While we’re used to sweet balcony moments from Buckingham Palace, the royal family of Monaco is giving us the latest set of pictures to obsess over. On November 19, the Grimaldi family gathered in Monaco in celebration of National Day, waving flags and smiling for the cameras.
The annual holiday dates back to 1734 (although it has since changed dates) and celebrates Monaco’s independence as a sovereign nation. Traditionally marked with parades and festivals, people can also count on a balcony moment from the Monegasque royal family, including some of its youngest members, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella.
The 4-year-old twins are the children of reigning monarch Prince Albert II and his wife, Princess Charlene, and they’ve been known to steal the spotlight with their seriously impressive style. For this year’s National Day, the twins were accompanied by their parents on the palace balcony, with Jacques sporting a military helmet and Gabriella adorning her braided updo with a timeless red beret.
They weren’t the only mini royals to make an appearance. In fact, there have been so many royal babies as of late that Prince Albert jokingly tells People that they’re running out of space. “We’re going to have to create new windows, build new balconies,” he told the magazine.
The 2019 National Day program included two special tributes this year - one celebrating the centennial relationship between Monaco and the US military, and the other honoring Prince Albert’s mother, the late Princess Grace.
The tribute marks the 90th year anniversary of Princess Grace’s birth, which was on November 12, and included a number of events and exhibits that took place around the world this past year.
