All The Details About The Prince Albert II Of Monaco Foundation

It's probably fair to say that Prince Albert II of Monaco has not always had the best reputation. During his youth, the eldest son of Hollywood star Grace Kelly was known for getting around town. Indeed, back in the day, Albert dated women ranging from Brooke Shields to Bo Derek, earning himself the title "playboy prince." What's more, at least two of these flings resulted in the births of two royal love children. (A third paternity suit still has yet to be resolved.)

Of course, by the time Albert was inching into his fifth decade of life, the prince began developing other instances. He settled down, tied the knot with the gorgeous Princess Charlene, and proceeded to enjoy a wildly lavish lifestyle. In fact, Albert has been known to experience luxuries like purchasing expensive real estate, attending charity galas, and sailing the Mediterranean via his private yacht. If that weren't excessive enough, he has even been known to rub shoulders with celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio.

However, beyond his life of luxury — and his playboy past — there is a side of Albert that is fiercely dedicated to improving the world. And, perhaps nothing stands as greater proof of this reality than his creation of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation in 2006. This organization raises money to help humanity battle against the ever-looming threat of climate change. And, so far, many of the foundation's projects have been very successful.

Way back in the late 1890s, Prince Albert I of Monaco departed on expeditions to the Arctic Circle. On these unique adventures, the late Monégasque monarch sailed up to Svalbard, where he studied the region's weather patterns, geography, and more. Almost a hundred years later, in 2005, the long-dead prince's namesake, Prince Albert II of Monaco, tried to recreate his ancestor's journey. However, it did not take long for the younger Albert's trip to go from lighthearted to super serious.

As Albert observed the gorgeous landscapes of Svalbard, he realized that they were nothing like the ones that had been captured in his ancestor's photographs just a century before. Speaking on this issue to the Los Angeles Times after the fact, Albert said, "Pictures taken by my great-great-grandfather, and from scientific accounts, showed that things were rapidly changing in the Arctic region." Apparently, the prince was particularly struck by how quickly the ice was melting due to climate change. He went on to explain, "There's one picture of a bay in the northern part of Spitsbergen called Lilliehöökbreen glacier. The glacier had retreated some 6 kilometers ... That's a pretty dramatic and visible impact."

Because of these alarming observations, Albert decided to join the battle against global warming. As he told the Los Angeles Times, "It's time that I put the wheels in motion." Thus, in 2006, Albert started the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

While the Arctic Circle may have inspired the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, the organization's mission spans way beyond that snowy northern region. In fact, the foundation has projects in a dozen different parts of the world, including Spain, China, Brazil, and — of course — Monaco. And, in each of these locations, the nonprofit seeks to resolve a different aspect of climate change. 

Interestingly, the organization's work in Spain deals much less with issues of polar preservation than it does with overfishing. This is particularly true when it comes to the Mr. Goodfish project, which partners with the Aquarium Finisterrae in Spain. This initiative seeks to educate people about the perils of overfishing and show them easy ways that they can combat this issue in their personal lives. Per the foundation's website, they want to teach consumers to avoid "overexploited" species at the supermarket. And, instead, they hope these people will reach for something that is a little bit less endangered.

Meanwhile, in the Brazilian Amazon, the Pacific Islands, and parts of Southeast Asia, the foundation focuses on protecting green areas from the threat of deforestation. Through the Forests & Communities Initiative, the nonprofit partners with local Indigenous communities to preserve land that could otherwise be bulldozed. The organization will also fund smaller-scale grassroots projects that will focus on the parts of the world that are most affected by deforestation. 

The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is not just international. In many ways, it is also multi-generational. Back in the day, Prince Albert II's father, Prince Rainier II, also cultivated a passion for the natural world. And, because of his particular love of the ocean, Rainier wanted to do something to save it. As Albert would later tell the Los Angeles Times, "He was very instrumental in setting up the Pelagos Marine Sanctuary, which is a sanctuary for marine mammals between Italy, France, and Monaco."

