H.S.H. Prince Albert II visited Normandy on June 5 and 6, 2024, to take part in the commemorations of the Allied landings.
On Wednesday June 5, the Sovereign Prince visited a number of cultural and historical sites before meeting American veterans in Sainte-Mère-Eglise.
Earlier in the day, Prince Albert II visited the “Dawn of the American Century 1919 - 1944” exhibition at the Caen Memorial. The exhibition, which runs until January 5, 2025, highlights the social and political transformations in the United States between the wars and up to the Second World War.
His Serene Highness then had the opportunity to fly in a Piper Cub, a single-engine light aircraft whose design dates back to the 1930s, over some of the region's most memorable landmarks.
In the early afternoon, H.S.H. the Prince visited MoHo, a new-generation third place in Caen that brings together a community of students, start-ups, entrepreneurs, employees, researchers, scientists and artists to reflect collectively on the challenges of the contemporary world, offering an interesting insight into innovation in Normandy, 80 years after the D-Day.
The Prince then visited Sainte-Mère-Eglise, one of the first villages liberated during the D-Day landings. In the midst of a very large crowd, the Sovereign followed the parade of American veterans before chatting with these heroes of the Battle of Normandy at the Airborne Museum. He then visited Camp Geronimo, a recreation of a World War II military camp, and listened to a concert by American cellist Michael Fitzpatrick in the local church.
On Thursday June 6, H.S.H. Prince Albert II took part in the commemoration of the Normandy Landings, 80 years after D-Day.
In the morning, H.S.H. the Prince took part in the official British ceremony held at Ver-sur-Mer in the presence of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the President of the French Republic Mr. Emmanuel Macron and 2,000 guests, including around twenty British veterans and the families of some of the soldiers who died in 1944, whose names appear on the columns of the Memorial located on the heights of Gold Beach.
Gold Beach is one of the 5 beaches where the Normandy landings took place on June 6, 1944. Located between Asnelles and Ver-sur-Mer, 25,000 men (mainly British) landed there on D-Day at 7:35 am.
In the afternoon, the Sovereign Prince attended the international ceremony presided over by Mr. Emmanuel Macron at Omaha Beach. Numerous heads of state and government were present to honor the soldiers of various nations who fought together for freedom, including the President of the United States of America, Mr. Joe Biden.
On September 3, Monaco will commemorate the 80th anniversary of its liberation from successive Italian and German occupations during the Second World War.
H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince wanted this anniversary to take on a special dimension this year, as in the other countries involved, highlighting in particular the decisive contribution of the American army.
On September 3, at 5 p.m., a military ceremony will be held at the Monaco cemetery, in front of the monument to the dead of the world conflicts of the 20th century, in the presence of H.S.H. Prince Albert II, who will deliver a speech, and the highest Monegasque authorities. Three military detachments are expected to pay their respects: Monegasque, French and American.
