Prince Albert II of Monaco and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg present at the opening of the Beijing Olympics
Prince Albert II of Monaco and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are the only two European sovereigns to have attended the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics this Friday.
They had a front row seat to admire the grandiose spectacle. This Friday, February 4, 2022, Prince Albert II of Monaco and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg distinguished themselves in the stands of the “Bird’s Nest”, the national stadium in Beijing where the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games took place. winter 2022. As a little over six months ago, for the Summer Olympics in Beijing, they were the only two sovereign Europeans to be present for this event. Photos shared by the Grand Ducal Court show Grand Duke Henri waving the flag of the Grand Duchy as the athletes of the Luxembourg delegation pass.
The Monegasque and Luxembourg monarchs are both part of the International Olympic Committee. They therefore flew to China a few days ago, to participate in the 139th IOC meeting which was to be held this Thursday, February 3, on the eve of the start of the competition.
Albert II competed in five Winter Olympics and was flag bearer three times
These Olympic Games will see the participation of three Luxembourg athletes: cross-country skier Kari Peters and alpine skiers Matthieu Osch and Gwyneth Ten Raa. And, on the side of Monaco, the four members of the national bobsleigh team. A sporting discipline that Prince Albert II himself initiated in the Principality and for which he competed in five editions of the Winter Olympic Games: in Calgary in 1988, in Albertville in 1992, in Lillehammer in 1994, in Nagano in 1998 and in Salt Lake City in 2002. “I was the flag bearer for the Monegasque team three times, but in Calgary, it was a first. Entering the stadium, with the flag, the team behind you, is an unforgettable emotion… It was both an honor, a responsibility, and a great moment of shared joy”, he had named in 2012 at Paris Match.
To have : Beijing 2022: The Winter Games ceremony in pictures
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