Albert II Prince of Monaco: Encyclopedia II - Albert II Prince of Monaco - Accession

Albert II Prince of Monaco - Accession

On April 6, 2005, Hereditary Prince Albert became Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco, upon the death of Prince Rainier III.

The first part of Prince Albert II's enthroning as ruler of the Principality of Monaco was on July 12, 2005, after the end of the three-month mourning period for his father. A morning Mass at Saint Nicholas Cathedral led by the archbishop of Monaco, Monsignor Bernard Barsi, formally marked the beginning of his reign. After the mass, Prince Albert II returned to the royal palace to host a garden party for 7,000 Monegasques born in the principality. In the courtyard of the royal palace, the Prince was presented with two keys of the city as a symbol of his investiture. The evening ended with a spectacular fireworks display on the waterfront.

The second part of his coronation was on November 19, 2005. Albert was enthroned at Saint Nicholas Cathedral. His family was there in attendance, including his elder sister (and now heir) Princess Caroline with her husband Ernst of Hannover and three of her four children, Andrea, Pierre and Charlotte; as well as his younger sister Princess Stéphanie and his paternal aunt Princess Antoinette. Royalty from 16 delegations was present, and there were big festivities in the country. The evening ended with an opera performance in Monte-Carlo.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Accession", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki