Monaco’s Place du Palais came alive with a vibrant celebration for Prince Albert II’s 66th birthday on Thursday, marking a day of unity, tradition, and national pride among the Monegasque people.
Place du Palais became the epicentre of celebration for Prince Albert II’s 66th birthday on the morning of 14th March, drawing an impressive crowd of long-term residents, visitors, and enthusiastic supporters, all unified in their admiration for the Princely family. The air was filled with chants of “Bravo notre Prince!” as Prince Albert II, alongside Princess Charlene and their twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriela, greeted the crowd of people waving Monaco flags that bore ‘Bon Aniversari!’ – a Monegasque salute to Happy Birthday.
The presence of Princess Stephanie on a Palace balcony, accompanied by her son Louis Ducruet and his wife, Marie Ducruet, alongside Princess Caroline with her children, Pierre and Charlotte Casiraghi, added to the day’s grandeur.
The family’s unity was obvious as they collectively waved from the Palace balcony, before Prince Albert and his family descended to the Palace square to take part in the cutting of a beautifully tiered cake adorned with Monegasque symbols and the heartfelt inscription ‘Bon aniversari munsignu’.
The event was not just about festivity, it embodied a profound expression of national pride and the deep-rooted connection between the Monegasques and their sovereign family. A local resident, unable to contain their pride, told Monaco Life, “It’s days like these that remind us how proud we are of our Prince and the family’s dedication to our country.” The sentiment was echoed by another who had taken time off work to participate in the birthday celebration.
Even those from neighbouring regions, such as a supporter from Menton, felt a sense of familial duty to partake in the event, viewing it as “honouring a family tradition”.
As the Princely family mingled with the crowd, shaking hands and exchanging greetings with well-wishers, the atmosphere was filled with a sense of unity, tradition, and a spirit of national pride. The celebration was a demonstration of the bond between the Monegasques, the residents, and the visitors with their beloved Prince.
Monaco Life was there! See more in our Instagram reel below…
The team behind the Flavien Foundation, a paediatric cancer research charity based in Monaco, has pulled out the stops for its grand 2024 Pouce La Vie event in April. Here are all the details.
On 23rd April at the Auditorium Rainier III, the Flavien Foundation will be holding one of its biggest – and most popular – events of the year.
This year’s Pouce La Vie, now approaching its sixth edition, is embracing all things Quentin Tarantino with a programme featuring musical scores from his biggest films that were written by greats such as Ennio Morricone, Grammy winner Dave Grusin and Argentinian composer Luis Bacalov.
Tribute band Call Me Winston will be performed these hits live on the night and the 11-member ensemble will be joined on stage by the foundation’s historic sponsor, the renowned pianist, producer and musical director, Yvan Cassar, who has also invited trumpet player Joël Chausse, cellist Julie Sevilla-Fraysse and harmonica player Greg Zlap to be part of the evening’s festivities.
Hosting the musical evening will be Monegasque journalist and film producer Yann-Antony Noghès.
The Flavien Foundation – or Fondation Flavien in French – was founded in 2014 by Denis Maccario in memory of his young son, who tragically lost his fight to cancer.
Pouce La Vie will start at 8pm. Tickets can be found online here.
With a clear focus on inspiring sustainability and innovation, Monaco Marina Management’s GCC Smart Yachting Days in Dubai last month attracted a strong turnout of key players from across the Gulf and its maritime sectors, who agreed that there was a growing need to “collaborate, communicate and educate at all levels in the region”.
Hosted by the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina on 28th and 29th February, Monaco Marina Management was able to export its view on “smart ideas, smart yachting, smart marinas and smart ownership” to the UAE and involve a much wider audience in its discussions than has been possible at previous events.
It proved the ideal setting from which to explore the latest and greatest advances and ideas coming out of not just the Principality of Monaco, but the world of yachting as a whole.
SUSTAINABILITY, INVESTMENT AND ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT
Sustainability was the buzzword of the event, which placed a strong emphasis on the need to foster responsible practices across the board, from owners and crew to service providers and the ports themselves.
The advantageous involvement of environmental foundations was also presented as a method of helping marinas and their management set and achieve targets for future eco-friendly systems alongside the importance of involving local communities in proactive projects to reduce waste and environmental impacts.
Another key topic was the need to “refocus” investors’ mindsets and convince them of the long-term financial and environmental benefits of investing in smart marinas.
Monaco Marina Management also used the event to unveil the new M3 Smart Marina certification, which has been designed to measure smart and efficient marina operations, with the ultimate goals of reducing and optimising overall sustainability at all levels of the marina, from its initial conception to its construction and real-time operations.
AWARDS CEREMONY
Finally, start-ups Arkhaus, BatteryCheck, Boatmate, JetCycle, Posseidon, Seares and Ship O’Hoi were among those given an opportunity to present their ideas at the event, with a chance of winning a GCC Smart Yachting Days Award.
In the end, Expedition Zero, represented by Andrew Cowen, won the 2024 GCC Smart Yachting Days Yachting prize thanks to the company’s net-zero adventure tourism concepts.
