All about the special Prince Rainier III celebrations taking place this month

From sailing to classical music and photographic exhibitions, here’s a rundown of all the commemorative events taking place this September in honour of Monaco’s Prince Rainier III.

The year-long programme of events chronicling and celebrating the life of Prince Rainier III on the 100th year of his birth continues this month with a roster of one-off events and rolling exhibitions.

Monaco Classic Week

First up, and just ahead of the Monaco Yacht Show, is the Exposition de Bateaux Ayant Appartenu au Prince Rainier III – or Prince Rainier III’s Boat Exhibition – which is being held from 13th to 16th September within the scope of Monaco Classic Week. The waters off the Yacht Club de Monaco are the setting for this assembly of boats that once belonged to the late Prince, who, like so many of Monaco’s sovereigns, was a great lover of the sea.

Music and concerts

On 17th September, head to the Salle Garnier for a chamber music concert featuring Monaco’s own Shani Diluka, who will perform pieces by Nadia Boulanger and Mozart alongside violinists Liza Kerob and Ilyoung Chae, Federico Hood on viola and Thierry Amadi on violoncello. Also on the bill is a tribute to Mikael Glinka, as performed by Nikolai Kuznetsov on piano, Sibylle Duchesne and Mitchell Huang on violins, François Duchesne playing viola and cellist Delphine Perrone. The final pieces will be a selection of upbeat pieces from several artists, including Listov, Nichifor and Gordon, as played by Christine Rossi on accordion, violinists Diana Mykhalevych and Alexandre Guerchovitch, Sofia Timofeeva on viola, cellist Thierry Amadi, Véronique Audard on clarinet and Tarik Bahous on double bass. The show starts a 3pm and tickets can be purchased here.

Then on 24th September at 6pm, the Grimaldi Forum will host the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra for the launch of their season: a concert commemorating Prince Rainier III. Under the conductorship of Kazuki Yamada, soprano Eleanor Lyons and mezzo-soprano Gerhild Romberger will be joined by the CBSO Chorus under Simon Halsey to perform works by Gustav Mahler and Andrzej Panufnik.

Ongoing events

In addition to these special shows and events, there are several ongoing items to catch, including The Prince and his Animals at the Jardin d’Animalier, Prince Rainier III: A Sailor Above All at the Yacht Club de Monaco, Prince Rainier III: A Rose Garden in Tribute of his Wife at the Princess Grace Rose Garden, The Builder Prince: Ambitions for Monaco on the Quai Antoine I, and The Constitutional Prince at the Conseil National, which will also name a room after Prince Rainier III to mark his centenary.

For the full programme of events taking place in 2023, please click here.

Click on the images below to see photos of the past and ongoing events celebrating Prince Rainier III: