Princess Charlene and Brigitte Macron show off their close bond in Monaco
Élysée Palace, November 2018. The day after the commemorations of the Centenary of the Great War, which brought together heads of state in Paris, Brigitte Macron received three special guests to show them around the French Presidential Palace: Princess Charlene and her two children.
A princely visit, without protocol, with the First Lady as guide, accompanied by her Labrador, Nemo. Images shared on social media at the time of this moment bear witness to what today appears to be a founding act of the esteem the two women held for each other.
The closeness was clearly visible during the two days of the state visit. Deviating from the official protocol reserved for their husbands, the Princess showed the First Lady the nooks and crannies of the Prince's Palace garden on Saturday, from the rampart path to the pool where the family spends convivial moments. The Princess's little chihuahua even came to meet the day's guest.
That evening, the wives of the Sovereign and the President dined side by side in the Throne Room, sharing another commonality: a taste for fashion. Both women chose to wear Louis Vuitton creations. Brigitte Macron wore a beige cape ensemble, while Princess Charlene wore a red dress.
A hundred children mobilizedOn Sunday, the second day of her state visit, Princess Charlene wanted to share her commitments with Brigitte Macron. She immersed her in a Water Safety Day, an educational program developed by the Princess Charlene Foundation to combat drowning.
Around a hundred students aged 7 to 12 were mobilized this Sunday to take part in activities in the Louis-II stadium swimming pool. All in a relaxed atmosphere, fueled by families who came to accompany their children in swimsuits, who were able to get up close to the morning's stars.
Attentive and marked by her professional career as a teacher, Brigitte Macron took the time to question the children, the trainers, the teams to understand the exercises and better grasp the principle of Water Safety Days which train the youngest in actions that can save lives in the water.
Since the Princess Charlene Foundation was founded in 2012, 1.7 million people in 44 countries have been educated about preventing drowning and how to help someone in distress in the water. These figures surprised French MP Hervé Berville, who was following this particular sequence in the wake of the Princess and the First Lady. "The work done by Princess Charlene with her foundation is remarkable, firstly because it saves thousands of lives. Secondly, because it teaches children to swim, but also to provide first aid. And to realize that the sea, that water, can be a mortal danger. We should draw inspiration from it for partnerships."
A side effect of the exchanges between France and Monaco that this state visit was intended to strengthen? Time will tell.
The photo was taken in the Salon des Glaces before the royal couple decorated their distinguished guests, the French president receiving the distinction of Grand Cross in the Order of Saint Charles and his wife Brigitte, Grand Cross in the Order of Grimaldi.
A moment of complicity in the gardens
Princess Charlene, Hereditary Prince Jacques, and Princess Gabriella guided Brigitte Macron through the Palace gardens for a tour while the Sovereign and President Macron held a private audience.
A message recorded in the archives of the Prince's Palace
At the end of the state dinner, Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte left a written testimony in a guestbook at the Prince's Palace, which will be preserved in the Palace archives. "On this state visit, as a testament to our friendship, in gratitude for these twenty years of reign, in recognition of our oceans," the presidential couple co-signed, testifying to their commitment and friendship.
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