The Monaco Princely Family have taken part in the traditional celebrations for Sainte Devote, the principality’s patron. Prince Albert was accompanied by his children, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, as well as his sister, Princess Caroline of Hanover, his nephew Louis Ducruet and his niece, Camille Gottlieb.
On Wednesday night, Prince Albert was accompanied by several members of his family for the traditional seeing on fire of a boat in the space in front of the Sainte Devote Church.
Prince Jacques, supervised by Prince Albert, Princess Gabriella, supervised by Princess Caroline, and Louis Ducruet all held flaming torches to the branches of olive amassed next to and under the boat, setting them on fire.
The event would normally be followed by a fireworks display; however, because of health safety restriction, that tradition was cancelled.
On Thursday morning, the Prince and his sister took part in the traditional Mass to celebrate the Patron Saint of Monaco.
Sitting next to Princess Caroline, once again taking her sister in law’s place, Prince Albert sat for the service, officiated by Monaco’s Archbishop, before appearing at the Princely Palace’s windows with Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.
Notably absent from the celebrations was Princess Charlene, who was once again replaced by Princess Caroline. Her absence was particularly felt for this event, since the celebrations for Sainte Devote marked the last time the Princess was seen in public in 2021.
A day before the celebrations, Monaco’s Princess Consort turned 44, and the Palace released a statement saying that, despite a favourable development in her treatment, the Princess’s recovery from a mystery illness, as well as the dental problems, would take a few more weeks and that she would therefore be absent from the celebrations.
Saint Devote is a martyr in the Diocletian persecutions of Christians. After she was killed, Christians saved her body from being burned and put it on a boat headed to Africa, where they believed she would receive a proper burial.
However, a storm took the boat and, according to the legend, a dove emerged from the clouds and guided the boat to a place that would become the Principality of Monaco, where a chapel in her honour was erected.
Since then, the Saint’s relics have been resting in the chapel, and soon reports of miracles began to spring up. In particular, the story goes that in 1070, the captain of a Florentine ship was trying to sail away with the relics of the Saint in his vessel.
The Saint whipped up a wind storm that prevented him from sailing away and allowed authorities to arrest him. His boat was then burned, which is where the tradition of offering a symbolic fishing boat to burn comes from.
