The Olympic Flame returned to the Principality for the first time since 1968 and only the second time in history, marking a monumental day for Monaco on Tuesday, June 18.

The first to have the honour of carrying the eternal flame was no one other than Monegasque Formula driver and latest Grand Prix winner Charles Leclerc, who had pole position in the trip of the torch through the Principality.

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“It is a great honour for me to be able to carry the olympic flame here, especially in my home country of Monaco, so very proud,” said Leclerc after the event, but not before passing the torch on to alpine skier Alexandra Coletti, who represented Monaco in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Next up to transport the torch was table tennis player Xiaoxin Yang, who has represented Monaco since 2013, followed by Rudy Rinaldi, a bobsledder who competed in the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics. The two athletes completed the flame’s journey past the guard of and onto the Palace Square, wherein HSH Prince Albert and then HSH Princess Charlene received the eternal flame to the cheers of the colossal crowd that had patiently assembled beforehand in the hopes of catching a glimpse of a slice of history.in the Principality.

Both images courtesy of Communications Department