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Day: 22 July 2024

PHOTOS: Prince Albert and Princess Charlene shine at Monaco Red Cross Gala 

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/07/2024

The annual Monaco Red Cross Gala, led by Prince Albert and Princess Charlene along with their niece Camille Gottlieb, celebrated its 75th anniversary in style, with the exclusive charity event featuring crowd-favourites Jamiroquai at the Sporting Monte-Carlo. 

The Monaco Red Cross Gala was conceptualised back in 1948 as a way to fundraise for the fledgling charity. Since then, it has morphed and grown into one of the Principality’s most anticipated events, often featuring some of the biggest names in show business as both entertainers and guests. 

The 2024 version, held on Friday 19th July and celebrating the branch’s 75th anniversary, saw Monaco Red Cross President Prince Albert II alongside his wife, Princess Charlene, presiding over the illustrious evening. Joining them was Camille Gottlieb, Princess Stephanie’s daughter.

Princess Charlene is presented with flowers at the Red Cross Gala 2024. Photo credit: Eric Mathon, Prince’s Palace

Held in the glamorous Salle des Etoiles at Sporting Monte-Carlo, the evening was emceed by television host Tatiana Silva and former vertical skateboarding star Thaïg Khris, with musical entertainment supplied by the legendary English acid funk and jazz band Jamiroquai. 

As usual, the luxury tombola wowed guests, with prizes that included a diamond-encrusted Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra necklace, an Audemars Piguet watch, a yacht excursion for 10 and an Hermes Kelly Bag. The delicious four-course meal put together by Chef Thierry Saez Manzanares which included salad, fish filets and lamb, was also a crowd-pleaser. 

Prince Albert II, Princess Charlene, Camille Gotlieb and guests with a sculpture that was raffled for the Red Cross during the gala. Photo credit: Eric Mathon, Prince’s Palace

As an added treat, a video played on a large screen highlighting past galas, where Princess Grace was seen mingling with stars such as Josephine Baker, and celebrities of by-gone eras like Maurice Chevalier, Ella Fitzgerald, Karl Lagerfeld, and Sammy Davis, Jr flashed by. 

Fireworks for the 2024 Red Cross Gala. Photo credit: Eric Mathon, Prince’s Palace

Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads,  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok. 

Photos credit: Éric Mathon / Prince’s Palace

Tour de France: Cycling legend Pogacar secures third victory

by: Niki Borisova
22/07/2024

Renowned Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar clinches his third Tour de France victory with an outstanding performance in the final time trial departing from Monaco and ending in Nice.

Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates secured his third overall victory in the Tour de France with an impressive performance in the final stage’s Individual Time Trial (ITT) from Monaco to Nice. The Slovenian cyclist completed the 33.7km course with one minute and three seconds lead over his nearest rival, Jonas Vingegaard of Visma-Lease a Bike.

Pogacar’s victory marked his sixth stage win in the 2024 Tour, where he showed his skills on the climbs to La Turbie and Col d’Èze. In the General Classification (GC), Pogacar finished the Tour six minutes and 17 seconds ahead of Vingegaard.

With this feat, Pogacar has won the Tour de France three times, adding to his victories in 2020 and 2021.

Other milestones

Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel of Soudal-Quick Step finished third in the final stage and overall GC, trailing Pogacar by nine minutes and 18 seconds. Pogacar ‘s teammate Joao Almeida of UAE Team Emirates and Mikel Landa of Soudal-Quick Step rounded out the GC top five.

British Mark Cavendish concluded his final Tour de France, marking the end of a storied career with a record 35 stage victories.

A notable achievement came from Biniam Girmay of Intermarche-Wanty, who finished the Tour in the green jersey and became the first African rider to win a ranking. Another first was achieved by Richard Carapaz of EF Education-EasyPost, who claimed the Mountain classification, a first for Ecuador.

To see more from the event, click on the images below. All photos credit Eric Mathon & Michael Alesi, Prince’s Palace:

 

See more:

Cycling: Dominant Tadej Pogacar wins Paris-Nice

Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads,  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok. 

 

Tour de France: Prince Albert II attends the Ride for Peace bike parade

by: Niki Borisova
22/07/2024

Ahead of the official start of the Tour de France in Monaco on Sunday, Prince Albert II attended another special cycling event, the Ride for Peace bike parade, promoting peace and unity.

On the morning of Sunday 21st July, the ‘Ride for Peace’ bike parade, organised in collaboration with Amaury Sport Organisation and Peace and Sport and attended by Prince Albert II, brought together around 40 athletes and aimed to showcase the societal aspect of the Tour de France’s 21st stage, which kicked off later in the day.

Wearing white jerseys symbolising peace, participants began their ride at 10am from Boulevard Albert Ier. They followed the Tour de France route and concluded their journey at Place Masséna in Nice at 12pm.

Peace and Sport was established in 2007 and is a Monaco-based NGO that aims to create safer, more equitable, and inclusive communities through the power of sport. Founded and presided over by Joël Bouzou, and under the patronage of Prince Albert II, the organisation is renowned for its ‘White Card’ campaigns.

In 2009, Peace and Sport established the Champions for Peace Club, which is comprised of over 120 athletes from around 40 nationalities. They dedicate their time and influence to projects that address social, economic, and educational issues through sport.

“I am proud to bring my High Patronage to ‘Peace and Sport,’… I am convinced that this organisation, driven by a spirit of generosity and solidarity, allows vulnerable communities to overcome their differences and contributes to shaping a more united and peaceful world,” said Prince Albert II. 

