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On Friday, Monaco’s Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene flew to Porto, Portugal to be inducted into The Confraria do Vinho do Porto – Port Wine Brotherhood – a knighthood set up in 1982.
 Click here for image gallery and a video! Along with Albert’s nephew, Pierre Casiraghi, the couple arrived at 11am local time at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport. After having lunch, they took part in the enthronement ceremony.
At the Palácio da Bolsa, Albert and Charlene were given the rank of Cancelário and the degree of Infanção, respectively. The Cancelário title is given to heads of state, while the rank of Infanção is given to those of “merit distinction with this rank due to their personal prestige or high ranking positions” according to the Brotherhood’s official website.
The enthronement ceremony included receiving insignias, signing the Book of Honour, and swearing an oath to “give my support to the confraria and to continue fighting for the honor of port wine.”
Other members of this Brotherhood include King Juan Carlos of Spain and King Albert II of Belgium.
Learn more about the Brotherhood here.
Sources: For The Love of the Port, Caras
 Click here for more photos of the event It was a very windy day for Monaco Tuesday, but that didn’t prevent Princess Charlene from going to the roof of the principality’s Oceanographic Museum to open a sanctuary for turtles.
Her Serene Highness, who displayed a new haircut, took part in opening “Turtle Island”. It is to be a home for seven turtles that were given as gifts to her husband, Prince Albert II, by the former President of Mali, Amadou Toumani Toure, during Albert’s visit back in February.
Charlene unveiled a stone that commemorated the Island’s opening, interacted with the large turtles and even with the children who came for the event. Visitors to “Turtle Island” can not only see them up close, but also pick them up to play with them.
Source: Monaco Matin
Monaco’s Princely couple are currently on tour of Lapland – the Sami territory in the northernmost corners of Finland and Norway. They arrived in the region within hours of Saturday’s Rose Ball, and traded glamor attire for layers of winter clothing for the cold Arctic weather.
 Click here for more pictures A far cry indeed, but Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene did it to learn how environmental changes is affecting the Sami people.
Their Serene Highnesses arrived in Enontekiö, Finland Sunday, where they spent a short while watching a reindeer race in the village of Hetta. During their visit, they mingled with the Sami people and even signed autographs. Prince Albert was described as a friendly man while the local men commented on Charlene’s long legs. The Princess even got a traditional Risku-necklace.
After the race, the couple headed for Kautokeino in northern Norway. There, they learned how climate change and industrialization is hurting the Sami people, who by tradition as reindeer herders.
Albert and Charlene also tried on traditional Sami dress and slept in a Lavvu, a traditional Sami temporary dwelling.
“This is a great experience and I’m very pleased that Charlene is getting to experience it too,” the 54-year-old prince told Norway’s TV 2.
All in all, the Sami people are pleased that the Monegasque royals visited them.
“This is a form of recognition for our region and it is also recognition for the Sami culture,” said Klemet Erland Hætta, the mayor of Kautokeino.
The Sami people are indigenous to the northern most areas of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the northwestern region of Russia.
Sources: IB Times, The Local (Norway), Iltalehti
The principality of Monaco kicked off its annual social season Saturday with the Rose Ball, or Bal de la Rose, which benefits the Foundation de Princesse Grace. It was a night of glamor and celebrity, something Monaco is known for.
 See more photos of the event here! Prince Albert II, his wife Princess Charlene, and sister Princess Caroline, arrived together for the event. This year’s theme was “Swinging London” – meaning the style and decor would reflect London during the 1960s. It was Caroline’s idea for this theme.
Princess Charlene wore a simple black strapless gown with a gold bow at the top. Her hair was done in pure 60s style. Princess Caroline wore a black outfit typical of the 1960s.
Also in attendance was Caroline’s daughter, Charlotte Casiraghi, who wore an aqua gown with plenty of ruffles.
The decor inside the Salle des Etoiles (Star Room) of the Monaco Sporting Club had the Union Jack, red phone booths, and other designs to give the “Swinging London” look. As it was described in the press release, this evening was not “about nostalgia… it will be an explosion of colour and jollity with a new London generation on stage.”
Celebrities in attendance included English musician Miles Kane, Irish singer Imelda May, Charles and Camilla Bourbon of the Two Sicilies, and Victoria Silvstedt.
Source: Visit Monaco
Princess Charlene of Monaco was greeted by large crowds in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia Saturday when she arrived at the Bendigo Art Gallery to open the exhibit, Grace Kelly: Style Icon. The late Grace Kelly was the mother of Charlene’s husband, Prince Albert II.
 Click here for more photos at Zimbio Swarms of children waving Australian and Monegasque flags welcomed the Princess as she stepped out of a car and walked up the stairs to the museum. She paid attention to nearly each child she passed, and even gave a high five to some.
Inside, Her Serene Highness gave a speech in which she began by saying, “G’day”.
Charlene called Princess Grace, “one of the most captivating personalities of all time” and highlighted her “beautiful style”, patronage of the arts and being a devoted mother.
After her speech, and others including Victoria Premier Ted Baillieu, Bendigo Art Gallery director Karen Quinlan, and Honorary Consul for Monaco Andrew Cannon, there was a tour of the exhibition.