Camille Lopez, representing HY-Plugs, won the GCC Smart Yachting Days Marina Award. Her company is actively involved in the maritime energy transition.
The upcoming Yes Women gala in Paris will celebrate the often overlooked achievements of women in the AIDS fight. The event is set to unite a global community of advocates and activists, including Monaco’s Princess Stéphanie, who founded Fights AIDS Monaco in 2004.
The Yes Women gala, an event co-organised by Fight AIDS Monaco and Coalition Plus, is set to take place at the InterContinental Hotel in Paris on 13th June. The goal of the gathering is to highlight the critical role of women in combating AIDS, a timely focus given that UNAIDS recently reported that 53% of all new HIV infections globally were among women and girls in 2022.
Another key element of the occasion is the honouring of six exceptional women who have made remarkable strides in the battle against AIDS through their support for projects for women living with HIV, their contributions to science and the study of the AIDS disease, and their advocacy for human rights and treatment access.
Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, the founder of Fight AIDS Monaco, is confirmed to be attending the event in person alongside Nicole Savard Dionne, the driving force behind the initiative.
“It struck me that men often receive accolades for their work, but what about the women and their organisations? They are equally deserving of honour,” says Savard Dionne. “I’m deeply thankful to everyone who believed in this vision. Their unwavering conviction has been pivotal in bringing this project to life.”
Champions in the AIDS fight
The six women who will be spotlighted for their efforts at the gala include: Professor Françoise Barré-Sinoussi of France, a Nobel Prize laureate for her role in the discovery of HIV; Professor Hakima Himmich of Morocco, who diagnosed the first case of AIDS in her country and later founded the Association for the Fight against AIDS; Jeanne Gapiya-Niyonzima from Burundi, a renowned human rights activist; Christien Roos of Namibia, the co-founder of Penduka for women’s entrepreneurship; Anushiya Karunanithy from Malaysia, for her work with the Malaysian AIDS Council and transgender rights advocacy; and Valeria Rachinska of Ukraine, who has been key in securing access to HIV treatment during the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Of the event, Fight Aids Monaco coordinator Hervé Aeschbach says, “Our aim is originality and diversity, hoping this is just the start.”
The gala is currently seeking sponsors and is offering tickets starting at €1,000, with the funds going to three projects dedicated to fighting for this worthy cause.
The real estate sector is the latest industry to embrace the potential of Artificial Intelligence, namely through property technology, which, as Monaco Life learned at the recent PropTech conference at the Yacht Club de Monaco, looks set to reshape how designers and architects integrate sustainability into their projects.
The PropTech conference, which was organised by the Monaco Economic Board on 12th March, brought together key players from the local real estate and architecture fields to showcase the significant impacts that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and PropTech are having on the real estate sector.
As put by Frédéric Genta, the man in charge of Monaco’s Attractiveness and Digital Transition Department, in his opening remarks at the conference, “AI changed the world of PropTech.”
The integration of AI into design and architecture reflects the sector’s dynamic expansion; a record-breaking $74 billion investment was made in PropTech during 2021, according to the PropTech Global Trends Barometer, in a demonstration of the industry’s willingness to embrace advancement and innovation.
Architectural innovation
During the conference, speakers from Foster + Partners, the award-winning international architecture firm founded in 1967 by Sir Norman Foster, shed light on the evolving role of technology and sustainability in their field.
Yorgos Bitsianis, an Associate Partner at Foster + Partners, stressed how sustainability is central to the company’s operations, with tools like carbon calculators enabling smarter, quicker decisions in the design process.
On the topic of digital twins, an innovative technology that generates virtual models of physical buildings for detailed simulation and analysis, Bitsianis noted the revolutionary potential of simulation in design, saying, “The opportunities presented by designing with digital twins are boundless.”
Advancements in simulation are helping architects to better integrate sustainability into their designs and projects. Photo credit: Frédéric Nebinger / Monaco Communications Department
Meanwhile, comments by Martha Tsigkari, the company’s head of Applied R&D, that “AI will augment our creativity and our capacity to solve problems” underlined the tech-enhanced future of the architecture sector.
Transforming real estate
The panel discussions, which featured Monaco-based startups including Net0, YouStock and Oghji, highlighted the role AI is playing in achieving decarbonisation within the industry.
Sofia Fominova, co-founder of Net0, made a strong case for AI, stating, “AI is the only answer for decarbonisation.”
In another discussion about PropTech investment, Gregory Dewerpe, Founding and Managing Partner at A/O, the biggest venture capital firm in Europe to focus on the construction industry, enthused on how technology can change real estate for the better.
“Our mission is to fund tech companies that will revolutionise the construction sector,” he said. “Many businesses aim to achieve net zero emissions by deadlines like 2030 or 2050, and technology is key to reaching these goals. Real estate currently lags behind in digital adoption, and we’re determined to lead the change.”
