The Prince’s Palace was illuminated in blue this Saturday 7th March as part of a worldwide commemoration organised by Interpol to mark its annual Remembrance Day for police officers killed in the line of duty.Â
Member countries were invited to light up police stations, public buildings and national landmarks in blue to honour officers who died while on duty. The tribute moved from one time zone to the next through the course of the day.
Throughout the world, the day was marked with moments of silence, lowering of flags, laying of wreaths, and reading names of fallen officers.
Interpol also shared photographs and testimonies from officers around the world as part of the event.
The commemoration gave an opportunity to reflect on the personal cost of this career choice, where men and women – real human beings behind the uniform – take on the risk of the job in service of public safety.
“Every day, in every corner of the world, police officers put on a uniform, say goodbye to their families, and walk toward uncertainty, toward danger, toward a moment that may change their lives forever,” said Interpol’s Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza.
Monaco’s historic connection with Interpol
“Today, we honour those who have fallen, those who continue to serve, and those who support them. Their sacrifice reminds us that policing is both a public mission and a truly vocational, personal commitment,” added Interpol President Lucas Philippe.
Monaco has longstanding ties to international policing. In 1914, Prince Albert I hosted the first International Criminal Congress in the Principality, an early step towards what eventually became the International Criminal Police Organisation – Interpol.
Today, Monaco is one of the organisation’s 195 members.
Visitors were already lining outside the Espace Leo Ferre’s doors Friday morning for the eighth edition of the annual PowHer Event. By the time Minister of State Christophe Mirmand officially launched the edition, the venue was filling fast.
Prime Minister Christophe Mirmand and official delegates completing the trail, photo by Monaco Life
For this edition, the Powher event turned its attention to inequalities in sport and health, tracing them through the different stages of a woman’s life, from childhood to old age.
Speaking to Monaco Life ahead of the event, Cottalorda walked us through the space. “Here we have a space where six Monegasque sportswomen have been photographed,” she said. “You also have a whole course with different stands to explore the different stages of a woman’s life, from childhood to senior years.”
The photograph exhibition, photo by Monaco Life
At each of the eight workshops – all run by Monaco’s associations and institutional partners including the CHPG, the RedCross, Pink Ribbon, and the Zonta Club – visitors were expected to do more than simply stroll around and read.
“You have to participate, find answers to questions, sometimes perform cardiac massage, and various other interactive things,” Cottalorda explained. “You collect a clue and then you can go up on stage.
Students gathering clues at the workshops, photo by Monaco Life
One stand in particular stood out. “The public safety stand is interesting because they made a short interactive film to talk about violence,” she said. “You have to say whether a behaviour is violent or not. So there’s a really fun interactive section,” even though the subject matter was anything but light.
The finishing line
Completing all the workshops unlocks a password, granting access to the main stage: a finishing arch by Monegasque street artist Anthony Alberti, known as Mr One Teas.
Cottalorda demonstrated the ritual herself during the interview, creating a small drawing before stepping through. “It’s not the end of the fight for women’s rights,” she said. “It’s just the end of the course.”
Visitors are photographed as they cross the line and leave with a printed photo.
Inside the PowHer event, photo by Monaco Life
On what she hoped visitors would take away, Cottalorda told Monaco Life: “The goal for us is to talk about inequalities in sport and health. What we hope is that people learn things, because there is important information at each workshop.”
The Prince’s Government credited the operation’s success to a swift and coordinated response from its crisis cell, active continuously since 28th February. It extended particular thanks to Ambassador Evelyne Genta, Monaco’s envoy to the United Arab Emirates, and to the Directorate of Diplomatic and Consular Relations throughout.
Charles Leclerc came from fourth on the grid to lead the 2026 Australian Grand Prix before ultimately finishing third, with team-mate Lewis Hamilton fourth, as Scuderia Ferrari collected 27 points on the opening weekend of the new Formula 1 season.
George Russell took victory for Mercedes at Albert Park on Sunday, leading home team-mate Kimi Antonelli in a 1-2 for the Silver Arrows. Leclerc crossed the line 15.5 seconds behind Russell, with Hamilton a further 0.6 seconds back in fourth. Lando Norris finished fifth for McLaren, Max Verstappen sixth, and Haas rookie Ollie Bearman seventh. Arvid Lindblad scored points on his Formula 1 debut in eighth, with Gabriel Bortoleto ninth for Audi and Pierre Gasly tenth for Alpine.
Leclerc into the lead, then a duel
Leclerc’s start was one of the moments of the race. Launching from fourth, he swept into the lead through Turn 1 ahead of pole-sitter Russell, while Hamilton — starting seventh — had moved up to third before the end of the first sector. What followed across the next ten laps was a sustained battle between Leclerc and Russell, the two swapping the lead repeatedly as the Monegasque driver refused to yield. Russell passed on lap two; Leclerc responded immediately to reclaim position on lap three. That exchange set the tone for an opening phase that team principal Fred Vasseur described as the most compelling racing he had seen in a decade.
