Monaco Life speaks to Monaco citizen Hege Uldal Lecourt to learn more about her move from Norway to Paris and the Principality, her nomination as Honorary Consul General of Norway in Monaco, and her personal and professional interests from ballet to interior design.
Hege Uldal Lecourt was born in the South of Norway and grew up in peaceful Oslo. After highschool, she moved to the City of Lights to follow her dreams, where she learned the language of Moliere and took ballet classes. She started working in fashion, which took her worldwide for catwalks and shows. Five years later, Hege was accepted to the Paris-Pantheon-Assas University, where she studied economics. She later earned a degree in management and finance at the Paris Dauphine University.
“The summer I graduated from the University in Paris, I got engaged and married to Marc Lecourt, the father of my three boys, whom I had met five years earlier,” Hege tells Monaco Life. “My family has always been my anchor, and their support has been instrumental in all my endeavours.”
After a brief stint in the banking sector, Hege says she made a life-changing decision to focus on raising her three sons, Jean-Baptiste, Timothée, and Alexander. Later, she ventured into a completely different career path, setting up her own business in interior design. “This transition, though unexpected, has been one that I cherish and do not regret a second,” reveals Hege.
“My passions are ballet, design, traveling, and people. I have danced since I was a little girl, and I still do. I discovered the world through my first work experiences, and traveling has ever since been an important part of my life. I’m privileged to work with something that I love: interior design. Through this activity, I meet the most incredible people, and it’s this love for what I do that fuels my enthusiasm every day.”
The move to Monaco
Hege left behind her life in Paris, the City of Lights, which has exceptional architecture and cultural wonders and is also considered the capital of fashion and gastronomy, moving to Monaco when she married in 1995.
“Marc and I are not together anymore, but I’m immensely grateful for our beautiful life that we shared for more than 20 years and the family we will always be. Our three young gentlemen are my most immense pride.
I genuinely enjoy Monaco’s vibrant international scene. Every day, whether in my personal or professional capacity, I have the privilege of meeting people from all corners of the globe. This diversity is reflected in our conversations, where I often switch between French, English, Italian, and Norwegian.
At a dinner party with 12 guests, we are always 9-10 different nationalities, sometimes even 12! All from diverse religions and cultural backgrounds.”
Her role as a General Honorary Consul
Hege Uldal Lecourt was appointed the new General Consul of Norway in Monaco on 2nd October 2023. She says her role is multifaceted. It involves representing the nation with integrity and good reputation, facilitating contacts with local authorities, and assisting Norwegian nationals in consular matters and emergencies. Additionally, it entails promoting economic, cultural, and educational ties between Norway and the Principality, particularly in areas of shared interest such as environment and ocean protection.
“My role, as General Honorary Consul of Norway, consists of assisting Norwegian nationals with consular matters and advice and help in case of emergencies. I also promote economic, cultural, and educational ties between Norway and the Principality, two nations with common values and interests, especially in environment and ocean protection.”
Interior design
In 2007, Hege and an associate launched Studio H, an interior design company with a showroom located in the heart of the Carre d’Or in the Principality.
“Together with a close friend, we launched Studio H, a design company. We had earlier worked in banking, and we were both passionate about interior design and architecture. My friend Nicholas had left the financial world and created an interior design company based in Geneva a few years earlier. I highly admired his decision to follow his passion and suggested we open one in Monaco. Later, our paths went in different directions, so I continued Studio H on my own, and Nicholas brought his company, Deco & Beyond, from Geneva to Monaco.”
Hege says Studio H achieves high-end projects all over Europe: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Monaco, for residents of the Principality, and some with as many as four to five homes.
“I am proud of the fact that these families ask us to help them with every new project, a testament to the quality and satisfaction we bring to our clients.”
Monaco Ambassadors Club membership
Hege is a member of the Monaco Ambassadors Club (MAC), a prestigious organisation founded in 1973 at Princess Grace’s initiative. Prince Albert II is the Honorary President of MAC, following his mother’s legacy. Members act as ambassadors of the Monegasque culture and the MAC’s mission is to promote the Principality locally and internationally, focusing on education, child protection, research, and international business.
“I joined the club to meet new people. Moreover, MAC’s many missions resonate with me. Education and child protection, culture and sports are major issues that I care about.
Education is the key to a life of freedom. Culture and sports bring us together and help us to connect on a deeper level. Bonds are forged no matter the background, and these are some of the keys to peace in the world. Having the pleasure of meeting people from all over the world with shared interests and a unique link to the country of their hearts, Monaco.”
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Main photo: Hege Uldal Lecourt, General Honorary Consul of Norway, at the inauguration of the new General Consulate in the Principality. Credit: Leslie Rodrigo, Norway General Consulate