Compellingly, it seems that, when it comes to protecting wildlife, the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. Indeed, after Rainier died, Albert decided to protect his father's legacy by mobilizing his own foundation. In 2021, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation joined forces with three other major nonprofit organizations to create the Pelagos Initiative — a project that secures funding for what was once Rainier's beloved Pelagos Marine Sanctuary. 

With this money, the sanctuary has been able to fund scientific research that helps us understand the complexities of sea life. So far, scientists have been able to study issues such as the way dolphins' diets have been impacted by pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. They have also begun projects to learn more about the types of conflicts that take place between dolphins and fishers — and presented ideas on how to prevent these situations from taking place. 

Perhaps because of its incredible relationship to Monégasque history, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation remains a huge priority for its founder. Prince Albert II is believed to be a very active participant in the organization. As the foundation's vice president and CEO, Olivier Wenden, revealed in a conversation with Monaco Life, "Prince Albert is deeply personally involved, and his family has always been involved, in environmental protection, of respecting nature and the sea." He then went on to describe the royal as "a chairman who is personally involved on a very regular basis."

Apparently, Albert's level of personal investment in the foundation has helped it grow tremendously. Because the prince holds such an important governmental position, the organization has flourished in a way that most comparable institutions cannot. Speaking to Monaco Life about this dynamic, Wenden explained, "The foundation is very unique in this way. When you have the opportunity to have a chairman who is also a running head of state, things are very different."

One of the things that is different is Albert's unique ability to bring political importance to the foundation. According to Wenden, the monarch has been able to promote the organization across borders, explaining, "We can see that involvement from the prince and his government can lead to great successes in the international arena."

At the end of the day, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation can attribute some of its biggest successes to the governmental connections that the prince's name has brought to the table. The organization does not just partner with other nonprofits, but it also collaborates with entire countries to fight against climate change. Speaking about the issue of the rising sea levels, Prince Albert told the Los Angeles Times, "Through an initiative called Because the Ocean, of which my foundation is a founding member together with the Chilean government, we published a response to the IPCC report highlighting solutions that should be implemented by states to mitigate the impacts of global warming on the ocean."

As a part of this joint effort with the Chilean government, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation helped come up with several different strategies to prevent the sea levels from rising. According to Albert, these include to "encourage carbon sequestration by coastal ecosystems like mangroves ... promote the adaptation and resilience for vulnerable populations, and apply what is known as hybrid solutions to support adaptation and mitigation of fisheries and aquaculture."

Perhaps because of the relative simplicity of these solutions, several other countries have come to support the Because the Ocean initiative. As of the publication of this article, 41 nations from across the globe have signed the Because the Ocean declaration.

At the end of the day, though, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is far from being a one-man show. Not only does it require the work of dedicated volunteers, donors, and scientists, but it also involves the dedication of other members of Monaco's royal family. Prince Albert II's wife, Princess Charlene, teamed up with his foundation on the issue of child safety. And, interestingly, she has championed the organization's goals by providing the support of her own foundation, the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.

In 2021, the his-and-her foundations joined forces to raise money for children in need. As the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation CEO, Olivier Wenden, explained in an interview with Monaco Life, "We are particularly proud this year to join forces with the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation through a series of lots that will be auctioned in support of their relentless efforts for the well-being and development of children."

The connection between environmental preservation and the needs of today's youth may not be immediately obvious to some. However, for Wenden, the two things could not be more related. According to the CEO, "Taking care of the environment and the health of the planet also means taking care of its inhabitants, especially the younger generations." He went on to opine that what's at stake is "the future of humanity."