“There were some pessimistic comments about this new Formula 1 going into the season,” Vasseur said. “I think today’s race start and then the first ten laps were the most exciting we have witnessed in the past ten years — and not just because we were in front.”
Leclerc’s assessment
After the race, Leclerc pointed to the learning value of the weekend while noting the gap that still needs to be closed. “We were quite strong, which was a positive given that our expectations yesterday were not that high,” he said. “I had a good start and learned a lot on those opening laps. There are lots of things to manage at the same time — energy deployment, tyres, overtakes — and I’m happy with how I handled the situation from inside the car. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the pace to hold onto first place later on. We’ve got to be on it in terms of development and push to the maximum to reduce the gap.”
What’s next
The Formula 1 season moves directly to Shanghai, where the Chinese Grand Prix takes place from 13th to 15th March — the first Sprint weekend of the 2026 campaign.
Monaco’s government has allocated 156 state-owned properties to Monegasque households, following an open application period that ran from September to October last year.
The results indicate that demand is being met in two key areas. More than two thirds of applicants whose family circumstances required an additional room received an offer matching their needs. Among applicants who did not yet hold a property in the Principality, 60% received an offer.
The allocations bring the total number of state-owned homes attributed to Monegasque households to more than 1,300 since the National Housing Plan was launched in 2019 — an average of roughly 185 per year over seven years.
The government described the results as evidence of the state housing stock’s capacity to respond to residents’ evolving needs, and said the programme would continue through a combination of new construction, accelerated renovation of existing properties and regular improvements to housing standards across the domanial portfolio.
Served every Sunday between midday and 3pm, it means no queuing, no silver lids to lift — only a succession of dishes prepared to order and brought directly to the table. The pace is deliberate, the sequencing considered, giving the kitchen full control over how each course is received.
Six months ago, day-to-day direction of that kitchen passed to Hendry Angwe Mezah, whose career in Monaco has included time at Le Louis XV at the HĂ´tel de Paris. His familiarity with seafood and produce of this coastline informs the brunch menu in subtle ways, grounding the experience firmly in its Mediterranean setting.
Before you begin
A word of warning, offered with the best intentions: approach the pastries with restraint.
This is the only moment in the meal that nods to buffet tradition, inviting you up from the table to the counter where golden viennoiseries, still fragrant and delicately crisp, sit beside homemade sugarless “modern fruit jellies” and freshly churned, Pavyllon-branded butter. It is all dangerously good, particularly the apple slipper with cinnamon.
It takes serious discipline not to load your plate. But the courses that follow are generous and carefully paced, and you will want to leave yourself room to do them justice.
Chef”s organic ‘surprised poached egg’ upon a Greek puffed bread. Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti
Course by course
A fritto misto of fish and vegetables arrives first from the kitchen — properly crunchy, greaseless, served with a gourmet mayonnaise. A shard pie follows, its pastry impossibly thin, the filling deeply flavoured.
The mains are where Chef Mezah’s Mediterranean sensibility takes full hold. A braised seabass arrives with nothing superfluous on the plate. The Bresse poultry with macaroni gratin is exactly as good as the reputation of Bresse chicken demands — rich, deeply flavoured, the gratin providing exactly the right weight alongside it. The Provençal agnolotti, meanwhile, is the kind of dish that reminds you why this region has always produced food worth travelling for.
Bresse chicken with macaroni gratin. Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti
The finale
Dessert at Pavyllon brunch does not arrive quietly. The giant île flottante is served tableside, the silky crème anglaise and pillowy meringue finished with maple syrup and walnut praline. It is theatrical in the best sense — a moment rather than just a course — and it tastes as good as it looks. Seasonal cooked fruits offer a lighter counterpoint alongside it.
A winning formula
The decision to serve brunch entirely Ă la carte rather than as a buffet is the detail that makes everything else possible. At Michelin-star level, a buffet presents an almost irreconcilable tension — the format demands volume and display, while the kitchen’s instinct is toward precision and control. A dish designed to sit in a bain-marie for 40 minutes is a fundamentally different proposition to one that travels 30 seconds from pass to plate. At Pavyllon Monte-Carlo, every dish arrives as the kitchen intends it: at the right temperature, in the right condition, with nothing lost in transit.
“Buffets often lead to waste because there is always the desire to create a ‘wow’ effect with an abundant display,” Chef Mezah tells me. “It requires a lot of preparation and large quantities of food, and unfortunately much of it can end up being thrown away. Here, we focus more on precision. Guests can choose from many options, but in return, we significantly reduce food waste.”
The result is a brunch that feels genuinely indulgent without ever tipping into excess — which is, when you think about it, exactly what a Sunday should be.
Pavyllon Monte-Carlo, Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo. Every Sunday until 31st May, 12pm to 3pm. €145 per person including juice, champagne and hot drinks. Children aged 6-12: €60. Under 6: free. Reservations: +377 98 06 98 98.
