrations laid on by the Champagne and Oyster Cycling Club (COCC) to mark the 10th edition of the group’s annual charity bike ride from Saint Tropez to Monaco.  

After an early morning start in Saint Tropez on Sunday 5th May, more than 90 riders climbed into the saddle for the 140-kilometre ride back to the Principality of Monaco, where they were met by Princess Charlene as well as hundreds of supporters. 

Though the final amount of money raised by the event is yet to be revealed, the 2023 ride generated more than €70,000 for the Princess’ eponymous foundation, which teaches water safety and drowning prevention techniques to children around the world.  

A portion of the funds raised during the 2024 edition will also go to the UK-based motor neuron disease charity My Name’5 Doddie.  

Princess Charlene joined the Champagne and Oyster Cycling Club riders, their families and their friends in celebrating the 10th edition of the charity bike ride after an after party event at Slammers in Monaco. Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department 

Princess Charlene welcomed the riders across the finish line in Monaco in the afternoon, congratulating them on their efforts and the landmark anniversary of an event that was started by a group of seven local friends back in 2011.  

The day concluded with a very well-attended street party-style celebration at Slammers on Rue Suffren Reymond in the Condamine neighbourhood.

Princess Charlene appeared on stage alongside a number of prominent COCC members, including F1 legend Eddie Jordan, and a fabulous red and white cake that commemorated the COCC’s important fundraising achievements over the years.

Click on the images below to see more from the event: 

 

Read related:

Champagne and Oyster Cycle Club to celebrate 10th anniversary with street party in Monaco

 

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Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department 

Prince Albert II and Princess Caroline commemorate four decades of the Princess Grace Rose Garden

by: Niki Borisova
06/05/2024

With the Princess Grace Rose Garden in full bloom, Prince Albert II and Princess Caroline headed down to the public park last Friday to celebrate its 40th anniversary. 

2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the Princess Grace Rose Garden in Fontvieille, a bloom-filled public space that was founded in the late Princess’ memory two years after her death.  

A special celebration was held to mark the occasion on Friday 3rd May, and Prince Albert II and Princess Caroline, the eldest children of Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace, took part in the commemorations alongside other notable guests from the Principality and 35 children from the Centre de Loisirs Prince Albert II.  

The garden was filled with laughter and delight as the children took part in a treasure hunt and gardening workshops, while Prince Albert and Princess Caroline toured the selection of flowers presented as part of the Concours International de Roses Nouvelles de Monaco. 

35 children from the Centre de Loisirs Prince Albert II were invited to join in with the celebrations. Photo credit: Axel Bastello / Palais Princier de Monaco

A photography exhibition documenting the history of the garden and its many stages of construction was also erected for the event. It will remain on display for the rest of the year.  

See more: Pretty pink and ivory roses win the judges’ hearts at the Concours International de Roses

Roses were the favourite flower of Princess Grace as they are a symbol of femininity, representing love, beauty and balance.  

She is quoted as having once said, “What is so special about a rose that it seems far more than a flower? Perhaps it is the mystery it has gathered through the ages, perhaps it is the joy that it continues to give.”  

The garden, which was inspired by the layout of a typical English rose garden with touches of the Mediterranean, is home to more than 315 varieties of rose. The 6,000 specimens are divided into seven themes, with pathways that crisscross the park and encourage the visitor to stop and smell their unique perfumes.  

A bronze statue of Princess Grace that was made by Kees Verkade in 1983 overlooks the enchanting garden.  

Prince Rainier III founded the Princess Garden Rose Garden in honour of his late wife and her favourite flower in 1984. Photo credit: Axel Bastello / Palais Princier de Monaco

For more information about the garden, click here.  

Click on the images below to see more of the day:

 

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Photo credit: Axel Bastello / Palais Princier de Monaco

F1: Charles Leclerc on the podium as Lando Norris wins in Miami

by: Elsa Carpenter
06/05/2024

With Charles Leclerc securing P3 in Miami, along with a second-place finish in the Sprint race, the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team has made a strong start to a big month of racing. 

After a good showing in qualifying, Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc started the Miami Grand Prix on the front row, in P2, on Sunday 5th May.  

He appeared slow off the line, however, and though he initially held on to his position, he was overtaken by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri on Lap 5. The young Australian later drove the fastest lap of the race.  

Leclerc benefitted from a well-time – and rapid – pitstop on Lap 19, rejoining in sixth. He spent the rest of the race gradually working his way up through the field. 

His P3 finish brings Ferrari’s tally to six podiums across the six races of the 2024 season thus far.  

His teammate, Carlos Sainz, finished in a respectable P4, but was later demoted to P5 due to a five-second time penalty and one penalty point on his licence for having caused a collision with Piastri. 

Their combined results from the weekend have added 26 points to the Ferrari pot; 15 points from Leclerc’s P3 in the Grand Prix, his seven points from a P2 finish in the Sprint, and Sainz’s four points from the Sprint.  

Monaco’s Charles Leclerc added 22 points to the Ferrari pot over the course of the weekend. Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre

Both drivers have extended their congratulations to McLaren’s Lando Norris on his first-ever Grand Prix win following the race.  

“I hope he enjoys it fully,” Leclerc told reporters. 

Sainz, who was previously a teammate of the 24-year-old at McLaren, said, “Congratulations to Lando, I’m truly happy for him! He deserved a win for a long time and today was his day.” 

