HSH Prince Albert was warmly received by a large crowd in the northern French department of Mayenne, as thousands braved the reign to welcome the sovereign leader on the afternoon of Sunday, May 5.
The Prince actually bears the title of the Duke of Mayenne as a result of the marriage of Monaco’s Prince Honoré IV, then the Duke of Valentinois and Louise d’Aumont Mazarin, Duchess of Mayenne, in 1777.
At the beginning of a busy visit, a plaque was unveiled to mark the city of Mayenne’s membership in the Grimaldi Historic Sites of Monaco association. The princely procession then strolled through the city centre, and on to the Château de Mayenne.
The Prince delivered a speech to a large crowd at the Château park, praising the city and department, before inviting the city to participate in the Grimaldi Historic Sites meetings most likely set for 2026, “during a weekend marked by friendship and conviviality, and which takes place ritually in the month of June, Mayenne will be able to exhibit its traditions, its material and immaterial culture, its gastronomy and its economy.”
The sovereign concluded his Sunday with an appearance at the Mayenne international piano competition, wherein he presented a prize named after him.
On Monday, May 6, the Prince discovered the sites of two large local companies; fabric manufacturer Toiles de Mayenne and the Cité du Lait, museum of the Lactalis group, a world leader in dairy products, before visiting Laval, the capital of the department. An exhibition explaining the ties between the Monegasque princely family and Mayenne awaited the Prince at the end of his first visit to the department.
All images courtesy of Axel Bastello/Princely Palace
