Following the solstice, the feast of Saint John is a highlight of the year in the Principality. The members of the royal family are used to admiring the burning bonfire alongside a group of Palladienne dancers. On June 23, 2023, tradition was respected. Prince Albert II, Princess Charlene and their twins, Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, followed this spectacle from the balcony of the Prince’s Palace.
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Prince Albert, Princess Charlene, Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella on the balcony on Midsummer’s Eve
June 24th is the day of Saint John the Baptist, a festival associated with light in many countries with Christian traditions. It also marks the beginning of summer, matching Saint John the Evangelist, which is celebrated at the winter solstice. Like Saint John who announced the coming of light, the traditions associated with this festival have a relationship with light and fire.
The traditional bonfire on Saint John’s Eve burns in the square of the Prince’s Palace in Monaco (Photo: Histoires Royales)
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In the Principality of Moanco it is a tradition to light a batafoegu, a bonfire in Monegasque, on the eve of Saint John’s Day, the evening of June 23rd. The great wildfire burns on the Place du Palais so that the royal family can watch the spectacle from the balcony. This year, the Monegasque head of state was surrounded by his wife and their two eight-year-old twins.
The Monegasque ruler attends the burning of the bonfire with his wife and their twins (Photo: Histoires Royales)
Princess Charlene of Monaco and her son, Hereditary Prince Jacques, take part in this Christian tradition. For the occasion, the princess wore a cross as a pendant (Photo: Histoires Royales)
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Princess Gabriella wears a high bun with a pearl headdress
Hereditary Prince Jacques, Marquis des Baux wore a light blue shirt and dark blue suit jacket. Princess Gabriella, Countess of Carladès wore a lace dress and bared her face for the first time by creating a high bun with a pearl jewelry on top of her head. Princess Charlene wore very little jewellery, being content with simple diamonds in her ears and what appeared to be a necklace with a cross at the end.
Navy suit like his father for Jacques and bun with pearls for Gabriella (Photo: Histoires Royales)
Princess Gabriella wore a bun for the first time to attend the event (Image: Royal Stories)
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While Albert, Charlène, Jacques and Gabriella watched the campfire on the Place du Palais, the Palladienne group provided some folk dances. La Palladienne de Monaco is a dance group that accompanies the festive moments of members of the princely family. The folk dances are inspired by traditional Provencal dances.
The dancers of the Palladienne of Monaco accompany the event with folk dances (Photo: Histoires Royales)
Nicholas Fontaine
editor-in-chief
Nicolas Fontaine has been a freelance web editor since 2014. After working as a copywriter and writer for numerous Belgian and French brands and media, he specialized in licensed news. Nicolas is now Editor-in-Chief of Histoires Royales. [email protected]