True to its rich heritage, the luxury Maison Montblanc prides itself on being associated with crowning emotional moments in the life of remarkable personalities around the world. The intricate writing instrument crafted for this special occasion is inspired by the architectural elements of the Palais Princier and the Principality Flag, embellished with precious stones and the monogram of the Princely Couple.

This gem of European craftsmanship embodies an unforgettable moment, full of romance and emotion. The unique fountain pen is made of solid white gold. The cap and barrel of this masterpiece is engraved with a rhomb-shaped pattern and is set with 161 rubies and 128 diamonds, reflecting this royal occasion and the colours of the Monegasque State. The largest stone to adorn the writing instrument is a ruby in rhomb cut set on the clip. The 18K gold nib is engraved with a dove, rings and crown – all meaningful symbols of this state union. As with all its creations, the Montblanc emblem adorns the top of the cap, for this occasion it is in mother-of-pearl reflecting the rarity of this piece and representing the future prosperity of the Princely Couple.

Following the wedding day, this unique writing instrument will endure in all its splendor as a memento of a special occasion in European history, and a personal treasure for the newlyweds.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

For a live broadcast of the wedding, the Prince’s Palace has provided live streaming at their special wedding website: Mariage Princier.

The Prince’s Palace website itself is showing live streaming at Palais.mc.

For the rest of the wedding schedule, see this post. Cheers!

Monaco-Ville: Image via Wikipedia

The program:

THURSDAY June 30th

7.00pm : Journalists accredited by the Press Centre are invited to attend a special press event on the Hotel Méridien beach in Monaco.

10.00pm : The couple will offer a special concert by the Eagles for Monegasque citizens, residents, persons working in the Principality and people from neighbouring communities. This concert will take place in the Louis II Stadium, before an audience of 15,000 people expected to attend.

FRIDAY July 1st

5.00pm : The civil wedding will take place in the Throne Room of the Prince’s Palace.

The Monegasques will be able to follow the ceremony on giant screens located on Palace Square. The Square will be accessible to Monegasques and their families from 4pm onwards.

5.50pm : After the ceremony, the newly-wedded couple will appear on the balcony of the Salon des Glaces in order to salute the Monegasques.

6.00pm : The couple will then join them on Palace Square for a buffet prepared by the Fairmont Monte-Carlo, with Mediterranean and South African dishes by Chefs from South Africa and Monaco. The Mayor of Monaco will present the gift of the Monegasques to the couple.

8.00pm : The residents of the Principality will be invited to a reception on the Port.

10.00pm : A large concert will be offered by the newly-wedded couple on the Port. Jean Michel Jarre will present a unique show.

A very large audience is expected.

SATURDAY July 2nd

5.00pm : The religious wedding will take place in the Main Courtyard of the Prince’s Palace.
The gates of the Palace will remain open in order to allow around 3500 seated persons to follow the ceremony, which will be broadcast on giant screens on the Palace Square.

6.30pm : The couple will leave the Palace for the Sainte Dévote church in order for the Princess to leave her bouquet.

The public will be able to gather all along the procession route in order to congratulate the couple.

9.00pm : The official dinner will be served on the Opéra terraces, followed by fireworks and the opening of the Ball in the Opéra.

Related articles

• Monaco’s royal wedding to be 3-day extravagant affair (cbsnews.com)
• Charlene Wittstock: Meet the woman marrying Prince Albert II of Monaco (cbsnews.com)
• Charlene Wittstock: The Vogue Interview, July 2011 (Yup, it’s the Entire Interview) (royalcorrespondent.com)

Archives of the Princely Palace of Monaco

Star-studded events are always fun and glamorous, but they’re even more fun when they are for a good cause.

Montblanc, known for their sophisticated, high quality writing instruments, has teamed up with the Princess Grace Foundation-USA to benefit the arts. The annual Montblanc Cocktail Event, traditionally held the night before the Oscars, christened the exciting charity partnership with the PGF-USA. It was co-hosted with The Weinstein Company at Soho House in West Hollywood.

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the recognition of emerging talent in the realm of theatre, dance, and film by awarding grants in the form of scholarships, apprenticeships, and fellowships through the Princess Grace Awards program.

Though Grace Kelly stepped out of the world of acting to become Monaco’s princess, she remained devoted to the arts. The Foundation reflects this devotion and lifelong commitment to helping emerging artists realize their potential.

Montblanc is particularly proud to be teamed with the Foundation this year, as 2011 marks the 60th anniversary of Grace’s silver screen debut. As part of the celebration, Montblanc has designed a unique collection paying tribute to Princess Grace to be launched internationally on September 8, 2011 in Monte Carlo.

Montblanc is reinforcing its commitment to supporting young people around the world through providing access to education to help them to fulfill their potential. In 2009, Montblanc raised over 4 million USD for UNICEF through its global “Signature for Good” initiative to fight illiteracy. The following year, Montblanc announced its support of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus to coincide with the 70th Anniversary of John Lennon’s birth. This program has encouraged young people all across the US to benefit from access to music education and recording sessions.

