Prince Albert II of Monaco: a 20-year reign geared towards the environment and modernity
Prince Albert II and his team at the North Pole © Copyright - Monaco Palace archives - IAM
Prince Albert II celebrated his accession to the throne on 12 July 2005, succeeding his father Rainier III. We share images of the stand-out moments from his twenty-year reign.
On the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of Prince Albert II’s accession to the throne, the Monaco Tribune editorial team looks back on a reign that has included environmental efforts, personal challenges, and urban innovation. From the polar expedition to the opening of Mareterra, here are the highlights of two exceptional decades.
12 July 2005: the accession of a modern Prince
On 12 July 2005, Prince Albert II officially acceded to the Monegasque throne after a period of official mourning following the death of his father, Prince Rainier III, on 6 April 2005. In his inaugural speech on the Place du Palais, he outlined his priorities, including making Monaco “a model society, a model of society.” At the ceremony, he declared war on dirty money, stating that “ethics must always underpin the conduct of the Monegasque authorities.”
16 April 2006: the expedition to the North Pole and the birth of the Prince Albert II Foundation
Prince Albert II reached the North Pole on 16 April 2006 after a four-day expedition on pack ice, becoming the first head of state to achieve such a feat. The almost one hundred kilometre crossing from the Russian weather station in Barnéo was intended to raise public awareness about the consequences of global warming. Following the expedition, in June 2006, he created the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, dedicated to environmental protection and sustainable development.
14 January 2009: expedition to the South Pole with Mike Horn
Three years after the North Pole, Prince Albert II reached the South Pole, on 14 January 2009, becoming the only head of state in the world to have reached both poles. He reunited with adventurer Mike Horn to complete his crossing of Antarctica by sledge, in extreme conditions with temperatures as low as -40°C. During his 17-day journey, he visited 24 scientific stations and met many researchers specialising in climatology, vulcanology and glaciology.
1 and 2 July 2011: the Prince marries Charlene Wittstock
The wedding of Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock took place on 1 and 2 July 2011 in Monaco. The civil ceremony took place on 1 July in the Throne Room at the Palace, followed the next day by a religious ceremony in the Palace’s main courtyard, with Mgr Bernard Barsi, Archbishop of Monaco officiating. The lavish wedding drew many crowned heads and international figures, and gave rise to an exceptional public holiday in the Principality on 2 July.
10 December 2014: birth of the princely twins Jacques and Gabriella
On 10 December 2014, Princess Charlene gave birth to the princely twins at the CHPG. Princess Gabriella was born at 5.04 pm, two minutes before her twin, Prince Jacques. Despite being the elder twin, Gabriella is second in the order of succession behind her brother Jacques, due to the male primogeniture rule. Jacques has the title of Marquis de Baux-de-Provence, while Gabriella is Comtesse de Carladès.
19 March 2020: the first head of state affected by Covid-19
On 19 March 2020, Prince Albert II officially became the world’s first Head of State to test positive for Covid-19. Although his state of health did not give cause for concern, he worked from his private quarters in liaison with his cabinet and government.
23 July 2021: Tokyo Olympics in the midst of a pandemic
On 23 July 2021, Prince Albert II attended the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games as a member of the International Olympic Committee. Dressed in a red suit and wearing a mask, he supported the Monegasque delegation of six athletes in this special edition organised without spectators because of the pandemic.
18 June 2024: the Olympic flame passes through the Principality
On 18 June 2024, the Olympic flame passed through the Principality of Monaco for the second time in its history, the first being in 1968. Six Monegasques, including Charles Leclerc, skier Alexandra Coletti, table tennis player Xiaoxin Yang and bobsledder Rudy Rinaldi, took turns carrying it from Port Hercule to Place du Palais. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene, dressed in white, were the last to carry the flame, in front of the Prince’s Palace.
4 December 2024: the Mareterra inauguration
The Princely Family inaugurated Mareterra, the Principality’s new eco-district, on 4 December 2024. The €2 billion project, delivered eight months ahead of schedule, includes 110 flats, 10 villas and 4 town houses, as well as public spaces with a 500-metre promenade, a 16-berth harbour and 1,000 planted trees. In his speech at the inauguration, Prince Albert II emphasised the symbolic importance of the extension: “I hope that this extension into the sea will remain a symbol, because it embodies my vision of a Principality that dares, that embraces boldness, but that is in control of its destiny through wisdom.”
7 and 8 June 2025: the State visit by President Emmanuel Macron
Prince Albert II welcomed President Emmanuel Macron on a State visit to the Principality. The official meeting with a French president, the first in forty-one years after François Mitterrand in January 1984, featured a series of discussions on the historic ties between France and Monaco, as well as on major regional and environmental issues. The two heads of state restated their desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in the fields of energy transition and security in the Mediterranean.