Copyright: monacoeye • 2011 • Monaco • Do not copy without permission.

Update Saturday - good atmosphere Friday night with the free Jean-Michel Jarre concert in Port Hercule which attracted large numbers from the surrounding area. The music was good and brought back pleasant memories from the seventies, for those that were born at that time!

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene, appeared on stage and thanked averyone for coming. Beforehand residents and Monegasques were served tasty nibbles and fine champagne by Fouchon caterers.

Relatively few yachts attended - Turama, Sunrays, Alfa Nero, Over the Rainbow, Radiant, Nomad were counted among them. Charlene looked splendid. Princess Caroline couldn’t hold back the tears.

Click photo above for larger pics.


Copyright: monacoeye • 2005-2011 • Monaco • Do not copy without permission.

It’s good to be Prince!

The Principality is in full Royal Wedding swing, as Monaco gears up for a weekend of celebrations for the marriage of Prince Albert to South-African fiancée Charlene Wittstock.

Tonight a free Eagles concert at the Stadium (ticket-holders only). Tomorrow Jean-Michel Jarre in the port, (who can ever forget that classic from the 70s “dum de dum dum dum” ).

All the yachts have been moved from the T-jetty, and buildings miles away lit up all week by the blinding preparations for the lightshow that will accompany Jarre’s music.

Extraordinary sight of a cohort of about 50 French police bikers filling up all lanes on the motorway, making their way to Monaco this afternoon.

World media have been speculating wildly all week, after a report by l’Express that Charlene might have had more than a bad case of pre-wedding jitters, and was caught at Nice Airport trying to hot foot it back to South Africa (humming “you can check out but you can never leave”, no doubt).

I don’t believe a word of it, not a word of it! The Palace has issued an official denial, and we wish them both a happy wedding and the best of luck for the future.

Directly below, miniclip of Prince Albert and Charlene Wittstock greeting fans before the Eagles Concert last night. Hotel California was great to see live and definitely the highlight of the evening.



On the next page are a few shots taken at various public events over the last few years. Read More...

Copyright: monacoeye • 2011 • Monaco • Do not copy without permission.

A few pics from the Grand Prix… Indian Empress dominates the T-jetty again with Force India beside her. Incongruous sight of a dozen portaloos being hauled off yesterday - apparently they’d had a party with 600 guests the night before and didn’t want them using the ships toilets! Out at sea, the new 85m Cakewalk (above) is the most impressive…

Here are the big photos, new all-on-one page format this year - you do have broadband, don’t you? - enjoy!

PS A couple of pics from Cannes, which finished last week thrown in (Sea Shepherd and Octopus), plus a couple of Katara, which also visited Monaco fairly recently.

Onassis, the play, coming soon to the West End. Poster with Christina O in the background…

All photos on this page copyrighted: NT/monacoeye • Monaco, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

“Jenson what took you so long?”

Above, Lewis Hamilton stands on his car for photos after a decent finish in Q3, assuring himself of 5th place on the grid, and looks over at Button arriving in 8th place (back right).

Force India, below, the popular new Mangusta 165…


Photos copyright: monacoeye • Monaco, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

The James Bond themed Quantum of Solace, ex Midlandia…


Photos copyright: monacoeye • Monaco, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

Looks like the official Jenson Button yacht …


Photos copyright: monacoeye • Monaco, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission

At least someone’s got their priorities right. Friday night is party night for the Virgin Racing crew on entrepreneur Richard Branson’s new catamaran, Necker Belle. A couple of hard working team members let their hair down and take a few Carlsberg-fuelled holiday snaps on the bouncy castle. Boss of the year, surely!


Photos copyright: monacoeye • Monaco, May 2010 • Do not copy without permission Read More...

Photos copyright: monacoeye • Monte Carlo Tennis Masters 14 April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

The Monaco season has finally got under way with the 2010 Monte Carlo Tennis Masters, after what seems like a protracted winter. But the sun was shining yesterday as Nadal and co warmed up on the back courts of the Monte Carlo Country Club. Any tennis buffs out there? Other than Nadal, I have no idea who this latest bunch of tennis players are… Please leave answers below in comments!

Only one month to go before this year’s Monaco Grand Prix, most of the stands are up already. Flavio Briatore’s Force Blue is currently in port on the T jetty, although he’s currently facing a three year suspension from Formula One for “match-fixing”. Nomad arrived a couple of days ago …



And what’s going on here…?



