Here are some photos from this past weekend’s annual Rose Ball in Monte Carlo. The theme of this year’s Rose Ball was “disco wonderland,” so women wore their most glittering 1970s-inspired frocks. Princess Charlene made a rare public appearance at the ball – she’s barely been seen in recent months, and she seems to be growing out her hair. It looks cute, but I was a big fan of the skaterboi pixie she sported for a few years. It looks like she might be aiming for a severe bob by the summer. Charlene’s jumpsuit was from Elie Saab – not the most flattering thing, but Charlene honestly looks healthy and congnizant of her surroundings, so that’s a big plus.

Meanwhile, “scandal” is still rocking the principality of Monaco, even though the scandal has been mostly overshadowed by all of the f–kery happening in the UK this year. Back in January, we learned that Prince Albert fired his long-time accountant Claude Palmero around New Year’s and Palmero went on a revenge tour, spilling all of Albert’s financial secrets and some of Charlene’s financial secrets too – I covered it here. Tatler had an update:

Scorned former courtiers have painted a picture of Monaco in meltdown as they come out against Prince Albert of Monaco, as reported in the May issue of Tatler. With public attention growing on the monarch after alleged leaked Grimaldi finances raised questions, Features Director Eilidh Hargreaves travelled to Paris to explore the scandal. She met with former palace insiders and investigative journalists – and uncovered a tale of chaos and scandal. A meeting with two reporters from Le Monde – who have been investigating Monaco’s ultra rich for over twenty years – blew the story open.

For them, this chapter of chaos began in 2021 with the Dossiers du Rocher, an anonymous website which published mostly real and some fake emails, whistleblowing alleged corruption at the heart of the palace. The target was Albert’s four closest advisors, all of whom vehemently denied the accusations and who initially had the support of the Prince. At the centre was Claude Palmero – the Grimaldi asset manager of 22 years who became a close confidant of the Prince. He is a background figure, who has always loathed the spotlight.

But last year, the advisors were cast out of the palace. Palermo was forcibly ejected from his second floor office, led to his Clio and handed a sterile letter of severance. At 67, the keeper of the secrets was out, humiliated and enraged when Albert gave a damning interview to Le Figaro citing a ‘hand-washing’ operation. It was a dagger to the heart of his most loyal subject.

An investigation was launched in Monaco, and Palmero’s accounting books were seized, before being handed back. Le Monde managed to get hold of photocopies, and examine the five large-format notebooks containing Grimaldi financial records alongside personal annotations.

The revelations, published in Le Monde this January, are explosive. They suggest that Albert is unable to curb Princess Charlene’s extreme spending; that secret payments were going to Albert’s ex-girlfriends and love children; and that Albert instructed Palmero to deploy complex financial manoeuvres, including secreting money off shore and registering Princely assets under Palmero’s own name. It caused a media frenzy.

Palmero says that everything he did was at the behest of the prince and can be explained. The Prince vehemently denies this, saying that after a recent audit, his family was shocked to discover the state of its financial assets. The palace added that any overspend came from personal funds. They have both taken legal action against each other.

But the story spirals further and deeper – and may leave some questioning if Prince Albert of Monaco can survive as monarch. Uncover the truth from former palace insiders, and why some feel the ousting of the Prince’s advisers only serves to increase the power of the property monarch of Monaco.

[From Tatler]

Here’s the thing I don’t understand – Albert is the closest thing to a modern “benevolent dictator,” correct? While Monaco has some sort of government structure, it’s a tiny principality and Albert can basically do whatever he wants. If he wants to blow through millions of dollars/Euros on stupid sh-t, who’s gonna check him? Le Monde?? Monaco doesn’t have an income tax, property tax or capital gains tax, so it’s not like he’s looting “public funds” to my knowledge.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Avalon Red.