Prince Albert II has visited the first major retrospective devoted to French painter Éva Gonzalès, whose family had deep roots in Monaco, with several works from the Princely Collections featuring in the Paris exhibition.
The Prince toured Éva Gonzalès. Parcours d’une artiste libre at the Petit Palais on Monday 14th September, accompanied by Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire and the exhibition’s curators.
Open to the public from 15th September 2026 to 24th January 2027, the exhibition seeks to restore Gonzalès to her place in 19th-century French art and examine a career that developed within a cultural world largely dominated by men.
An artist with deep ties to Monaco
Born in Paris in 1847, Gonzalès was the daughter of novelist and journalist Emmanuel Gonzalès. A bust of her father stands in Monaco’s Saint-Martin Gardens.
The family descended from a Spanish lineage established in the Principality in the early 17th century, when a Spanish royal garrison was stationed on the Rock to help defend Monaco’s sovereignty.
Although often associated with Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot, Gonzalès pursued a distinct artistic path. She studied under Édouard Manet and was his only formally recognised pupil, but developed an independent body of work encompassing paintings and pastels.
Her career was cut short when she died in 1883 at the age of 36.
Prince Albert II admiring a painting by Gonzalès. Photo credit: Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris
Monaco loans support the retrospective
The Princely Collections hold around 10 paintings by Gonzalès, while the Palace Archives preserve a collection of family documents connected to her Monegasque ancestry.
Prince Albert is an important lender to the exhibition, allowing works from Monaco’s collections to contribute to what the Petit Palais describes as the first major retrospective devoted to Gonzalès in France or internationally.
The exhibition brings together works from different stages of her career, placing greater emphasis on Gonzalès as an artist in her own right rather than viewing her primarily through her relationship with Manet.
Following its run in Paris, an adapted version of the exhibition will be presented at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam from February 2027.
Monaco Life is written by qualified journalists, writing original content. Sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.
Main Photo credit: Joséphine Brueder / Ville de Paris
EU pushes for social media ban for children under 13
Children under 13 would be prohibited from using social media across the European Union under proposals announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her State of the Union speech on Wednesday.
The proposed EU Kids Act would establish 15 as the minimum age for opening an independent social media account. Children aged 13 and 14 could only access platforms through restricted “mini accounts” managed by a parent or guardian.
These accounts would have limited social contacts, age-appropriate content and a maximum screen time of one hour per day. Children under 13 could still access specially designed video services through a guardian’s account, also subject to a one-hour daily limit.
Platforms required to prove they are safe
The legislation would apply to social media and video-sharing platforms, online games, AI companions and chatbots used by people under 18.
It would prohibit features designed to encourage excessive use, including infinite scrolling, profiling-based recommendation feeds, digital reward mechanisms and notifications during sleeping hours. Unsolicited contact from strangers would also be banned, while minors’ profiles would be private by default.
Platforms would be required to verify a user’s age when an account is opened. The Commission has proposed privacy-preserving technology that can confirm age without retaining identity documents or biometric information.
Companies would also carry the burden of proving that their services are safe by design. Those failing to comply could face fines of up to 6% of global annual revenue.
“Technology was never created with their wellbeing in mind,” von der Leyen said. “It is for platforms to show they are safe by design.”
When would the restrictions begin?
The Kids Act is still a legislative proposal and will not take effect immediately. It must first be negotiated and approved by the European Parliament and the EU’s 27 member states.
No implementation date has been confirmed, and the text may change during negotiations.
The proposal follows France’s attempt to introduce its own ban for children under 15. That legislation was due to take effect on 1st September but was blocked by the Constitutional Council in August over concerns about freedom of expression, privacy and insufficient safeguards around age verification.
President Emmanuel Macron has instructed the French government to rewrite the legislation, with a revised measure expected before spring 2027.
Monaco Life is written by qualified journalists, writing original content. Sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.
Monaco will embrace Bavarian tradition this autumn with Oktoberfest celebrations at the Marché de la Condamine, Café de Paris Monte-Carlo and Yacht Club de Monaco.
The programme begins in late September with a free community event at the Condamine market before moving to the Place du Casino for ten evenings of dining, music and dancing.
Three nights at the Marché de la Condamine
The Marché de la Condamine will hold its Oktoberfest celebrations on Thursday 24th, Friday 25th and Saturday 26th September, beginning at 7pm each evening.
The Tyrolfest orchestra will provide the traditional Alpine soundtrack, bringing live Bavarian-style music to the market for three consecutive nights.
Entry is free. Reservations can be made through the Mairie de Monaco on +377 93 15 06 04.
Oktoberfest returns to Café de Paris
Café de Paris Monte-Carlo will transform its covered ground-floor terrace for Oktoberfest from Friday 9th to Sunday 18th October.
