In the presence of his family, Prince Albert II has been recognised for his services to the world of agriculture by French President Emmanuel Macron, who presented Monaco’s sovereign with the insignia as Commander of the Order of Agricultural Merit at a ceremony at the Palais de l’Élysée earlier this week.
Princess Charlene, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella joined Prince Albert’s elder sister, Princess Caroline of Hanover, to witness the momentous occasion in Paris on Tuesday 14th May.
The Commander of the Order of Agricultural Merit is a title that dates back to 1883. It is a celebration of services to agriculture and related sectors, and around 340,000 recipients have been inducted into the Order over the last 140 or so years.
Other notable individuals who have been honoured with the Commander of the Order of Agricultural Merit status include: Princess Caroline of Hanover; King Charles III of the United Kingdom; Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank; René Renou, the late President of the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine; and the late Queen Anne of Romania, the French-born aristocrat who married into the Romanian royal family in 1948.
At this most recent ceremony in Paris, Macron gave a speech, saying, “Faced with the many challenges of our time, the historic friendship and values that France and the Principality of Monaco share are precious… I want to salute your contribution to the quality of relations between our two countries.”
France’s president is believed to be planning an official state visit to the Principality. According to France’s Ambassador to Monaco, Jean d’Haussonville, there is a “real desire on both sides” to make this visit a reality before the end of 2024.
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Photo credits: Eric Mathon / Palais Princier de Monaco