An Albert II seamount: Emmanuel Macron's gift to the Prince of Monaco

It is a "major underwater relief", located in the Indian Ocean, and discovered by the Hydrographic Service of the French Navy, the French presidency specified.

The future Mount Albert II "measures 1,958 meters, like the date of birth of the prince," aged 67, adds the Elysée, specifying that this designation has been validated by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO).

Two days before the United Nations International Ocean Conference in Nice, near Monaco, Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Prince Albert II's efforts to protect the oceans. He also presented him with a "Rafa No. 5" tennis racket, produced in only 92 copies, to celebrate the career of Spanish champion Rafael Nadal.

The number 5 symbolically refers to the year 2005, the year of the enthronement of Albert II, a tennis enthusiast, who will celebrate his 20th anniversary on July 19. The year 2005 also marks Rafael Nadal's first-ever title in Monte Carlo, a tournament he would win eleven times during his career. On the literary side, the Head of State also presented his guest with an original illustrated 1880 edition of Jules Verne's "Voyageurs du XIXe siècle," a tale of the author's great voyages and great travelers of the century.

This gift echoes the Prince's grandfather, Albert I, "an explorer himself, notably through his oceanographic campaigns, and passionate about technical progress, themes dear to Jules Verne," the Elysée Palace said.