Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene visit Saint-Honorat island
Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene in Lérins Abbey © Eric Mathon / Prince's Palace
They are now godparents of a bell!
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Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene took a trip on Saturday 14 September to the island of Saint-Honorat and the Abbey of Lérins in particular.
Greeted by Abbot Vladimir Gaudrat, they began with a tour of the monastery tower, which has been undergoing restoration since 2020. Prince Albert II helped finance the work on the Sainte-Croix chapel, a listed historic monument.
The iconic site in the Bay of Cannes will reopen to the public in summer 2025.
The ties between the Grimaldis and the Lérins Islands
The main purpose of the Princely Couple’s visit to Lérins Abbey was to bless two bells in the monastery chapel, following a mass. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene were chosen as godparents for one of them, named “Marie Augustin” in memory of Augustin Grimaldi.
Appointed Abbot of Lérins in 1500 and Lord of Monaco from 1523 until his death, he played an important role in the Principality’s independence by forming an alliance with Emperor Charles V exactly 500 years ago.