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Photos copyright: monacoeye • Monte Carlo Tennis Masters 14 April 2010 • Do not copy without permission

New pictures of clay-court specialist Rafael Nadal, seeded number 2, taken yesterday at the 2010 Monte Carlo Tennis Masters.

He went through to the second round easily yesterday in two sets.
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HSH Prince Albert of Monaco • 5 July 2009 • La Turbie

Photos: monacoeye

Prince Albert, a former Olympic medallist, got involved in the two opening stages, by awarding the prizes for Stage One and riding in front of the cyclists on Stage Two in the open-top Tour de France car.

He looked like he was having fun !

Cyclist Lance Armstrong • 2009 Tour de France, Monaco.

Photos: monacoeye • Monaco • 4 July 2009

The return of Lance Armstrong to the Tour with Astana, after a four year absence, is the story dominating the French news.

Here he is hurtling up Boulevard du Jardin Exotique on the Stage 1 time trial. He put in a respectable performance, finishing 10th fastest. Cancellara, Contador and Bradley Wiggins were 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

The French TV commentator begrudgingly conceded that Lance looks like he is still a force to be reckoned with!

Whatever the establishment may think, the public are well behind him. Everywhere he goes he is preceded by cheering crowds and followed by a large press pack.

Cyclist Mark Cavendish (middle row, 2nd from right) laps Monaco with his Columbia Tour de France team-mates.

Photo: monacoeye • 2 July 2009 • Monaco

British Olympic gold-medallist Mark Cavendish won the second, Monaco - Brignoles, stage of the Tour de France, in a sprint finish, on Sunday.

He went on to win the third stage through the Camargues to La Grande Motte, on Monday, and currently wears the Green Jersey, as points leader.

Swiss Cyclist Fabian Cancellara • Tour de France - Stage 1 - Monaco 2009

Photo: AW • Monaco • 4th July 2009

Fabian Cancellara made a good start to this year's Tour de France by winning the Yellow Jersey in Saturday's Monaco-Monaco Stage.

Photo: Monaco • April 2009 • Monaco Tennis Masters

June 2009, Roland Garros: Roger Federer pitted against outsider Robin Soderling in the final this afternoon …

April 2009, Monaco: Roger Federer failed to make it through to the quarter-finals in the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters this week. Murray is set to play Nadal in the semis later this afternoon, with the winner playing either Djokovic in the finals tomorrow.

Photo: monacoeye • April 2009 • Monaco Tennis Masters

Here's a photo of Swedish giant-killer Robin Söderling, who ended Rafael Nadal's winning streak at Roland Garros and is now pitted against Roger Federer in the final.

Photo: monacoeye • Monaco Grand Prix • May 2009

Lewis Hamilton looked relaxed minutes before the start of the Monaco Grand Prix. Unfortunately he was unable to reproduce last year's performance.

Photos: monacoeye • Monaco Grand Prix 2009
Photo: Tatiana Hughes • Monaco Grand Prix 2008.

"We've got Monaco, baby" - Jenson Button's words over the Brawn GP radio as he and team-mate Rubens Barrichello strolled home in first and second place yesterday.

In a tactical gamble, Brawn were the only team to start with super-soft tyres, which gave them an early lead, but were liable to deteriorate faster than harder tyres.

Meanwhile, last year's winner Lewis Hamilton had a bad race, starting at the back of the grid after crashing in qualifying. Ferrari showed potential picking up third and fourth.

Button's only mistake was to park in the wrong place in the pits after winning the race, so he ran back along the track to the podium, to great applause from both the crowd and rival crews.

Mark Webber. Photos: Tatiana Hughes • Monaco May 2008

The sound of beer cans being cracked open must have been deafening … as Australian driver Mark Webber finally came good, pulling off second place in the Shanghai Grand Prix, his highest F1 finish ever, behind Red Bull team-mate Sebastien Vettel.

He will be pleased with his comeback after breaking a leg in November in a cycling accident. The Adrian Newey designed Red Bull Renault performed extremely well in the rain and will be faster still when they add a split level diffuser to the car. Australians are now hoping that Webber will be the first countryman to take the chequered flag since Alan Jones in 1981.

Andy Murray

Photo: monacoeye • Monte Carlo Tennis Masters • 13 April 2009

World number 4 seed, Andy Murray, warming up on the clay courts of the 2009 Monte Carlo Tennis Masters today.