So cheers to a great new partnership! I wish both Montblanc and the Princess Grace Foundation success in their endeavors.

* For more about Montblanc: http://www.montblanc.com
* For more about the Princess Grace Foundation: http://www.pgfusa.org

Image by Globovisión via Flickr

Prince Albert of Monaco has proposed to his girlfriend Charlene Wittstock.

The Palace of Monaco officially announced the engagement of HSH Prince Albert II with Ms Charlene Wittstock on June 23rd. This is the first marriage for the 52-year-old prince and for Charlene, 32.

His Highness is the son of the late Prince Rainier III and the American actress-turned-princess Grace Kelly. Albert succeeded to the throne upon Rainier’s death in July 2005.

Charlene Lynette Wittstock is of South African nationality. Born on January 25th, 1978 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, she is a former Olympic swimmer and described by the Palace’s official statement as ‘a youth worker’.

Charlene’s engagement ring is as stunning and large as that of Albert’s mother, Princess Grace:

Stylelist.com says:

Her pear-shaped engagement ring, set in unique gray gold, is the “Tethys” design created by Parisian jeweler Maison Repossi. The sparkler’s huge center stone is embellished with round diamond brilliants.

Many congratulations to them both!

Princess Charlotte Louise Juliette of Monaco (1898 – 1977), mother of Prince Rainier III ca. 1921
Rainier’s parents, Princess Charlotte and Count Pierre Polignac.

Prince Rainier married Grace Kelly, American movie star 19th April 1956

Rainier’s glamorous wife, Princess Grace

Tiny siblings Caroline and Albert out for a drive with their nanny, ca. 1961

On the balcony of their Swiss hotel with two of their children, Prince Albert and Princess Stephanie, April 1968.

Rainier at dinner with Princess Caroline (right) and Princess Stephanie, ca. 1974

The Princely couple attend the Bal Petits Lits Blancs at Powerscourt, Enniskerry, County Wicklow

Prince Rainier stands on a terrace overlooking Monaco and its harbour with an architect’s model of the city

Princess Caroline with her first husband, Philippe Junot, after their marriage in Monaco 29th June 1978

Princess Caroline of Monaco with her second husband, Stefano Casiraghi.

Princess Caroline of Monaco and Hanover, with her husband, Ernst August of Hanover attending a gala

Hereditary Prince Albert II of Monaco

Princess Caroline attends the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary

Princess Caroline and her sister, Princess Stephanie, who are the president of Amade Mondiale and Fight Aids Monaco respectively, sign the renewal of the agreement for the convention to profit Amade Burundi, Amade Mondiale and Fight Aids Monaco, at the Hotel de Paris in Monte-Carlo on April 3, 2009

Caroline with her daughters, Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Charlotte Casiraghi, at the Award Ceremony for employees at the Prince’s Palace as part of Monaco’s National Day November 19, 2008

A happy Princess Alexandra

Prince Albert with his sisters

Caroline, right, with daughter Charlotte and Tatiana Santo-Domingo, girlfriend of Caroline’s son Andrea

Aerial View Monaco

The Prince's Palace By Night

The Throne Room

Palais Cours d'Honneur/Courts of Honor

Monaco's Famous Catholic Cathedral

Jilly Bennett, a photographer who has adored dogs all her life and has judged several Championship Shows, now brings us the scoop on how the canines of Monaco live it up.

At her blog Riviera Dogs, Jilly shows us the adorable furry faces that scamper through the luxurious Riviera on a daily basis.

Jilly gets a first-hand look through her lens and through her business, Pension Milou. This doggie hotel provides luxury accommodations for pups whose owners must travel but cannot take their pet with them.

According to Jilly:

Pension Milou is a ‘pension familiale’ for dogs, that is to say, all the dogs live in the house with me, sharing my life, where they are cared for professionally and with a lot of love thrown in. When you go away on holiday or business, you know your dog will be looked after in an environment just like home.

Adorable! Check it out at PensionMilou.com

The Sovereign Prince of Monaco recently announced that he will not be going ahead with plans to expand the principality.

The Prince, who promotes the green life and even drives an electric car, had expressed concerns about the principality’s expansion into the sea and the environmental implications. He was, however, once an enthusiastic backer of the idea of “reclaiming” land from the sea as a way to increase prosperity for Monaco. The principality cannot possibly expand anywhere else except into the Mediterranean, so it seemed like the thing to do.

Now with the world’s economic chaos on top of environmental concerns, the deal’s off.

“Basically, it has all been a big waste of time and money. Albert has a lot of explaining to do,” complained a lawyer associated with a French construction group that had spent £5m on engineering studies.

They’re a little cranky.

While he’s not irritating developers, Prince Albert is frustrating his subjects with a serious lack of wedding action. Charlene Wittstock, his companion of the last couple of years, has been reported to have immersed herself in learning the French language in order to prepare for a future role as a Sovereign Princess. Don’t hold your breath, though.

Speaking of Europe, here’s a link to the “Victory in Europe” series featured at the Times. Because I feel like it.

This article – based on The Times Online’s report on Monaco expansion.