Available during dinner service, the celebration will feature a special menu of traditional Bavarian dishes, live music from a Bavarian orchestra and a dance floor. Guests are also invited to attend in traditional dress.
The event offers a more polished interpretation of the Munich festival in the heart of the Place du Casino, with celebrations taking place regardless of the weather thanks to the covered terrace.
A Monaco tradition at the Yacht Club
The Yacht Club de Monaco will also hold its annual Oktoberfest celebration on Friday 16th October.
Described by the club as an established tradition, the event brings members and guests together for an evening inspired by the famous Bavarian festival. Access conditions and reservations should be confirmed directly with the Yacht Club de Monaco, as club events may be restricted to members and their invited guests.
With celebrations running from 24th September to 18th October, Monaco residents can choose between the informal atmosphere of the Condamine market, an evening in the Place du Casino or the Yacht Club’s private celebration.
In partnership with the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, Monaco Life proudly presents a monthly series spotlighting the lives and artistic contributions of the Foundation’s remarkable Award winners.
Justen Ross has never been particularly interested in fitting neatly into a box. From appearances in Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist and Somebody Somewhere to acclaimed theatre work and the development of his own original projects, the Atlanta-born 2021 Princess Grace Award winner has built a creative life around curiosity, self-expression, and an instinct for challenging what is considered conventional.
That independent streak runs through both his work and his outlook. Ross speaks to Monaco Life about the experiences that shaped his artistic voice, the communities that keep him grounded, and why, instead of waiting for a door to open, you sometimes have to become the door yourself.
You received the Princess Grace Award in 2021 while completing your studies at The Theatre School at DePaul University. What did that recognition mean to you at the time?
The world was ending. I was leaving school at a time when a pandemic had basically exploded my entire industry. All of the potential jobs that would have been an affirmation of my investment were removed. Princess Grace came at a time when I was in deep need of affirmation and hope. It meant everything to me.
Looking back now, how did receiving the Award influence your confidence as an artist and your vision for the future?
The creative journey feels like a spiritual one as well. It’s a faith walk, and on it there are milestones, confirmations, and winks from the universe to show you that you are in alignment and on the right path. The Princess Grace Award felt like that wink from the universe that I had been needing. It gave me confidence that while I wasn’t maybe where I “wanted” to be as an artist, I was where I was supposed to be. And by transitive property, I was assured yet again that my next steps, while unseen, were ordered.
Photo credit: CSquared
The Princess Grace Awards connect artists across disciplines and generations. What has being part of that community meant to you personally and professionally?
I have gotten the opportunity to work with many Princess Grace Award winners—one that stands out is Donja R. Love. Donja kept me employed with acting work all of 2022/2023 when I wasn’t booking much. I learned so much and continue to. While we didn’t become connected through Princess Grace, it was nice to know that I find my way to my fellow award winners one way or another. Community and collaboration are my favorite parts of being an artist, so I feel grateful and privileged to have such a talented cohort and network through the Foundation.
Let’s go back to the beginning. Growing up in Atlanta, when did performance first become a meaningful form of expression for you?
When Trayvon Martin died. I was a young Black queer teen riddled with angst, anger, and confusion, and didn’t yet know how to express it. It made me angry that I was in fear. It made me angry that my parents were in fear — that they didn’t know if their teenage son could travel at night with a hoodie on and make it back home safely. I found a creative refuge through Southwest Arts Center in Southwest Atlanta through their Teen Artist’s Academy. It was there that I was able to collaborate with other Black and brown teenagers to write pieces from scratch that resonated with us. My ensemble wrote a piece composed of poems, songs, and choreography to honor Trayvon and his family. That was the first time I experienced the alchemic power that performance had.
Who were some of your earliest artistic influences, whether from theater, music, film, or your own community?
I have always had such a deep appreciation for art, and my influences stretch across a wide range of genres:
My dad loves comedy, so I grew up watching a lot of comedians like Martin, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Bernie Mac, and other Def Jam icons. I won my first talent show for a stand-up that my dad wrote. I have always enjoyed clowning, and I really have a deep appreciation for comics. The mischief and trickster energy of comedy was one of my first handshakes with art as I imagined I’d express it myself.
My mom is where I feel like I inherited my love for film and music. My mother showed me The Wiz when I was in kindergarten, and it woke something up inside of me diasporically. Something that has been there, and I just had to remember and tap into that creative ancestral DNA and excellence. Both my parents are from Chicago and love House music along with conscious rap—so that’s how I came to find interest in where they intersect—because I feel that’s where I live in terms of my musical sonic expression.
Photo credit: CSquared
You’ve described yourself as a Black queer artist whose work is rooted in themes of resilience and ingenuity. How have your lived experiences shaped the stories you’re drawn to tell?