The PropTech conference also provided a platform for the Prince’s Government, in collaboration with ESCP Business School, to unveil the 4th edition of its global PropTech market barometer, which can be found here.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to make a state visit to the Principality “by the end of the year”, according to France’s Ambassador to Monaco, Jean d’Haussonville, who has emphasised a “desire” from both sides to make it happen.
No president of France has made a state visit to Monaco since François Mitterrand’s trip to meet with Prince Rainier III in 1984, a full 40 years ago. Incidentally, the late French leader was the first and only leader of France to have ever made an official state visit to the Principality.
This is likely to change in 2024 if the revelations by d’Haussonville, France’s Ambassador to Monaco, do come to pass.
The diplomat, who was confirmed as France’s official envoy to the Principality back in September 2023, has publicly said that there should be a formalised trip by President Macron to Monaco “by the end of the year”.
There are also plans in the works for Prince Albert II to travel to the Élysée in Paris for a reciprocal visit. This would mark the first time that a Prince of Monaco has been to the City of Light on an official state visit since Prince Rainier III’s visit in 1959, which came on the back of the election of General Charles de Gaulle.
“The Prince has made working visits, official visits to France, but never at the protocol level of a state visit with all the honours of the Republic,” explained the ambassador. “It will be an expression of full support from France to the Principality of Monaco.”
Prince Albert’s most recent high-profile visit to France, when he met with President Macron to discuss topics such as the Paris Agreement and the rights of French citizens working in Monaco, came back in 2019.
Though it may seem odd that two nations so intertwined have little history of these kinds of visits, it does not mean they are not friendly nor lacking in communication. French presidents and Monegasque sovereigns often meet and see each other at working events, such as conferences and the like, but these are classified in a different context.
“It is really a desire on both sides [that] this visit should take the form of a state visit, which qualifies the highest level of protocol in terms of travel,” said d’Haussonville of the potential upcoming event.
A state visit adds a level of formality to the proceedings and comes with certain requirements, such as a stay of at least one night as a guest in the host country and distinguished honours being bestowed on the visitor.
The list of players set to take to the clay courts of the Monte-Carlo Country Club in April for the 117th edition of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters has been announced. Here’s who made the cut.
Tournament Director David Massey had the honour of revealing the list of participants at the upcoming Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, which will be held from 6th to 14th April, at an exclusive luncheon at the Pré Catelan Lenôtre in Paris on 12th March.
Included on the roster are men’s tennis’ biggest stars, such as the Top 3 seeded players of Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, as well as World No.4 and notorious court rebel Daniil Medvedev.
Other Top 10 ranked players who will also appear on the famous clay courts are Andrey Rublev, who won his first Masters 1000 title last year in Monaco, Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune, Hubert Hurkacz, Caser Rudd and Alex de Minaur.
Perennial crowd favourite Rafael Nadal is also expected to play, marking a return to the courts after more than a year on the side lines. He was forced to withdrawal from the Australian Open in January, having suffered from a muscle tear on his hip.
Among the French players to feature are 14th ranked Ugo Humbert, 21st seeded Adrian Mannarino and Arthur Fils, who is currently in 43rd place in the ATP Rankings.
Following on from a new set-up introduced at the 2023 tournament, the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters’ team will be offering spectators services such as a click-and-collect fast food catering option as well as deluxe dinners in the new covered dining area for fans seeking a more elegant alternative. On the day of the finals, Michelin-starred Chef Frédéric Anton of Le Jules Vernes in Paris will be in charge of the menu.
The Masters, which officially start the annual clay court tennis season, was founded in 1897, and has been played at the Monte-Carlo Country Club since 1928. It is now under the Presidency of Mélanie-Antoinette de Massy, who took over the position after the death of her mother, Elizabeth-Ann de Massy, in 2020.
Greta Gerwig will be the first American female director to take on the role of Jury President when the Cannes Film Festival takes over the French Riviera this May.
Following a year in which she beat every record with her film ‘Barbie’, the American director, screenwriter, and actress Greta Gerwig is to preside over the feature film Competition Jury of the 77th Cannes Film Festival, which takes place 14th to 25th May.
She will be the first American female director to take on the role of Jury President at the Festival de Cannes and, at the age of 40, adds another record to her considerable list of awards: that of becoming the youngest person to take on the task since Sofia Loren only aged 31 in 1966, the second female director since Jane Campion in 2014, and the second American woman after Olivia de Haviland in 1965.
Gerwig is a movie fan
A heroine of our modern times, Greta Gerwig shakes up the status quo between a highly codified cinema industry and an era demanding great expansiveness. And she’s a cinephile.
“I love films – I love making them, going to them, talking about them,” said Gerwig in a statement. “As a cinephile, Cannes has always been the pinnacle of what the universal language of movies can be. Being vulnerable in a dark theater filled with strangers and watching a brand-new film is my favorite place to be. I am stunned, thrilled, and humbled to serve as the Cannes Film Festival Jury president. I cannot wait to see what journeys are in store for all of us!”
