The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have been welcomed to Monaco by Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene on their visit to the country, labelled as a meeting of “respect, friendship, and warm discussions”.
Prince Edward, who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The DofE’s International Award Foundation attended a Gala Dinner at the Yacht Club de Monaco on Sunday alongside his wife. The Prince’s Palace of Monaco showed a heartwarming image of the two couples, as they posed for an official picture. The palace’s official Instagram account read [translated]: “Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene had the pleasure of welcoming Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh on their visit to the Principality. A meeting of respect, friendship and warm discussions between Monaco and the United Kingdom.”
Sophie was seen in the first photo of the visit in white ankle-skimming trousers with a short-sleeve floral blouse and heeled espadrilles. Charlene, meanwhile, dressed more formally, and wore a pale brown structured suit with ankle-length trousers.
Both Prince Albert and Prince Edward wore a blue ensemble, with Albert wearing a smart navy suit with black shoes, and Edward wearing casual trousers and black trainers, but a double-breasted casual jacket.
King Charles has put a lot of his trust in Prince Edward, which is why he honoured his younger brother with the title and patronage of their late father, a significant responsibility to carry out late Prince Philip’s legacy.
Queen Elizabeth II’s husband had founded The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), which is focussed on inspiring young children to develop skills, resilience and self-belief. The programme gives them the opportunity to “take on their own challenges, follow their passions, make a difference to their communities and discover talents they never knew they had”.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was founded by the late Prince Philip in 1956.
It is is widely recognised as the world’s leading youth achievement award. Now operating in more than 140 countries, the DofE has helped to transform the lives of millions of people in the UK and globally.
By 2017, over six million people had taken part in DofE programmes in the UK, with over eight million worldwide.