Being Black and queer, there is a certain level of perseverance, gall, and undeniability you have to carry to even be able to access your authenticity. And I say that in the sense that—I allowed my surroundings and society to deny me. My work is all about alchemy. How do I alchemize these things that I was taught to fear and hate about myself into something empowering, and that’s where the ingenuity lives. You have to be crafty when working against big systems like racism and homophobia and transphobia.
And while I am Black and queer—I have a deep love for family and friends who are not and may not understand the world that I live in. I know that many like me may not have the capacity to try and find the bridge or the humanity between me and hetero culture—but I believe it is through storytelling and authentic expression that people can learn to become more empathetic to my community.
While at DePaul, you co-founded Black Artists of Today, the first affinity group in your school’s history dedicated to elevating Black voices within the conservatory. What inspired you to create that space?
I’m from Atlanta, which is Black as HELL. I grew up with Black teachers, dentists, librarians, doctors, restaurant owners, models, musicians, and it goes on and on and on. If I ever felt like I was less than growing up, it wasn’t because I was Black. I always grew up seeing and believing that Black is beautiful. All of my Black classmates didn’t have that, and I could tell that they may not have known what the remedy to some of their insecurities was, and in my mind it was lack of community. So alongside the other Black members, I spearheaded the movement. There was no space.
What kinds of stories or characters resonate with you most as a performer today?
Stories that show the unseen or untold parts of the Black and brown diaspora. What are those stories that have been in the cracks but, when shown, can be the balm to something we’ve been missing?
As an artist, what themes do you find yourself returning to again and again?
I find myself returning to this theme of what is forbidden. Forbidden music. Forbidden love. I am currently writing a ballroom hip hop adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, and it really tries to navigate this “forbidden love” through an art form that has long been considered “forbidden music” (Disco, House, Hip Hop).
I return to this theme because I think I am a revolutionary at my core, and I find that things that are often forbidden are the things that disrupt corrupt systems. We see this through how traditional African religions and rituals are talked about and depicted, all the way to queer and trans people’s rights. So creating and orbiting around what is forbidden is a theme I come back to.
In addition to performing, you’ve also developed original work through programmes like the Alliance Theatre’s Reiser Atlanta Artists Lab. What has the experience of creating your own work taught you?
That I don’t have to wait for creative doors to open. I am the door. It has taught me more than anything else that I truly am the master of my own fate—and God willing, I can give other artists working opportunities through the worlds I see.
It has also taught me to be more selfless with my gift. It’s so easy for me to criticize myself and my voice to the most minute detail, but I think that there is something about perfectionism that is so paralyzing, and I didn’t realize how drastic my self-criticism was until I embarked on building my own play.
What does authentic representation mean to you—not just on stage or screen, but behind the scenes as well?
It means many things for me. Sometimes I think for me it’s about being just as fearless about me in process/processing as I am when sharing the product. I think authentic representation is important because there is some person and/or child out there waiting for your true voice to strike the right nerve in them and wake them up to themselves. I think authentic representation is about embracing what feels good to us at our core and expressing that without harm. I think that begins a domino effect for others, and makes them remove the figurative chains they have placed on themselves. Authentic representation means freedom. It means color. It means ease.
How important has mentorship been throughout your journey?
Super important. I’m a student first, and I greatly value the horizontal mentorship that I have alongside the vertical leadership I follow. My biological parents, my chosen gay parents, my house mothers and fathers, my friends who are following a similar path to mine, my acting coaches and professors through the years. I stay in touch because I think mentorship is a true exchange.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received from a teacher, mentor, or fellow artist?
I’ve received so much advice, but I think the ones that stick out are these two: “Greatness is inevitable when focus marries passion and the desire is as great as your need,” by Freddie Hendricks; and “Try to approach work/text with more mischief and curiosity rather than just pure audacity and/or audaciousness.”
What advice would you offer to young artists who may not see a traditional path into the industry?
That traditional path that you don’t see is a blessing whether you believe it or not. It may not make sense now. It may feel lonely and hopeless. But you are meant to carve out a lane that is custom-made for you. Why fit in when you were born to stand out? Get to carving. If money wasn’t a factor—and you got to move and create in a way that excited you—what would you make? What direction would you go? Who would you call to be a part of it? Start there. Go in that direction and see it through!
Atlanta remains an important part of your story. What does the city mean to you today?
Atlanta is my stomp! I have so much pride in where I’m from. I love to represent Atlanta. I recently moved from there, but Atlanta has been an epicenter of culture for such a long time, especially when it comes to music and performance. I am excited that through my innovation, I can be a part of that story of trailblazers or prolific artists from the city.
Are there any upcoming projects, ideas, or collaborations you’re particularly excited to explore?
I have an album coming out called Periodic Table. It’s my sophomore project in my music career, and I think it will shift the music industry in a big way.