Greta Gerwig, photo credit: Ben Rayner
Greta Gerwig has gained recognition in American and worldwide cinema in less than 15 years. Originally from Sacramento, California, but a New Yorker by adoption, she dreamed of being a playwright and crafted her path toward the heights of brilliance with both consistency and a taste for risk.
Yesterday, ambassador of independent American cinema, today at the summit of worldwide box-office success, Greta Gerwig manages to combine what was previously judged incompatible: delivering arthouse blockbusters, narrowing the gap between art and industry, exploring contemporary feminist issues with deft as well as depth, and declaring her demanding artistic ambition from within an economic model that she embraces to put to better use.
She can do it all: acting, writing, and directing
Whether acting, writing, or directing, her artistic endeavors have recurrent leitmotifs, such as family upheaval, adolescent rites of passage, fear of loss of social status, or the emergence of artistic vocation via free characters, sometimes fragile and marginal, but also fierce.
Starting as an actress, Greta Gerwig became a screenwriter working on various projects. She co-wrote ‘Hannah Takes the Stairs’ (2007) and ‘Nights and Weekends’ (2008), which she also co-directed, then Frances Ha (2012), ‘Mistress America’ (2015), and, of course, Barbie with Noah Baumbach, her accomplice in art.
Her first solo work, ‘Lady Bird’ (2017) – a striking, tender, and melancholy portrait of adolescence’s torments, was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Director.
For her second film, Greta Gerwig ambitiously took hold of the American literature classic from 1868 by Louisa May Alcott, ‘Little Women’, again to take a fresh look at all the story’s female protagonists, to better examine their emancipation in a world dominated by men. In a double reading, the director also subtly discusses her place within the cinema system and the compromises required for commercial success to appeal to a mass audience.
Finally, her most recent feature film was released in July 2023, the tornado ‘Barbie’ plows the same furrow in even more spectacular fashion by facing up to that ambivalent idol of small girls, a symbol of the female-as-object, but also of woman-emancipated. In this fierce satire about the human condition, Great Gerwig nails everyday sexism and stereotypes with joyful intent. An international cultural phenomenon, ‘Barbie’ is the most significant success of the year and has made Greta Gerwig the most lucrative female film director in history.
Xavier Dolan, photo credit: Shayne Laverdiere
Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan is back
“Let’s hold on to our dreams because together, we can change the world. Anything is possible for those who dare, work, and never give up.” With this statement, filmmaker Xavier Dolan received the Jury Prize for Mommy at the 67th Festival de Cannes in 2014. At the helm of the Un Certain Regard Jury, he will celebrate the thirst for discovery and passion for other’s talent.
It was an obvious choice: Xavier Dolan’s filmmaking found its maturity in his extreme youth and boldness, of the kind that opens a world of possibilities, believing more in dreams than reality, and finding a way to rise to their creative ambitions.
“I am humbled and delighted to return to Cannes as President of the Un Certain Regard Jury,” said Xavier Dolanin a statemen. “Even more than making films myself, discovering the work of talented filmmakers has always been at the very heart of both my personal and professional journeys. In this responsibility, I can focus with the Un Certain Regard Jury members on an essential aspect of the art of film: stories told truthfully.”
Nolan is an Autodidact
Self-taught, he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in his first feature film, ‘I Killed My Mother’, at 19. Adapted from a short story he had written a few years earlier, this trial stroke was a master one and was chosen to represent Canada for the Academy Awards. In 2010, he revealed his multifaceted talent by being responsible for his second film’s art direction, costumes, and editing. With ‘Heartbeats’, he first entered Un Certain Regard when he was just 21.
Two years later, ‘Laurence Anyways’, which premiered at Un Certain Regard, won the section’s award for Best Actress ex-aequo for Suzanne Clément. His first award in Cannes highlighted Xavier Dolan’s delicate sense for directing actors and actresses, with whom he has developed loyal, intense collaborations.
‘Mommy’ Gave new exceptional roles to Anne Dorval and Suzanne Clément after the psychological thriller ‘Tom at the Farm’. This 5th feature –his first in Competition– depicts a single mother’s difficulties raising her son. With deep emotion and poetry, he received the Jury Prize tied with Jean-Luc Godard’s ‘Goodbye to Language’ from the hand of New Zealand director Jane Campion. With this choice, the Jury rewarded both the oldest (84) and the youngest (25) filmmakers in Competition, proving that originality is not the prerogative of youth, nor maturity that of experience. The following year, Xavier Dolan joined the Jury chaired by the Coen brothers at the 68th Festival de Cannes.
His return to directing sounded like a new declaration of love to actors and audiences alike. ‘It’s Only the End of the World’, an adaptation of Jean-Luc Lagarce’s play, was awarded the Grand Prix at the 69th Festival de Cannes. His fascination with acting can also be found in his following two films. ‘The Death and Life of John F. Donovan’ is the story of a young boy’s correspondence with his favorite actor, and ‘Matthias & Maxime’, presented in Competition in 2019.
He played a few notable roles for other filmmakers, including Xavier Giannoli’s ‘Lost Illusions’, which earned him a nomination for the César Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2022, Xavier Dolan directed his first TV series, ‘The Night Logan Woke Up.’
