Prince Albert II celebrated a milestone two decades in the making, surrounded by Princess Charlene and an impressive lineup of stars in Monaco.
© Arnold JerockiThe Monegasque sovereign marked the 20th anniversary of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation on September 18 with a special gala at the Salle Garnier of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo.
© Pascal Le SegretainPrincess Charlene was by her husband's side for the black-tie celebration, while Christina Aguilera, Monica Bellucci, Richard Gere, Plácido Domingo, Eva Herzigová and Isabelle Huppert were among the famous faces who attended the milestone evening.
© Arnold JerockiChristina, Plácido Domingo and Sister Sledge were part of the musical lineup for the anniversary celebration, while Bellucci and Gere attended as guests of honor.
© Pascal Le SegretainAlbert and Charlene posed together upon their arrival before joining several of the evening's guests for a star-studded group photo.
A journey that began in the Arctic:
The anniversary carries a particularly personal significance for Prince Albert.
© Pascal Le SegretainIn April 2006, the royal embarked on an expedition to the North Pole, traveling approximately 100 kilometers with his team before reaching the Pole on April 16.
The journey helped draw attention to the effects of climate change in the Arctic and became an important chapter in Albert's longstanding environmental work.
© Arnold JerockiThe expedition also followed in the footsteps of his great-great-grandfather, Prince Albert I, a pioneering oceanographer who carried out scientific expeditions to the Arctic around the turn of the 20th century.
Just two months after his North Pole journey, Albert established the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation in June 2006, creating an organization dedicated to environmental protection and sustainable development.
20 years of action:
Two decades later, the Foundation works internationally with a focus on climate change, biodiversity and water resources.
© Abaca PressIts efforts have extended from the Mediterranean Basin to the polar regions and least developed countries. According to the Foundation, it has supported 838 projects in more than 100 countries since its creation.
© Abaca PressScientists, conservationists, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, NGOs and institutions are among those who have worked alongside the organization during its first two decades.
Reflecting on the milestone, the Foundation shared, "These twenty years have been shaped by the people we have worked with, the partnerships we have built and the places we have sought to protect."
© Abaca PressThe anniversary gala brought that 20-year journey back to Monaco, combining Albert's environmental mission with a glamorous evening alongside Charlene and guests from the worlds of film, music and philanthropy. As the Foundation looks toward its next chapter, its message for the anniversary was simple. "The journey continues."
