Anguilla, a thriving up-market tourism destination, this week welcomed to its shores His Serene Highness, Prince Albert of Monaco, a tiny but wealthy island on the French Reviera. The Royal visitor, who was on a tour of the United States and the Dutch Caribbean, came to Anguilla at the invitation of Chief Minister the Hon. Osbourne Fleming. His visit here was part of a developing relationship between the two islands.

The Crowned Prince arrived on the night of October 31 and departed late on November 1 after a packed and varied itinerary. He and his party of two were accommodated in Villa Caribera at Callaloo Club Villas located at the Anguilla International Yacht Club owned by Gianfranco Comparetti, a developer at Tiny Bay, Rendezvous.

Among the official engagements of Prince Albert on Monday November 1, were an inspection of a Guard of Honour drawn up by the Royal Anguilla Police Force and his attendance at a special sitting of the House of Assembly. There, in the presence of members of the Assembly and a number of invited guests, he was welcomed by the Speaker Leroy Rogers, Chief Minister Fleming and Leader of the Opposition, Edison Baird.

Mr. Rogers noted that Monaco was 1.95 square kilometers in size, but with a bustling population of 32,000 and some 100 industries generating for the economy revenue of nine billion dollars annually. He welcomed the Prince to Anguilla and hoped that he would have an enjoyable stay.

Chief Minister Fleming described the visit of the Prince to Anguilla as an historic occasion for the island. “A lot of countries in the world would have liked to have this opportunity of Prince Albert visiting their shores,” he said. “It is not very often, Mr. Speaker, that we have a chance to host such distinguished persons and we welcome the attention that Anguilla will receive because of his visit.”

Noting that he, the Minister of Finance, Victor Banks, and Chairman of the Tourist Board, John Benjamin, had visited Monaco, the second smallest sovereign state in the world a year ago, Mr. Fleming stated: “I was greatly impressed with the beauty and quality of life there. His Serene Highness was invited then to visit Anguilla… but I never expected the visit to come about so quickly. Your Highness, this is our small paradise so being small, we have something in common…On behalf of the Government and people of Anguilla and on my own behalf, I thank you sincerely for accepting our invitation and I also warmly welcome you, sir, and your party to beautiful Anguilla.

“Your visit will certainly provide the international publicity that Anguilla would never be able to pay for. Thank you for coming. I am sure you will be showered with the hospitality and friendliness of our people…Those are two of our main assets in a very competitive international tourism industry. Your programme will also provide you with an opportunity to glimpse some of our unique natural assets and to enjoy our climate. I trust that your stay will be relaxing, educational and enjoyable and that you will take away fond memories of your visit to your paradise.” He expressed the hope that there would be a long and fruitful relationship between Anguilla and Monaco.

Opposition Leader Edison Baird told the Prince that his presence in Anguilla was indicative of the great strides that the island had made since its 1967 revolution. “I am very happy to know that the small size of Monaco has not acted as a break on its development,” he went on. “We are bigger than Monaco and I have always maintained that what a country needs is leadership…I believe that the day will come when people will look at Anguilla and say ‘Anguilla is the Monaco of the Eastern Caribbean.’

“We thank you for being with us and we hope that you will come again. Anguillians are very hospitable people. We have travelled all over the world to seek employment, but those days are now behind us. I hope that when you come back to Anguilla you will see the great progress we have made. Thanks very much for coming to Anguilla and giving us all this publicity.”

Replying, Prince Albert said it was an immense pleasure to have been in Anguilla and to be able to accept the Chief Minister’s invitation. He said that he was extremely grateful for the warm welcome he had received.
He quoted his father as having said that “you don’t have to be big in size or many in numbers to have great dreams”. He commented that both Anguilla and Monaco shared being small islands and that there was a beauty in being small as some times achievements were far greater that could be imagined. He brought warm greetings from his family and the people of Monaco.

The Prince looked forward to a long friendship between Anguilla and Monaco and to cooperation in areas of tourism and other areas which would be mutually beneficial to both islands.
Prince Albert was grateful to the Anguilla Government for the special ceremony arranged for him and promised to visit the island again. Following the ceremony gifts were exchanged between the Chief Minister and the Prince. The Speaker was also presented with a gift by the Prince.

Other engagements for Prince Albert for the day included a trip to Prickly Pear for lunch, swimming and live musical entertainment; visits to beaches, the Wallblake Airport extension and the Golf Course Project; a friendship cocktail at Cap Juluca; and dinner at the Governor’s residence.

On Sunday, the night of his arrival, Prince Albert was guest at a reception at the Anguilla International Yacht Club attended by Governor Alan Huckle, Ministers and officials of Government and a number of invited guests. The function was chaired by Chairman of the Tourist Board, John Benjamin.
There, the Chief Minister gave his first welcome remarks to which Prince Albert replied. During the function they both signed agreement for the twinning of the Yacht Club of Monaco and Anguilla.

| Printer-friendly page | Send this article to a friend |

World News