Nathan Jones’ life changed forever when the military aircraft he was piloting went into a nosedive with 190 people on board. What happened next took courage and strength, but it was nothing compared to the journey that awaited him. This is the story behind Nathan Jones and Peak State, the mental wellness movement backed by Prince Harry.
Physical and mental performance were everything to Nathan Jones. After completing a university degree in sports psychology and science, the British national played professional rugby and served over 17 years in the military as a pilot, flying UK operational squadrons in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Libya.
But in 2014, Nathan suffered a devastating injury, putting his physical and mental strength to their biggest test yet.
Monaco Life: Can you tell us about the moment that changed your life?
Nathan Jones: I was flying a transport plane called a Voyager; it’s a military-adapted Airbus A330 that I’m sure you’ve travelled on for holidays many times. We were flying troops from RAF Brize Norton, which is in the Cotswolds in the middle of the UK, out to Camp Bastion, a former British Army airbase in Helmand province, Afghanistan. It was a routine flight with a mixture of military passengers, aid workers, press and UN Commonwealth troops.
We were flying at night so that we were not a visible target. At around the halfway point – flying over the Black Sea with Turkey to my right and Georgia in front – a friend of mine came in to the cockpit to say hello. I suggested we go have a cup of tea in the front galley, so I took my break, did my checks and handed over control of the plane to the captain. I was the co-pilot at the time.
We went into the kitchen at the front of the plane when, all of a sudden, everyone who wasn’t strapped in hit the roof. The plane was in a dive and heading towards the sea. I had to crawl along the roof, in through the cockpit door, which was thankfully open because it was a military flight, and I went from a brightly lit cabin to a pitch-black cockpit with flashing lights. Everything that was not strapped in was stuck on the roof, and I was just staring at a dark sea coming quickly towards us. My feet were on the roof as we regained control and I pulled the plane out of the dive. Then, my body went straight into the footwell of the seat.
The plane flew in on a mayday to an American Air Force Base on the Turkish-Syrian border. I didn’t really know what damage my body had suffered at first. I knew I’d split my head open as I’d left a smear of blood along the roof from my journey there to the controls. But later on, I found out that I’d broken the sacroiliac and lumbar part of my back.
There were 198 people onboard, so it would have been a really bad day at work if we’d gone into the sea. But thankfully we didn’t.
The Airbus A330 voyager that Nathan Jones was piloting when it went into a nosedive with 190 souls onboard.
What caused the plane to go into a nosedive?
The other pilot got something jammed in the controls – a camera – without him realising, and when he moved his seat forwards it knocked the stick in full deflection forward and we went into a dive. We didn’t know what was going on, we were stuck in a dive and going pretty quickly at the same time. So yeah, there were a lot of scared people on board, including me.
But the moral of the of the story is, I was in a physically and mentally fit place beforehand. It’s amazing how you can go from hero to zero very quickly. It’s a long road back from a traumatic event: there’s the physical recovery that you’re going through, but really the most important and toughest road is the mental battle.
What kind of mental support were you receiving from the military?
The military has very good rehab centres. I spent most of my time at a place called Hedley Court, just south of London. It had everything you could wish for: hydrotherapy pools, swimming pools with retractable floors, anti-gravity runners.. the physical side was completely covered.
The mental side of recovery was covered as well, but you’re a permanent resident there – in a room, fed and watered. It’s a long road to recovery, so it’s your job, it’s all day.
My clinician was the Team GB doctor for the Invictus Games, an international competition set up by Prince Harry in 2014 for wounded, injured and sick service men and women. I was finding the recovery a real grind, so I was encouraged to enter the games.
Nathan Jones and Prince Harry at the 2016 Invictus Games Orlando finals
At the time, I was being told I was never going to run again, I was barely going to be able to walk, that I couldn’t do this or couldn’t do that. Every day was yet another thing that I was being told what I couldn’t do rather than what I could.
So, getting into a competitive sporting setup again was the opposite of that. You’re told all the things that you can do; you’re encouraged to strive to do things, and it’s a proactive way of looking at recovery, because doing sport is not just the physical, it’s all the different aspects of it.
The power of sport is certainly something that people underestimate, and I found it completely life changing. I’d say that everyone who has done the Invictus Games has had different but the same experiences.
So, I ended up competing in 2016 in Orlando and 2017 in Toronto. I was doing cycling and swimming – not sports that I was necessarily used to competing in – and then suddenly I was competing live on ESPN and it was being beamed all around the world. I had to make sure that I was performing at my best just for that, let alone the will to want to win and do my best. It was an amazing experience.
Once again, you pushed your body to the limits. What happened next?
The last thing that my surgeon said to me before I left for Orlando was: “Whatever you do, don’t fall off your bike!”. I was in the road race at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, and the race was about 45 minutes long. We were doing laps of the circuit and on the last lap I was feeling good, bearing in mind I didn’t have a background in cycling racing, but I was feeling pretty fit and strong so I kicked it up, went around and got into first place, weaving through the last few corners. Keep in mind, I’d been around this track for 45 minutes by then and I was going fast.