When you think about success today, has your definition changed since receiving the Princess Grace Award in 2021?
I definitely think the definition of success has changed. I think success is being healthy first and foremost. My family and I have undergone some health complications since 2021 — cancer, heart surgeries, and other things. Luckily, God pulled us through those things, but through those experiences I have learned that being able-bodied and in good health is such a blessing. But also, success to me is having the freedom to execute my wildest creative thoughts without any trepidation or financial struggle, and for it to be able to reach the people it is intended to reach.
Christina Aguilera, Plácido Domingo and Sister Sledge will perform in Monaco on Friday as the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation marks its 20th anniversary with a private gala at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.
Chaired by Prince Albert II, the event on 18th September will bring together major names from film, music, gastronomy and art to celebrate two decades of environmental action and raise support for the Foundation’s international programmes.
Actors Monica Bellucci and Richard Gere will attend as guests of honour, joining the Prince for the anniversary evening in the Salle Garnier.
Following a red-carpet reception and cocktail, guests will be served a gastronomic dinner created by Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alléno. Live performances by Aguilera, Domingo and Sister Sledge will take place throughout the evening.
Auctioneer and art dealer Simon de Pury will also lead a special auction featuring fine art, collectable pieces and one-off experiences.
Two decades of environmental action
Prince Albert II established the Foundation in 2006 to advance practical responses to some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
Its work centres on three principal areas: climate change, biodiversity and water resources. The Foundation concentrates much of its activity on the Mediterranean Basin, the polar regions and least developed countries, where environmental pressures can have a particularly severe effect on ecosystems and communities.
Over the past 20 years, it has supported more than 830 projects worldwide, ranging from marine conservation and species protection to water access, climate resilience and scientific research.
Friday’s gala will recognise that work while raising support for the Foundation’s next phase of environmental initiatives.
Monaco Life is written by qualified journalists, writing original content. Sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.
Photo by Monaco Life
MyCrown Collection opens first boutique at Le Méridien
Monaco-born lifestyle brand MyCrown Collection has opened its first boutique in the Principality, bringing together local design, fashion and interiors within Le Méridien Beach Plaza.
Created by Monaco entrepreneur Sophia Vaharis Tsouvelekakis, the brand is recognised for its crown emblem and its range of distinctive accessories, including its signature handbags. Until now, MyCrown Collection has largely been presented through events, collaborations and online sales; the new boutique gives the label its first permanent retail presence in Monaco.
The store also showcases a wider selection of fashion and lifestyle pieces, including furniture and furnishings by Ekle Monte-Carlo and clothing from several designers.
Its position inside Le Méridien Beach Plaza is a strategic one. Located close to the hotel’s reception and check-in area, the boutique is designed to catch the attention of arriving guests, offering them the opportunity to take home something created in — and closely associated with — Monaco.
From handbags and pillows to the exclusive sunglasses range in collaboration with Princess Charlene and her Foundation, MyCrown Collection now brings everything together under its first boutique. Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti
A crown with a personal meaning
MyCrown Collection began during the first Covid lockdown, when Vaharis Tsouvelekakis started transforming her family’s old shirts, skirts, scarves and dresses into cushions, table linen and other decorative pieces.
The idea developed into a business focused on handcrafted accessories for homes and yachts, often produced using repurposed fabrics. According to the brand, the crown represents the value attached to cherished objects, people and shared memories rather than royalty alone.
The collection has since expanded considerably. Alongside its original homewares, it now includes handbags, sunglasses, jewellery, swimwear, scarves, tableware and other fashion and lifestyle accessories.
The new boutique reflects that evolution, presenting MyCrown Collection as the centrepiece of a broader Monaco-focused retail concept.
MyCrown Collection boutique is located in Le Meridien Beach Plaza. Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti
Sunglasses supporting the Princess Charlene Foundation
The collection features a crown-shaped detail and incorporates premium Zeiss lenses and internal anti-reflective coatings. A selection of the sunglasses was donated to the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, while proceeds from the initiative support the Foundation’s work.
The collaboration closely connects MyCrown Collection’s defining symbol with Monaco and one of the Principality’s best-known charitable organisations.
A familiar figure in Monaco retail
While MyCrown Collection represents her own creative venture, Vaharis Tsouvelekakis is already a familiar figure within Monaco’s retail and business community through Brooks Brothers Monaco.
She has also played an active role in the Principality’s Greek community and has served as president of the Hellenic Community of Monaco.
The boutique at Le Méridien Beach Plaza now provides a prominent platform for her independently created brand, placing it directly before an international clientele looking for designs with a genuine connection to the Principality.
Monaco Life is written by qualified journalists, writing original content. Sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.
Main photo credit: Cassandra Tanti
All the headlines and highlights from Monaco, direct to you every morning
