historic royal engagement

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene prepare to make history with unprecedented Palace visit

The engagement will add another major diplomatic moment to Albert and Charlene’s royal calendar.

SEPTEMBER 3, 2026 5:19 PM EDTSEP 3, 2026, 5:19 PM EDT

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene are preparing to host a historic royal engagement this fall. The couple will welcome the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, to Monaco for the first state visit of its kind in the Principality’s history.

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The engagement will bring together Monaco’s royal couple and Italy’s head of state for two days of diplomacy and ceremony.
On July 14, 2016, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a Tunisian national, drove a 19-tonne lorry for nearly 2 km into the crowd that had just been watching the fireworks, killing 86 people and injuring more than 400 before he was shot dead. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP via Getty Images) — The engagement will bring together Monaco’s royal couple and Italy’s head of state for two days of diplomacy and ceremony.

President Mattarella will travel to Monaco on Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3, 2026, accompanied by his daughter, Laura Mattarella. The visit follows an invitation from Prince Albert and Princess Charlene, who will take center stage as the Italian delegation’s royal hosts.

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene will welcome Italian President Sergio Mattarella to Monaco for a historic two-day state visit.

Although Monaco and Italy have long enjoyed close diplomatic, cultural and geographical ties, no President of the Italian Republic has previously made a state visit to the Principality. The unprecedented occasion will therefore open a new chapter in the relationship between the two Mediterranean nations.

“The visit reflects the close and historic relations that unite our two countries,” the Prince’s Palace announced. It will also highlight the strength of their bilateral relationship, the friendship shared between Monaco and Italy and their commitment to expanding cooperation on matters of mutual interest.

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene are preparing to take center stage as hosts of the major diplomatic occasion.

Further details about the official program have yet to be announced. However, state visits traditionally include ceremonial welcomes, formal meetings, cultural engagements and an official dinner. The occasion could also deliver a significant fashion moment from Princess Charlene as she represents Monaco alongside her husband.

Laura Mattarella is expected to have a visible role throughout the visit. The Italian president’s daughter regularly accompanies her father during important international engagements and performs duties comparable to those traditionally associated with a first lady. President Mattarella’s wife, Marisa Chiazzese, passed away in 2012, three years before he assumed office.

President Sergio Mattarella will be accompanied by his daughter, Laura Mattarella, during the landmark engagement.

Mattarella, who became president in 2015 and was elected to a second term in 2022, has previously welcomed numerous royals and world leaders to Italy. This time, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene will have the opportunity to receive him on Monegasque soil for an event unlike any previous meeting between the two countries.

The engagement will add another major diplomatic moment to Albert and Charlene’s royal calendar. It will also place the couple firmly in the spotlight as Monaco prepares to welcome its closest Italian counterpart for two days of ceremony, diplomacy and history.

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene regularly represent Monaco at high-profile diplomatic engagements at home and abroad.