I got the last corner wrong and smashed into the fence. I was well clear at that point, I could have just unclipped and cruised over the finish line. But instead, I hit the barrier and cartwheeled down the finishing straight. I smashed my bike to pieces – I don’t know how many pieces – my back wheel bounced down the road and I was lying in a heap. I went to hospital on a spinal board and, because I was in America, the medical system presented me with a $96,000 medical bill. Thankfully, the team insurance picked that up. But my surgeon watched it on TV and one of the first messages I received was, “You’ve done exactly what I told you not to!”.
I was fine though. It knocked me out, but I did manage to compete a few days later in the swimming pool. I was probably doing zigzags down the lane, but I did manage to do OK. And then Toronto went far better and I got some medals there.
Nathan Jones served in the UK military before suffering a broken back during a nosedive
Where did the idea for Peak State come from then? You clearly had the physical fitness, but how did you manage to balance that with mental wellness?
David Wiseman, the co-founder, and I were both working at the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Duke and Duchess of Sussex in London, and one of the programmes that we were looking at was the mental health provision for the UK Armed Forces. We found there was a lot of reparatory stuff: for people who were suffering from mental ill health, which is really what people think of in terms of mental health around the world. People instantly think mental ill health rather than mental health. But everyone has mental health, whether it is good or bad or indifferent, people are somewhere on that spectrum.
So, the military had a lot of reparatory stuff for people who were suffering from common mental disorders: anxiety, depression, stress, and post-traumatic stress from conflict or otherwise. But there was very little pre-emptive mental health work and treatment initiatives looking at the proactive approach to good mental health. Through the Royal Foundation in partnership with the MOD, a programme called Head Fit was created, which is still going now. It’s an annual training that all of the personnel in the UK go through, a scientific approach backed by psychology and science to look at healthy habits throughout the day and give people the tools and techniques in order to perform at their best.
We then decided that it was something that we wanted to do on a global level because we were very passionate about giving the general public the opportunity to perform at their best. Our mantra is to create a global community that understands the importance of mental fitness and the importance of attaining it.
When I say mental fitness, I am talking about your brain, your mental capacity, like a muscle. Your physical fitness and mental fitness should be discussed in the same context, looking at your mind like a muscle that you have to train.
It’s all about repetition, making things simple, easy and fun, something that you enjoy doing.
You can look at it like prehab rather than rehab. Why send someone into battle with no armour? With these tools and techniques that we’re trying to instil in people, if something bad happens to them, which it does to everyone at some point in their life, then they’ve got the foundations to mentally handle it. They can use these tools and techniques to get back to their peak state.
Nathan Jones (far right) playing for the national rugby team
Prince Harry has been very vocal about mental health, and the struggles that he has personally had after the death of his mother Princess Diana, and the flow-on effect from that. How important is it to have the backing of such a large personality like Prince Harry?
Yes, Prince Harry has been a very passionate campaigner for mental health for over a decade now and he has achieved great things in this arena of mental health, from mental ill health and breaking down those boundaries and stigmas to the mental fitness arena of what we’re doing now. He has been championing Peak State right from the start, even the naming of it all the way through to the structure of what we’re doing.
Having someone that is so passionate about a topic like that is invaluable and he really does bring a passion and certainly a breadth of knowledge on the subject through lived and learned experiences.
But also, for obvious reasons, he is a well-respected member of the royal family.
He talks about mental health topics in his book, Spare, but having someone of his stature involved certainly breaks down barriers and opens up communities and conversations around the world for us, which is what we’re trying to do: to create a global community. So, yes, it’s fantastic having him involved.
Did you know Prince Harry in the military?
I’ve known Prince Harry for a long time, from serving with him in the UK military, through to the Invictus Games and working for him at the Royal Foundation, to now working together with Peak State. We go back a long way, as does David. He worked at the Royal Foundation for 10 years.
Can you go into more detail about Peak State and the kind of services that it provides?
We launched Peak State in Australia in 2020 with the prime minister at the time, Scott Morrison, in the aftermath of the summer bushfires. It was highlighting the amazing work of the first responders and how they’d performed at their best. We then partnered with the Greek Royal Family, Princess Tatiana of Greece, and created a platform for the Greek population. We’ve now launched a Peak State app, which is a toolkit that people can use on a daily basis. It can be scenario based, so if you are about to make a public speech or go into an important meeting or sporting event, you can dip into your pocket and quickly go through a breathwork exercise or visualisation and change the way that you’re perceiving things so that you’re firing on all cylinders.
We are also launching our online training programmes for both professionals and for schools.
Do you feel like there is finally a shift happening in society with regards to mental health, or is there still a long way to go?
There’s still a long way to go, but the conversation has changed, and over the last decade there has been a polar shift in the way that people perceive mental fitness and mental health thanks to a huge amount of work by charities and foundations around the world to de-stigmatise mental health and mental ill health.
