Brest welcomes Prince Albert II: memories, history and sport take centre stage
Le Prince Albert II and Jean-François Quérat © Préfecture maritime et commandement en chef Atlantique
The trip reminded the Sovereign of his youth.
After the Olympic Games in Paris, Prince Albert II made a short trip to Brest, where the cool temperatures contrasted with the heatwave the south of France was experiencing. The Sovereign travelled to Finistère in Brittany on Monday August 12, to meet up with an old acquaintance: Jeanne d’Arc.
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The helicopter carrier, named after the French heroine Joan of Arc, was home to Prince Albert II between September 1981 and April 1982, while the Sovereign was a young trainee officer. The exceptionally large vessel – 181.38 m long and 24 m wide – is unfortunately no longer in service today, having been dismantled in 2010.
Welcomed by Vice-Admiral Jean-François Quérat, Maritime Préfet for the Atlantic, and François Cuillandre, Mayor of Brest, Prince Albert II was able to visit the “La Jeanne, fille de Brest” (Jeanne, Brest’s daughter) exhibition at the Capucins workshops. The exhibition chronicles the life of the French Navy ship, which served as a school for future naval officers.
The Sovereign also visited the National Navy Museum in Brest’s castle. And lest we forget the recent Olympic Games, the Prince also discovered the temporary exhibition entitled “Jeux sur l’eau, en quête de victoires” (Games on water, the quest for victory), dedicated to the nautical side of the Games, with five flagship disciplines: sailing, rowing, water motorsports, kayaking and surfing.