The Grace Kelly: Style Icon exhibit is highly anticipated. It is expected to bring 10 million into Bendigo, and thousands are expected to see it.
Sources: Bendigo Advertiser
 Click here for more photos at Daylife.com For the first time, Princess Charlene of Monaco has something in the tiny principality that bears her name.
On Wednesday, she and husband Prince Albert II opened the Princess Charlene Home for Children, a shelter intended for youths having family problems.
Dressed in a red coat, Her Serene Highness toured the facility with Monaco’s sovereign by her side. They checked out the dorms, the den, and even played a game of fooseball.
A photo of the Princely couple on their wedding day hangs in the shelter along with an abstract picture of Charlene.
On Thursday, Monaco celebrated the feast day of its patron saint, Devote. The celebrations are a big part of the tiny principality’s heritage, so its Princely family would obviously take part in them.
 Click here to view gallery at Daylife.com In the evening, Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene – who marked her 34th birthday Wednesday – lit a fisherman’s boat on fire with torches on the beaches of Monaco. With them was Albert’s sister, Princess Caroline and her youngest daughter, Princess Alexandra.
This is done to commemorate the burning of a ship on the beach of Monaco, when the captain was caught after stealing the relics of Sainte Devote. Burning a fisherman’s boat has been a tradition since Prince Louis II began it in 1924.
The next morning, there was a mass held at the cathedral. Albert and Charlene then appeared on the palace balcony before the bishop and Monegasque priests.
One should remember that during her July 2nd wedding ceremony, Charlene placed her bouquet at the shrine of Sainte Devote. That is part of the tradition in Monaco.
For future reference, Albert and Charlene will be traveling to the United States in late February to attend the Academy Awards. Keep an eye out that day to see how the Princess of Monaco lights up the red carpet!
Sources: Pure People
One of Monaco’s most exciting events, the 36th International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo, opened Thursday at the Chapiteau de Fontvieille. With Princess Stephanie as its president, and most of her family in attendance, the Circus Festival got off to a joyous start.
 Click here for photos of the opening day With her two daughters, Pauline Ducruet and Camille Gottlieb, by her side, plus Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene, Her Serene Highness inaugurated this year’s festival. The first competition show took place Thursday and will run until Tuesday. There will be circus performances, parades through Monaco, and a charity soccer match. After the competition, each winner will perform up until January 29th.
In the days leading up to the opening day, Princess Stephanie visited a circus exhibition at Monaco’s Oceanographic Museum. She also spoke to the newspaper, Nice Matin, about keeping the love of the circus in the family.
“I do not lie when I say that I am part of this large family in which my children and I can always count on. We have the same values, those people loyal and rights of self-transcendence to give dreams to people. The best quality of the circus, it’s true. It leaves its problems at home, it does not complain. In a sanitized world, computerized, self-centered, the circus continues with its values,and that is what saves us. And I would fight all my life to defend the true values,” Stephanie said.
New this year for the circus festival is the New Generation, which celebrates the youth involved in the entertainment. The Princess is the president of this event while her eldest daughter, Pauline, will be the president of the jury. It will be held in the first week of February.
“It was a bit of our vocation to support a festival for young artists who will be moved on the track alike,” Stephanie told Nice Matin. “It will be a real show, with a numberof animals performed by children, which is unique. A troupe of acrobats from Monaco and the school students trail of blue, our only regional school that does a great job, will also attend. Perhaps some of these artists will return one day to the “big” festival.”
Princess Stephanie first served on the jury of the International Circus Festival in 1974 when she just was nine years old.
Sources: Nice Matin, Monte Carlo Festival
In Berlin Saturday, Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco was the recipient of the golden heart award at the Ein Herz fur Kinder (A Heart for Children) ceremony. She won for teaching poor and handicapped children to swim in her native South Africa.
 Check out more photos here The German publication, Bild, interviewed Charlene about how she spent years teaching young girls to swim. The Princess is a former Olympic swimmer, so in more ways than one, she was a good teacher for them.
“The feeling that it is worthwhile to fight for something, I wanted to pass on,” she told the magazine. Charlene won her first medal in a swimming competition at age 8.
“Charlene gave me confidence. She gave me the feeling of being valuable,” said 21 year old Beth, who represented South Africa during the 2008 Paralympics. Beth suffered from polio as a baby, but had the now Monegasque Princess to help her.
“It was Beth’s love for swimming and her incredible will to want to reach more and more,” Charlene explained to Bild. “It may be more about the reward than the joy in their eyes you can not get.”
Recently, she began the Princess Charlene Foundation which is meant to help the disadvantaged.
“I want to pass on some of my happiness,” she said.
In addition to winning recognition for her charity work, the Princess was nominated by the World Open Water Swimming Association for her participation in this year’s Midmar Mile race and for influencing open water swimming.
Sourcs: Bild, Open Water Swimming
 Check out more photos here Dozens of Monegasque children gathered at the royal palace for the annual handing out of presents by their Sovereign, Prince Albert II and his wife, Princess Charlene.
The couple were the only royals this year doing this tradition. But no matter, Albert and Charlene appeared to have loads of fun interacting with the kids while giving them their gifts.
Earlier in the week, Prince Albert stopped by a senior citizens’ home to give out gifts to the residents.
Source: Pure People
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