Although the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is involved in several international projects, it is also known for tackling more centralized issues. This was particularly clear back in 2015 when the foundation embarked on a short, three-month-long project to bring "Blue Schools" — or schools with clean drinking water — to five impoverished communities in Nepal. While the Blue Schools initiative was, ultimately, quite short, it ended up having a massive impact. According to the foundation's website, the project successfully brought potable water to 1,800 students. Ultimately, it is impossible to know just how many lives were saved — and illnesses were avoided — thanks to this project. 

When asked about the importance of these smaller-scale projects, Olivier Wenden revealed that they constitute some of the foundation's most important work. As the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation CEO shared in an interview with Monaco Life, "We can all act at our own personal level, being the individual level, the household level, the city, regional, and national level, and then the international level. All of these approaches are complementary and not exclusive of one another." 

In Wenden's view, however, change is oftentimes more effective when it takes place locally. He explained, "We often think that the top-to-bottom approach, waiting for national legislation or regulation, is key. But in the majority of cases, if you tackle the issue on a bottom-to-top approach, things usually go faster."

While many foundations focus exclusively on one socioeconomic bracket, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation tries to reach people of all different financial backgrounds. This means that the organization dedicates quite a bit of effort into reaching wealthier communities — chief among them, yachting enthusiasts and the clubs they belong to. Speaking to Yacht Class about this issue in 2020, Prince Albert II said, "We organize many events and conferences on 'how to better live the sea,' in a more sustainable manner, more respectful of the marine environment. And this starts with the materials used in boat construction. Prince Albert II Foundation has been greatly involved in this topic."

According to the prince, there are many ways that yachting enthusiasts can be more sustainable as they sail the Seven Seas. Through events like The Monaco Energy Boat Challenge or Wood Forever, the foundation encourages people to make smarter boating choices. Some of these choices might include opting for a boat with ethically sourced wooden hulls, electric motors, and even solar panels. 

However, beyond encouraging certain products, Albert says that his foundation encourages boaters to minimize their impact on the ocean:  "And this, to make them understand all the issues related to the sea, and thus make responsible and more respectful of the sea, particularly with regard to waste, the use of clean fuels, and so on."

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, many organizations and businesses struggled. However, it has been said that during this same period, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation thrived. As the foundation's CEO, Olivier Wenden, noted in his interview with Monaco Life, "We had the great opportunity not to stop our activity and to honor all of our commitments, and this is important to underline because it is very unusual in this climate to achieve these goals."

In addition to making these important achievements, Wenden expressed his hope that the pandemic had opened people's eyes to the way that the world is interconnected. The CEO said, "Frankly, we can only hope that an aftermath of COVID is that people are truly understanding of the fact that their personal health, the health of their children and their relatives, is totally dependent on the health of their environment and the health of animals."

As a way to promote this idea, though, Wenden revealed that the foundation held a photography competition. Through its Environmental Photography Award initiative, the organization hoped to start a conversation about what it means to share our world with so many different organisms. He explained, "The competition was motivated by the COVID crisis and took on the theme: 'Humanity and wildlife: crossed destinies, shared territories' ... The overall intention was to involve the community in these topics."

So far, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has been quite successful. And, from what we can tell, the organization is showing no signs of slowing down. Moving forward, it seems, the foundation intends to fund more of its own projects — rather than just collaborating with other institutions. Chatting with Monaco Life about this matter in 2021, the foundation's CEO, Olivier Wenden, said, "Our board of directors last year decided that, over the next couple of years, we will continue to structure, strengthen and develop our own initiatives."

Interestingly, the foundation has also received the help of a new generation of royals — one that could potentially carry the organization forward into the decades ahead. As of 2023, Prince Albert II's children, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, have also gotten involved in promoting their father's enterprise. In fact, according to the foundation's official Instagram, the royal twins participated in 2023 World Cleanup Day. In this capacity, the two young royals were photographed roaming the streets of Monte Carlo and picking up trash. 

Of course, it is still too early to know to what extent the foundation will be able to count on Gabriella and Jacques' participation. But we will have to see if they intend to support the project in the future.