Romanèche-la-Montagne wins Public Prize at the International Rose Competition

Just over six weeks on from the enchanting unveiling of the in-competition blooms at the 2024 Concours International de Roses Nouvelles de Monaco, this year’s winners were invited to the Principality to receive their awards at a ceremony marked by tradition and the celebration of Princess Grace’s favourite flower.  

Princess Caroline of Hanover, the eldest child of Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace, was among the famous faces to attend the closing ceremony of the 7th International New Rose Competition, which was held at the Princess Grace Rose Garden on 17th June. She was joined by Yves Piaget, the president of the Friends of the Princess Grace Rose Garden Association, who presented the Princess with a €5,000 donation to her late mother’s eponymous Princess Grace of Monaco Foundation.  

Yves Piaget presents Princess Caroline of Hanover with a €5,000 charity cheque. Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department

Though many of the winners had already been announced in May, when French rose breeder Eve – Rateau picked up four of the prestigious awards, the Public Prize wasn’t revealed until this most recent event.  

Between 3rd May and 16th June, more than 1,000 votes were cast by members of the public via an online competition platform. The winner of this category was ultimately Romanèche-la-Montagne, a glorious apricot and red cultivar by breeder Marie-Françoise Dorieux, which competed under No.58 in the Multiple Flowers category.  

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

To commemorate the end of the competition, as well as the 40th anniversary of the Princess Grace Rose Garden, the Princely Government and the Friends of the Princess Grace Rose Garden Association organised an array of festivities that included an exhibition by artist Tony Szabo, a piece of collective artwork put together by Mr. One Teas, a treasure hunt, guided tours of the gardens and a concert that featured traditional Monegasque songs and jazz music performed by the Cantin d’a Roca choir and the Prince’s Carabinieri Orchestra. 

To see more from the event, watch the Monaco Life Instagram reel:

 

 

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Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department

Rugby 7s: South Africa and China secure their Olympic bids in Monaco

The Rugby 7s Olympic qualification stages played out in Monaco over the weekend. The three days of matches saw some two dozen teams from around the world battle it out for the final two spots at the upcoming Paris Games.  

Between 21st and 23rd June, the Stade Louis II hosted 24 teams, 12 men’s and 12 women’s, from across the globe. The men’s tournament was ultimately won by the South African Blitzbocks, who defeated Great Britain in the final, while the women’s team from China achieved victory and will now feature at the Olympics.  

Prince Albert II of Monaco was among the crowd who turned out to watch the tournament, and both of the winning teams were later congratulated by the Prince and Gareth Wittstock, the brother of Princess Charlene.  

“I have always admired the sport of rugby. I am very pleased to be here today and witness all these teams put in their best effort,” shared the Prince in an interview ahead of the final games. 

In the women’s tournament, China beat Kenya 24-7 in the final, securing their second consecutive appearance in the Olympics’ Rugby 7s discipline. 

Chen Keyi, who scored twice for her team, couldn’t contain her joy and anticipation, saying, “We are feeling really good. We are so excited to go to Paris!”

South Africa’s men’s team, the Blitzboks, also cemented their Olympic bid by defeating Great Britain 14-5, much to the delight of the numerous South African fans present in the stadium.  

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Photo credit: World Rugby Sevens 

Blue Coast Brewing Company to launch new beer honouring the work of The Animal Fund

blue coast the animal fund

The celebrity-backed Blue Coast Brewing Company has announced a new collaboration with The Animal Fund (TAF), an organisation dedicated to marine conservation projects. The partnership will be celebrated with the launch of a new fundraising beer at an event in Nice later this week.  

On Wednesday 26th June, the Blue Coast Brewery on Chemin de Saquier in Nice will be hosting a special launch event for its new TAF beer between 6pm and 9pm.  

The occasion will be open to the public and will feature an array of live entertainment and activities as well as plentiful servings and tastings of the new beverage.   

The TAF was founded by Berit N. Legrand and seeks to raise awareness on the plight of the world’s oceans through educational and informative events and projects. Some of its past initiatives have included a major beach clean-up in Nice, which was attended by more than 300 people, a Whalethon fun run led by Paula Radcliffe and campaigns promoting ocean-friendly sun creams and proper waste management.

To learn more about the TAF and its missions, click here.   

