On Monday, Princess Stéphanie of Monaco visited the maternity ward at the Princess Grace Hospital in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
The visit was made in connection with the local celebration of Mother’s Day, which fell on Sunday, 9 May and was organised by the Monaco Red Cross.
Princess Stéphanie visited newborn babies and their mothers and distributed newborn baby clothes to the newest additions to the Monégasque population. During her visit, she was accompanied by the Director of the Hospital, Benoîte de Sevelinges, by the President of the Monaco Red Cross, Frédéric Platini, and by Dr Bruno Carbonne and Dr Philippe Brunner, heads of the maternity ward and the radiology department, respectively.
Princess Stéphanie has a very close connection with the hospital. Not only was she admitted there following the accident that took the life of her mother, Princess Grace, but all three of her children were born in the same ward she visited.
She is also very involved with the Monaco Red Cross because, although she has no official tie to the association, she often asks for their support during initiatives of her charity Fight AIDS Monaco, which she founded in July of 2004 intending to inform, prevent and sustaining those affected by AIDS. She isn’t the only family member with ties to the Monaco Red Cross, either; Prince Albert is the President, and most family members participate in the annual Red Cross Gala in the Star Hall of the Monte Carlo Sporting Centre. The event collects funds for the Monaco Red Cross and is also a way for them to thank the donors and inform them of the initiatives their donations have funded for the year. The Gala is presided by The Sovereign Prince and Princess, as well as The Princess of Hannover.
In the Principality of Monaco, Mother’s Day is celebrated the second Sunday of May, like in most European countries, as well as most English-speaking countries, with the exception of the UK and Ireland, which celebrate Mother’s Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent.
