The National Day of
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
(french: La Fête du Prince, literally Prince's holiday) also known as The Sovereign Prince's Day is currently annually celebrated on 19 November.
Date
The date of the
National day is traditionally determined by the reigning Prince. The previous Princes often chose the day of the saint they were named after. For instance the late
Prince Rainier III
Rainier III (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005) was Prince of Monaco from 1949 to his death in 2005. Rainier ruled the Principality of Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest-ruling m ...
chose 19 November, the day that celebrates
Saint Rainier
Rainerius (''c''. 1115/1117 – 1160) is the patron saint of Pisa
Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province ...
. When
Prince Albert II
Albert II – Website of the Palace of Monaco (Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre Grimaldi; born 14 March 1958) is Prince of Monaco, since 2005.
Albert was born at the Prince's Palace of Monaco, and he is the second child and only son of Prince Rai ...
ascended the throne he ended this tradition by choosing the same day as his father, instead of the day of St. Albert, 15 November. The 19 November also happens to be the same day of Albert II's official ascension to the throne.
Celebrations
National day is typically celebrated with fireworks over the harbour the evening before and a mass in the
St. Nicholas Cathedral the next morning.
The people of Monaco may celebrate by displaying the
Monegasque flag
The national flag of the Principality of Monaco (french: drapeau de Monaco) has two equal horizontal bands, of red (top) and white (bottom), both of which have been the heraldic colours of the House of Grimaldi since at least 1339. The prese ...
.
It is an opportunity to see the pomp and circumstance of the Principality.
Knights of Malta, distinguished ambassadors, consuls and state officials wear medal-laden uniforms as they congregate in the
Saint Nicholas Cathedral after the mass. The Princely Family of Monaco is expected to show up on national day.
The birth of
Albert II's children has been celebrated in a similar fashion as a national day and 7 January 2015 was declared a public holiday (one-time only).
See also
*
Public holidays in Monaco
This is a list of public holidays in Monaco.
Public holidays
Other public holidays
At times, other public holidays are declared for certain occasions. The birth of Prince Albert II's twins, Princess Gabriella and Jacques, Hereditary Prince of ...
References
National days
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