What we’re trying to do is just change the dial again and look at it in a proactive way rather than a reactive way.
To find out more information on Peak State, visit: peakstate.org.
Monaco has welcomed four new ambassadors, from Slovakia, Venezuela, Romania and Belgium, into its circle of international diplomats.
On Tuesday 12th March, diplomats from Slovakia, Venezuela, Romania and Belgium officially began their tenure in the Principality by presenting their Letters of Credence to Prince Albert II of Monaco. This formal occasion was followed by a celebratory luncheon hosted by Isabelle Berro Amadeï, Monaco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, at the Hôtel Hermitage.
Who are the new ambassadors?
Slovakia’s new representative in Monaco, Jan Soth, began his diplomatic career in 1984. Since then, he has held significant overseas positions in Romania and France, which led to ambassadorial duties in multiple countries. In the past, he has also worked as the Secretary-General to the President of Slovakia.
Venezuela’s contribution to the newly appointed diplomatic ensemble is Arturo Enrique Gil Pinto, whose skills combine an engineering background with diplomatic expertise. Pinto is also the current Ambassador of Venezuela to France.
Ioana Bivolaru, who will represent Romanian interests and communications in Monaco, has over 25 years of experience in the diplomatic service. She played an instrumental role in Romania’s accession to the EU.
Lastly, Belgium’s Jo Indekeu brings a wealth of experience to Monaco, having held similar roles in Jordan, Iraq and Hungary.
Left to right: Jo Indekeu, Ambassador of Belgium; Ioana Bivolaru, Ambassador of Romania; Isabelle Berro Amadeï, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation; Jan Soth, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic; Arturo Enrique Gil Pinto, Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Photo credit: Manuel Vitali / Monaco Communications Department
In early March, a delegation from Monaco’s Economic Development Department headed up to the Rock, the part of Monaco that houses the Palais Princier and the Oceanographic Museum, to open a section of the Visitation car park to the public. The move should help to – if only slightly – ease traffic and parking issues in Monaco-Ville.
Alleviating Monaco’s chronic traffic and parking problems is a top priority for the Monegasque government, as evidenced by the detailed Plan Mobilité or Transport Solutions report that was released in February 2024.
Given that close to 50,000 vehicles enter and leave the Principality each day, finding room to safely house them all is a complicated task, particularly in the neighbourhoods that are most constricted in terms of available space.
Monaco-Ville is one of the most affected, and finding a parking space up on the Rock can prove very difficult, especially during peak seasons.
Now, steps are being taken to ease this pressure on the current car parks, with the announcement that 20 spaces within the Parking de la Visitation, a car park usually strictly reserved for local residents, have been opened to the public.
The spaces will be exclusively available after 6pm on weekdays as well as throughout the day on weekends and public holidays.
Those hoping to find a space should speak first with the car park supervisor in order to ensure that a spot is free before entering the facility.
EasyJet is expanding its list of exciting destinations that can be reached from Nice Côte d’Azur Airport with two new direct connections to Malta and Morocco’s Agadir. Here are all the details, including ticket prices.
It has been announced that, for the first time ever, Nice Côte d’Azur Airport will be offering direct flights to both Malta and Agadir in 2024 thanks to the opening of new routes by easyJet.
The destinations join a host of other popular tourist hotspots, such as Alicante and Malaga in Spain and Kefalonia in Greece, to be added to Nice Airport’s growing roster of international connections in recent weeks.
The Mediterranean archipelago of Malta, nestled between North Africa and Sicily, has long been a crossroads for culture, trade and, more recently, tourism. Cities such as Valletta and Mdina will give history buffs and culture seekers a thrill while the island of Gozo and towns like Mellieha offer sun, sea and sand for those more inclined to beach pursuits.
Starting 27th June, easyJet will be flying from the Riviera to Malta International Airport on Thursdays and Sundays until 1st September, with ticket prices starting from as low as €39.
AGADIR: BETWEEN MOUNTAINS AND THE SEA
Seated between the Atlas mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, Agadir is a gem that boasts the biggest souk in the country, the Souk el-Had, as well as a beautifully restored medina, golden beaches and some of the best beginner surf spots on the coast. A lower key – and usually cooler – alternative to its busier cousins of Casablanca and Marrakech, it is a place well worth checking out.
From 3rd September to 26th October, travellers can make the journey to Agadir every Tuesday and Saturday from just €39 one-way.
Six months after Jean Castellini spectacularly stepped down from the role, Prince Albert has appointed a new minister of finance and the economy for his government, Pierre-André Chiappori, a 68-year-old French-Monegasque finance professor.
The Palace announced on Wednesday 13th March that Prince Albert II had appointed Pierre-André Chiappori to the prominent role of Minister of Finance and the Economy. He succeeds Marco Piccinini who filled the role temporarily in September 2023 when Jean Castellini stepped down after more than a decade on the job.