Prince Albert II and the athletes, photo by Monaco Life

The parade was held before the Tour de France stage’s official start, showing the sport’s potential to bring communities together and inspire positive social change.

Throughout the same morning, spectators of the Tour de France enjoyed various entertainment. The festivities featured the Continental Cadets Juniors initiative, a Publicity Caravan distributing gifts along the Tour de France Monaco route, and exhibitions supporting Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque. 

The Tour de France 21st stage officially started at 2:40pm on Boulevard Albert 1er that same afternoon.

See more in our Instagram reel below…

See more: Top spots to catch the action: Best vantage points in Monaco for the final stage of the Tour de France – Monaco Life

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Main photo: Prince Albert II with Joel Bouzou, by Monaco Life

Outdoor exhibition celebrates the legacy of Tour de France in Monaco 

by: Elsa Carpenter
22/07/2024
monaco tour de france

Following the Tour de France’s visit to Monaco for the final stage of the 2024 race on 21st July, the Principality is continuing its celebrations with a special exhibition in the Saint-Martin Gardens.

This isn’t the first time that the Principality has hosted the world-famous race as Monaco’s Princely family has a long-lasting connection with the Tour that dates back to the 1940s.

The race was put on hold during WWII, and in the years that followed the global conflict, France’s finances simply weren’t strong enough to resume the competition. Monaco’s ruling Grimaldi family decided to step in and provide crucial funds that allowed the Tour to restart.  

Back in December 2023, when the plans for Monaco to formally host the final leg were confirmed at an event at the Yacht Club de Monaco, Christian Prudhomme, the director of the Amaury Sport Organization, which runs the race, said, “Without the Grimaldi family, the Tour de France would perhaps never have restarted in 1947. In 1946, after the war, it was because your family, Monseigneur [Prince Albert], paid for accommodation for the riders of a Monaco-Paris trip that, the following year, the Tour de France was able to rise from the ashes.” 

See more: Monaco to officially welcome the Tour de France in summer 2024

In the years since, the Principality hosted the Tour 11 times, beginning in 1952. The most recent visit was in 2009, when the second stage departed from a start line in front of the Palais Princier de Monaco. 

In commemoration of this special relationship, a new outdoor exhibition has been erected in the Saint-Martin Gardens on the Rock.  

It features an array of 19 historical photographs depicting the Tour’s various visits to the Principality over the years. The photographs, which come from the ASO, Palais and state archives in Monaco, have been blown up and printed on large canvases. 

They present a fascinating insight into the changing landscape of Monaco over the last 85 years, as well as the evolving trends and equipment of the cyclists who took part in the races. 

The temporary exhibition will remain in place until 31st August.  

Click on the images below to see more:

Read related:

New Tour de France website launched for Monaco stage  

 

Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads,  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok. 

 

Photo credits: Monaco Communications Department

New legal requirements for registered companies in Monaco

by: Cassandra Tanti
22/07/2024

In the latest effort to meet international anti-money laundering guidelines, Monaco now requires local businesses to annually verify their registration status. 

The Monaco Government announced in a statement on Friday 19th July that registered civil companies must now confirm their continued registration with the Special Register of Civil Companies (Registre Spécial des Sociétés Civiles) annually. This confirmation must be made within a month following the anniversary date of the company’s initial registration. In this annual declaration, companies must also confirm their registered information, including any modifications made during the year, even if they have already submitted one or more modification declarations during that period.

To comply with this new requirement, the necessary form can be accessed online 24/7 via the Mon Entreprise portal under the legal and accounting obligations section of the Trade and Industry Register, where a downloadable version is available. Alternatively, the form can be obtained at the Economic Development Directorate (Direction du Développement Economique) in paper format.

Once completed, the form can be sent or submitted in duplicate to the Trade and Industry Register Service. It must be accompanied by a registration fee of €25 for a particular civil company and €50 for a civil joint-stock company.

Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads,  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok.

Photo by Monaco Life

 

SNCF launches unlimited travel pass for under 28s  

by: Stephanie Horsman
22/07/2024

France’s national rail service, the SNCF, has officially launched its new unlimited train pass on TER and Intercités lines for 16 to 27-year-olds. Here’s how it works. 

During the months of July and August, young people aged between 16 and 27 will be able to enjoy endless travel and adventures aboard the nation’s TER and Intercités networks.

Though the SNCF’s TGV services, the Eurostar, Ouigo and all travel within the Île-de-France are exempt from the pass, it still offers young passengers the chance to travel widely within the Hexagone for just €49 a month.

The pass is also valid from foreign stations served by the SNCF network, including the Gare de Monaco, Ventimiglia, Geneva, Basel and Vallorbe. 

The pass offers access to seats in the 2nd class on TER trains as well as day and night seats on Intercités services. Passengers travelling overnight have the option of booking a bunk on a night train for an extra €19.50. Travellers can also bring their bicycles along, but there may be an additional fee on some local lines.   

The passes can be purchased via the SNCF Connect website or on TrainLine, and are valid for 31 days from the date of purchase.  

This means that a pass bought on 15th July will be valid until 14th August. The passes will not be usable after 31st August even if a pass was purchased less than 31 days prior.  

Despite the unlimited nature of the pass, seats must be reserved for the dates the user wishes to travel, and the passenger must present the rail pass, a booking and an ID card when requested by ticket officers.  

For more information, click here.

Read related:

Coming soon: Unlimited monthly train pass for France’s under 27s that costs just €49

 

Monaco Life is produced by real multi-media journalists writing original content. See more in our free newsletter, follow our Podcasts on Spotify, and check us out on Threads,  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn and Tik Tok.  

 

Photo source: Free Nomad, Unsplash