Thoughts will now be turning to the next race, which will take place at Imola in Emilia-Romagna on Sunday 19th May. Following the Italian Grand Prix, the grid will be heading to the Principality and Leclerc’s home turf for the fabled Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday 26th May.  

Read related:

F1: Less than satisfying weekend in Shanghai for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc despite decent points

 

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Photo credit: Scuderia Ferrari Media Centre

All aboard the Prince Jacques: Princely family launch new fire and rescue vessel

by: Stephanie Horsman
06/05/2024

A brand-new fire and rescue vessel called the Prince Jacques has joined the Monaco Fire Brigade’s fleet, and Prince Albert II, Princess Charlene and their nine-year-old twins climbed aboard for the boat’s maiden voyage. 

On Saturday 4th May, the Princely family headed down to the Port of Fontvieille to tour the new at-sea rescue vessel and witness the ceremonial blessing of the boat by the Archbishop of Monaco, Dominique-Marie David, and Father Christian Venard, the Chaplain of the Force Publique.

The vessel has been called the Prince Jacques in honour of the young son of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene. Nine-year-old Prince Jacques is the heir apparent of his father. 

According to naval tradition, the vessel entered its new home port beneath two opposing streams of water, a practice called Les Grandes Eaux in French.

The Princely family were given a tour of the new vessel, which has been named in honour of Prince Jacques, on Saturday 4th May. Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department

The Prince Jacques has been designed according to the fire brigade’s exact specifications, a process that was five years in the making and was pulled on feedback gleaned from the 15 years of service enjoyed by the Monaco Fire Brigade’s previous vessel.  

This next-generation version boasts a 1,100 horsepower powertrain, a gyroscopic stabilisation system to counter heel, a hose pressure of 5,000 litres per minute, a motorised rear platform and a closed control room cabin for the safety of rescuers and those being aided by the crew.  

The vessel is also equipped with a thermal vision camera with 30x zoom, an electronic anchoring and naval identification system, a radar and a navigation system equipped with the latest mapping technologies.  

Read related:

Monaco Energy Boat Challenge introduces new sustainable technology award for 2024

 

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Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department

Festival des Etoilés: Marcel Ravin to collaborate with Paris’ David Toutain

by: Elsa Carpenter
05/05/2024
ravin toutain

The next culinary rendezvous in the Festival des Etoilés series to look forward to will feature the two Michelin-starred chefs Marcel Ravin and David Toutain. 

Following the pairing of Le louis XV – Alain Ducasse’s Emmanuel Pilon and L’Enclume’s Simon Rogan in late April, Ravin and Toutain will be collaborating at the Blue Bay Marcel Ravin, where Ravin is Head Chef as well as the visionary behind the recently renovated restaurant, on Saturday 11th May.  

See more: ‘New’ Restaurant: The metamorphosis of Blue Bay Marcel Ravin

Both Ravin and Toutain, who heads up his eponymous restaurant in Paris’ seventh arrondissement, are passionate about sustainable produce. 

Ravin recently took over Monaco’s leading organic locale, Elsa at Monte-Carlo Beach, in addition to Blue Bay Marcel Ravin, and is a regular visitor to the French farms of the Alpes-Maritimes that supply his kitchens. Toutain, meanwhile, grew up expecting to become a farmer in his native Normandy and his appreciation for locally sourced ingredients has never left him.  

See more: Elsa opening launches Monte-Carlo Beach into season with promise of new experiences

Their contribution to the Festival des Etoilés series has been described as a “haute gastronomy” experience by Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer. The meal with wine pairings for six courses will cost €700 per person. The menu is also available for €560 without drinks.  

Reservations are essential. Click here for more information.  

Read related:

Spring surprise: Festival des Etoilés Monte-Carlo 2024 debuts in April, promising culinary brilliance

 

 

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Photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM/Facebook

 

 

 

 

France releases guide for parents after report highlights the dangers of excessive screen use

by: Stephanie Horsman
04/05/2024

In light of a new report that has linked screen use to rising rates of depression, obesity, anxiety and poor sleep in children, the French government has released a guide for parents that advises limits on screen time for all ages groups. 

The average two-year-old spends an hour watching television or using a handheld device every day. This increases to around an hour and a half for children aged three, with screen use continuing to increase incrementally until the teenage years, when as much as nine hours of screen time a day is common.  

The French government recently released the findings of a new report commissioned through the Screens Commission, and its contents make a worrying read.

The report links excessive screen use to a range of issues, such poor physical health due to overly sedentary lifestyles, lack of proper sleep, obesity, vision problems, depression and anxiety.  

The study has prompted the French government to compile a guide for parents and children regarding screen use, which includes recommended daily limits on exposure to screens.  

According to the guide, children under the age of three should not be watching or using screens in any instance. Screen use is not recommended for children under six either, but if this age group is watching television or using a phone or tablet, the government recommends that this is done in the company of an adult and the content should be educational in nature. Screen use should be moderated for children over the age of six.  

“Our children need to play, they need adults to forget about their phones to give them time, they need dialogue with grown-ups and find them to be available, at home, in parks, during their activities, in cities as well as in the countryside,” counsels the report.  

For more information on the guide and its recommendations, click here.

 

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Photo source: Kelly Sikkema, Unsplash