Pierre-André Chiappori has a Ph.D in economics from the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne. He has taught in France at Paris 1, EHESS, École Polytechnique, and ENSAE, before joining the University of Chicago as professor of economics. He is a member of the European Economic Association, was elected to the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences in 2017, and received the insignia of Knight of the Order of Merit in 2023.
In the Principality, Pierre-André Chiappori has chaired the Scientific Council of the Monegasque Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (IMSEE) since 2011 as well as the International Advisory Board of the International University of Monaco.
“H.S.H. the Prince warmly thanks Mr. Marco Piccinini for his unreserved investment and dedication at the head of the Department of Finance and Economy,” said the Palace in its statement. “Mr Piccinini will continue to work for the Principality as Ambassador in charge of international financial negotiations. His expertise and skills in the fields of economics and finance will indeed be major assets in meeting the current challenges of the Principality.”
Pierre-André Chiappori will officially assume his position on 18th March.
Photo: Prince Albert II of Monaco with Pierre-André Chiappori during his induction into the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences in January 2019. Photo credit: Gaetan Luci, Palais Princier
Monaco is preparing for a grand celebration on Thursday at the Place du Palais, with the community called upon to come together in support of Prince Albert II on his birthday.
Monaco is set to host the community gathering in honour of Prince Albert on his 66th birthday on Thursday 14th March at 11am on the Place du Palais. The event is a chance for residents, citizens, and friends of the Principality to come together in a show of support for their Sovereign.
Organised by National Councillor Franck Lobono and promoted through his social media, the gathering aims to be a patriotic event that is beyond political lines. Lobono describes it as a gesture of unity, inviting “residents, Monegasques, or simply locals who would like to demonstrate their wholehearted support for the Prince.”
The initiative also reflects the community’s appreciation for Prince Albert’s dedication to Monaco and his presence at local events.
For the first time, guest Greek choreographer Elias Lazaridis has teamed up with Pavillon Bosio art students and Princess Grace Academy dancers to create and perform a new ballet, which was unveiled during the March Imprevus.
The Pavillon Bosio has collaborated with Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo (BMC) for over a decade now, with young scenographers designing the set for a ballet created by one of the company’s dancers. This year, as the BMC was on tour, Pavillon Bosio teamed up with the Princess Grace Academy instead, which commissioned Greek choreographer Elias Lazaridis to create a piece for 20 of their young dancers. The piece, entitled ‘Fly’, was unveiled during the Imprevus, from 7th to 10th March.
In explaining the creation of ‘Fly’, Elias Lazaridis told Monaco Life, “I always admired looking at things from a different perspective, especially from a distance or even better from above, and understanding the world and myself in it from a more holistic point of view; being more aware and connected with my surroundings but also adaptable and resilient.
“Fly is a choreographic work that results from a process of physical and mental malleability. The dancers are shifting their attention from individual to collective, building a well-refined net of over-layered connections, creating a sense of collectivity and playfulness. Through guided imagery and various choreographic ideas, we encouraged the dancers to be more adaptable and transformative, requiring significant creativity and resourcefulness.”
A scene from Fly, Imprevus. Source: Pavillon Bosio
The Imprevus audience were indeed exposed to an incredible creation, in which the dancer’s fluid movements merged with colourful, malleable sci-fi choreography, inviting viewers to fly with them to a faraway place.
Students creating together
The Imprevus were created by Jean-Christophe Maillot, Director of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, as a unique behind-the-scenes experience where the public is in close contact with the dancers and choreographers. It is an opportunity to discover the creative process.
For the choreography of ‘Fly’, students of Pavillon Bosio took charge of all aspects of the ballet choreography: staging, sound and lighting, costumes, and video projection. The young choreographers and dancers counted on the assistance of guest choreographer Elias Lazaridis, Luca Masala, Maïder Fortuné, and Mathieu Lorry-Dupuy, teachers at the Pavillon Bosio, Dominique Drillot, set designer, and the exceptional participation of 20 young talented Academy students. To help prepare for the project, the students participated in preliminary meetings with choreographers, dancers, critics, and set designers.
“This newly created piece will debut at the Salle Garnier in June 2024 for the Academy Gala, a special annual event, a unique stage experience, where the young dancers showcase their talent and achievements,” said Luca Masala.
Students performing Fly on a set designed by the Pavillon Bosio students, photo source: Pavillon Bosio
About Choreographer Elias Lazaridis
Elias Lazaridis was born in Kavala, Greece, in 1981, and began training in classical ballet when he was eight. A talented athlete, Elias participated in international competitions, winning 400m hurdle events. He studied architecture in Athens, but his passion for dance was more potent, so he continued training at the State School of Dance in Athens.
The dancer worked part-time for the Greek National Opera and adLibdances / Kat Válastur. In 2014, Elias danced in Shell Shock, an opera by Nicholas Lens, Nick Cave, and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, to commemorate the Great War. Later, he collaborated as a dancer on the operas Les Indes Galantes (2016) and Satyagraha (2017), both under the direction of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui. With Cherkaoui, he worked at GöteborgsOperans Danskompani as a choreographic assistant (Noetic, 2014) and performer (Icon, 2016).
