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Why did the Prince’s Palace light up in blue?

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
09/03/2026

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. 

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.

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Main photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Communication’s Department 

New PowHer interactive format proves to be a hit as Monaco marks International Women’s Day

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
09/03/2026

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.

However, the Prime Minister wasn’t just there for the ceremonial launch, but to complete the full trail himself, accompanied by official delegates and Interministerial Delegate for Women’s Rights Céline Cottalorda, collecting clues by visiting each workshop, before crossing the finishing arch at the end.

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.”

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Main photo credit: Monaco Life

Prince Albert II visits MonaCollecte meeting Monaco’s youngest recyclers

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
06/03/2026

Prince Albert II opened the fifth edition of MonaCollecte Friday morning, making his way through every stand at the Chapiteau de Fontvieille, speaking with representatives and taking a close interest in the sustainability initiatives presented. 

The Prince was accompanied by Minister of State Christophe Mirmand and guided through the exposition by Pierre Bardy, Directeur Général of the Société Monégasque d’Assainissement, one of the organising bodies behind the annual initiative alongside the Prince’s Government.

Local schoolchildren were also in attendance, taking part in this year’s theme ‘Zero Waste’, and enthusiastically getting involved in the multiple workshops spread throughout the venue.

Schoolchildren involved in the workshops, photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Communications Department

As the Prince moved along the stands, he witnessed the young pupils enthusiastic hands-on approach to their workshops which included cooking without waste, crafting objects from repurposed materials, sorting recycling on tricycles and scooters, and rescuing symbolic sea creature from ocean pollution displays.

He stopped and greeted many of them along the way.

The Prince touring the stands, photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Communications Department

The event continues until Saturday 7th March at the Chapiteau de Fontvieille, with free entry from 10am to 7pm.

Saturday’s programme also includes the Mùnegu Repair Café, run in partnership with the Repair Café de Nice association, where visitors can bring in everyday objects to be fixed between 10am and 6pm.

Inside the venue, photo by Monaco Life

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Main photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Communications Department

Prince Albert II urges arctic cooperation at Rome’s Arctic Circle Forum

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
05/03/2026

Prince Albert II called for scientific cooperation and respect for international law to remain at the centre of Arctic policy, warning that geopolitical tensions must not undermine long-term collaboration in the region. 

The Prince delivered his speech in person at the Arctic Circle Forum in Rome on 3rd March, where discussions focused on the accelerating challenges facing the Arctic.

His appearance came just days after he addressed the Monaco Polar Symposium via video call, where similar themes of deteriorating international collaboration and underfunding in polar research had dominated the three-day event.

In Rome, Prince Albert stressed that Indigenous communities must be central to any decisions shaping the Arctic’s future, stating: “The Arctic is a crucial issue for humanity. Its climate and resources concern us all, and its Indigenous peoples must be respected, listened to, and fully integrated into any decision-making process regarding the future of their lands.”

The Prince during his address, photo credit: Michaël Alesi, Prince’s Palace

Collaboration under pressure

The Rome forum gave the Prince an opportunity to reinforce in person what he had urged remotely days earlier in Monaco: that the international community must not let the current moment pass.

With the Fifth International Polar Year due in 2032–33, the window to build lasting frameworks for polar cooperation is narrowing, and the consequences of inaction, extend well beyond the Arctic itself.

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Main photo credit: Michaël Alesi, Prince’s Palace

Social media addiction is the theme of Monaco’s first digital lecture

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
05/03/2026

Monaco is launching a new series of public talks on digital life, with the first event taking place on 26th March at 6:30pm, under the theme: social media and digital addiction, and what we can do about it. 

The evening is organised by Monaco’s Interministerial Delegation for Digital Transition (DITN) and will bring together experts to explore why social media is so hard to put down, how it shapes our attention and behaviour, and what practical steps people can take to find a healthier balance.

The average person now spends more than three hours a day on their phone. It is this figure that has prompted growing concern about the effects on mental health, relationships and focus, and led to the launch of this new series.

The event is in French and is set to run until 8pm and will be followed by a drink reception, giving attendees the chance to carry on the conversation informally.

Those who can’t make it in person can join online via Microsoft Teams. The venue will be in Monaco, however, the exact address will be shared with registered attendees closer to the date. Attendance is free, but registrations are required in advance and can be made through this link.

The talks form part of Extended Monaco, a digital transformation programme launched by Prince Albert II in April 2019. Built around a collaboration between the DITN, government departments, public institutions and private partners, its aim is to use technology to improve public services and quality of life in the Principality

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Main photo credit: Cottonbro studio, Pexels

Monaco to go zero waste for the fifth edition of MonaCollecte

by: Kyriaki Topalidou
04/03/2026

MonaCollecte, the Principality’s popular recycling and reuse drive, returns for its fifth edition from 6th to 7th March. 

Organised by the Prince’s Governments and the Société Monégasque d’Assainissement,  this year’s event centres on the theme of ‘Zero Waste’ and takes place at the Chapiteau de Fontvieille.

MonaCollecte’s purpose is to bring together residents willing to embrace greener habbits through a mix of collections, hands-on workshops and awareness activities.

A workshop for every interest

Visitors can choose from an impressive range of activities across the two days. Aspiring chefs can discover zero-waste cooking through creative recipes designed to cut food waste, while those with a crafty streak can try making their own reusable bread bags, homemade cosmetics, or plant pots from empty containers.

There is also a workshop turning advertising banners into pouches, another creating art from reclaimed cables and computer parts, and one where participants build a small object from scratch using recycled plastic.

For families, a VR workshop offers an immersive experience inside a sorting centre to learn how to recycle correctly, and an outdoor circuit lets younger children sort waste while riding tricycles and scooters. A drawing competition on the zero-waste theme will also take place.

Ocean pollution is also set to take centre stage during the event. In one of the workshops, participants will be able to rescue mârché sea creatures trapped in symbolic waste.

La Mairie’s stand

La Mairie will host two days of activities. On Friday, the Médiathèque Caroline will run a workshop making bookmarks from reclaimed fabric scraps aimed primarily at schoolchildren from 9am, before opening to the wider public until 5pm.

Then, on Saturday, the focus shifts to repair. In partnership with the Repair Café de Nice association, the Mùnegu Repair Café will be on hand from 10am to 6pm to fix everyday portable object brought in by visitors.

Alongside this, the Médiathèque Caroline will display its collection of zero-waste resources, run a second round of the bookmark workshop, and invite people to donate clean, good-condition tote bags to stock its fabric bag lending library.

The event runs from 10am to 7pm on both days with free entry.

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Main photo credit: Société Monégasque d’Assainissement