National Day: Princess Caroline honours Monaco’s cultural sector
Gaetan Luci / Palais princier
On Monaco’s National Day, the Princely Palace gives out a series of annual awards. On Tuesday, the Princess of Hanover honoured five members of Monaco’s culture sector in the Palace’s Salon Bleu.
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Given the pandemic, festivities for Monaco’s National Day have had to adapt to a new format and this year there will unfortunately not be the usual large-scale celebrations. On Tuesday, Princess Caroline of Hanover gave out 5 awards in strict compliance with preventive measures. However, Covid-19 still managed to affect the prize-giving ceremony: “Unfortunately, the current pandemic is preventing some of the people I want to honour from being with us this morning. My thoughts are with them,” she said.
Every year, on the eve of our national holiday, it is my great pleasure to award the Order of Cultural Merit to those whose work brings honour to the Principality.
Tribute to different cultural actors
The Princess honoured men and women whose work contributes to Monaco’s cultural sector, praising them for persevering in these difficult times. “While it is frightening for some, uncertainty can also liberate art, creativity and imagination. You have proved it. In your respective fields, you have contributed to Monaco’s renown,” said the Princess of Hanover, after highlighting the different walks of life of each award receiver.
A long bond between the Princely family and culture
Aware that Covid-19 is putting the culture sector under severe stress, Princess Caroline expressed her gratitude “To the patrons – associations, foundations, individuals – whose generosity encourages us all to persevere, however fragile the situation may be”, she said. The Princess of Hannover and the Grimaldi family as a whole have long been committed to the arts, for instance through the work done by the Princess Grace Foundation.