Prince Albert II’s shares ‘secrets’ about Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella
© Eric Mathon and Mika Alesi / Prince's Palace
The Sovereign gave an interview to the US People magazine on the occasion of his 65th birthday.
Prince Albert II celebrated his 65th birthday on Tuesday 14 March. The Sovereign was able to enjoy some time with Princess Charlene and the Princely Twins.
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In an interview with People, the Prince said that Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella had informed him that he was being “kidnapped” for a nice surprise. And true to their word, the Prince was treated to a performance of a play created especially for the occasion, at the Théâtre des Muses.
During the interview, the Prince also made it clear that he didn’t feel age was a big deal: “It’s only really important in that I see friends, who are the same age, retiring now. I can’t do that,” he laughed.
“60 was important, 70 will be important (…) Sixty-five has some resonance, I suppose, but for me, it’s just another birthday. It’s not a milestone,” added the Prince.
He mentioned that he didn’t want “too many gifts” because, although the Palace may seem large, “… our storage is full… I don’t know where to put things anymore.” The Sovereign also shared the greatest pride of his 18-year reign: his wife and children.
The Prince described Princess Gabriella as a little girl “with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. She has her own little personality. (…) She’ll sometimes try to use her brother and get him into trouble. But Jacques stands up to her now, and when he has had enough, he says “No!'”.
Now eight years old, the Princely Twins take part in a few public events alongside their parents. “Gabriella can sometimes feel a little uncomfortable around too many people. Jacques talks more, engages more, in public,” revealed the Sovereign, who concluded by explaining that he wishes to pass on his commitment to the environment to his children:
“The relationship with nature is, I believe, the first important step. And they’ve gotten that because they’ve spent a lot of time at the Roc Agel property, and then we’ve been out on different boat trips, so they understand the natural world, both terrestrial and marine life. They have that connection.”