His Serene Highness Prince Albert II spent the weekend in northern France, making a deeply symbolic visit to the Oise department to honour historic ties between Monaco and the region…
The first stop was the small town of Guiscard, where the Sovereign was welcomed by the mayor to unveil a plaque marking the commune’s official entry into the Sites Historiques Grimaldi de Monaco network. The connection traces back to the 18th century through Louise d’Aumont-Mazarin, an ancestor of Prince Albert II, whose marriage to Honoré IV of Monaco in 1777 cemented a lasting link between the Grimaldi dynasty and Picardy.
Standing beside the restored orangery — one of the few surviving vestiges of the former château — the Prince paid tribute to this shared legacy, speaking warmly of “a relationship of history and of the heart.”
Later that afternoon, he inaugurated Guiscard’s new cultural centre, which now bears the name Centre Culturel Grimaldi in his honour. “It is a great privilege to see such friendship expressed in such a lasting way,” the Prince said, thanking local officials for their gesture.
The visit continued in Chantilly, where Prince Albert was welcomed by Xavier Darcos, Chancellor of the Institut de France, for the opening of an exhibition dedicated to one of his lesser-known ancestors: Marie-Catherine de Brignole, Princess of Monaco and later Princess of Condé. Celebrated in her time as a patron of the arts, her story now finds new resonance within the château that once hosted her.
Prince Albert’s trip concluded as it began — not just as a formal engagement, but as a personal journey through the intertwined histories of France and Monaco.