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Photo credit: Blue Coast Brewing Company 

Inaugural Mercy Ships gala in Monaco raises nearly €375,000

The Mercy Ships Monaco Gala, an event that sought to raise crucial funds for the association’s fleet of civilian hospital ships and medical training programmes, garnered to close to €375,000 in support and donations during its inaugural edition. 

On 15th June, Roland Brautigam, the CEO of Monaco-based Romas Marine and an ambassador for the Mercy Ships initiative, held the first gala benefiting the charitable association, which helps run the world’s largest civilian hospital ships. 

Monaco Life was invited along to the very special occasion at the Fairmont Monte Carlo, joining VIP guests such as Emmy-nominated Hollywood film producer Rohit Karn Batra, who was there to document the event, and TV presenter Pietro Polidori, who hosted the evening.  

Following a champagne welcome, a performance celebrating African dance and heritage set the colourful mood for the soirée. Guests were later treated to a vibrant fashion show organised by Marharyta Pohosian, a model and the founder of Margaux Management, a three-course gourmet dinner and a short film depicting Mercy Ships’ impactful work.  

But the live and silent auctions that punctuated the evening were the stars of the programme, and helped raise an incredible €372,660. Among the lots on offer was an optical sculpture of late South African President Nelson Mandela made by famous Brazilian artist and Monaco resident Marcus Marin.  

The funds will help sustain Mercy Ships’ operations along the African coast. The non-profit organisation, which was established in 1978 and received recognition for its humanitarian efforts from Mandela himself, performs more than 6,000 life-saving and life-changing medical operations each year. Mercy Ships also provides extensive medical training to local and rural healthcare professionals in some of the poorest regions of the continent.  

Roland Brautigam told Monaco Life, “I am so extremely proud that, during our first historic Mercy Ships Monaco Gala, we raised an astonishing €372,660 for Mercy Ships. Passion, teamwork, the will to do good and a common goal produce outstanding results.”  

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Photo by Monaco Life 

Summer sales to start this week in France and Monaco

The summer sales will be getting underway in both France and Monaco at the end of this week, with many stores set to offer amazing bargains on clothes, accessories and more. Here are all the dates you need to know about. 

Every summer and winter, shops in Monaco and France are given leave to hold sales events. These specific time periods, which are set by the respective governments, allow brands and boutiques to market their stock at prices lower than during the rest of the year, giving shoppers a chance to get fantastic deals on items that may have previously been out of reach.  

This year, the kick-off date for both Monaco and France is Wednesday 26th June. This much-anticipated shopping fest ends on Tuesday 23rd July in France, while the Principality’s dates are extended until Saturday 10th August. 

The dates for France apply to the mainland only; intrepid shoppers can head to Corsica between Wednesday 10th July and Tuesday 6th August for even more soldes d’été action, as they are called in French. 

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Photo source: Freestocks

Princess Stéphanie awards Carabiniers du Prince cadets with the Louis Nattareu insignia

Princess Stéphanie has presented four young Carabiniers du Prince recruits with the Class of Louis Nattareu insignia at a ceremony that marks their advancement into the historic corps. 

The Compagnie des Carabiniers du Prince, the military force tasked with the protection of Monaco’s Prince and Palace, is the infantry branch of the Principality’s Force Publique. It was founded in 1817 under Prince Honoré IV of Monaco.  

As the marraine of the Carabinieri, a term meaning patron or godmother, Princess Stéphanie has the honour of participating in the annual event that celebrates the promotion of cadets to corps members. 

This year, on 21st June, she welcomed four new members to the force and awarded them each with badges of the Louis Nattareu insignia.   

Princess Stéphanie with the four young Carabiniers du Prince cadets. Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger / Monaco Communications Department 

The ceremony was presided over by Lieutenant-Colonel Martial Pied, the Commander of the Carabinieri, and concluded with a blessing from Father Christian Venard, the Chaplain of the Force Publique, and a rendition of the Monegasque national anthem performed by the Prince’s Carabinieri Orchestra. 

Nattareu was a French soldier, originally from Nice, who joined the Carabinieri in 1903. He was deployed to the Front in 1914 during World War I and was killed in action on 1st February 1917.  

The recruits, who will be officially promoted on 1st July, will take their final oath to serve Prince Albert II and his family at a special event on 8th July. Here, they will commit to serving with ‘Honour, Loyalty and Dedication’, the motto of the Company.  

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Prince Albert II joins Emmanuel Macron and King Charles III at D-Day commemorations

 

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Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger / Monaco Communications Department