MONACO. Adoring citizens. Respectful press. No sniping and about what I am costing the taxpayers. Too much $$ to count. Beautiful Italianate palace overlooking the Med. Glamorous public appearances mostly connected with charity and the arts. Sunny climate.
All the perks of royalty with very few of the limitations and restrictions. ...seriously...what's not to love??
Lichtenstein would be a pretty sweet deal as well..for many of the same reasons.
I wouldn't marry into Britain or Spain if my life depended on it.
On the taxpayer part: a good moment to destroy the myth that there are no taxes in Monaco. The expenses of the Palais Princier amount between 35 and 40 million Euro of taxpayers' money per year. This is more than what the State has budgetted for public waste collection, public cleaning service, public transport and public lighting. Calculated per capita,
the House of Monaco is the most expensive for the taxpayers.
Living in
overcrowded Monte-Carlo:
The whole principality is about 3km across and 1km deep.
There are blocks of flats everywhere you look, it’s unbelievable how many apartment blocks have been crowded into such a small area of land. It’s a concrete jungle.
Faded Glory in Monte-Carlo:
Most buildings are old and worn out, most of the apartments are small and build in the seventies and eighties.
Sunday in Monte-Carlo:
Only 10.000 of the 30.000 ‘inhabitants’ (of which only 6.000 are real monégasques) are really living there. So it always feels like it is Sunday morning.
No nature in Monte-Carlo:
There is virtually no nature here whatsoever – just concrete roads and apartment blocks. Instinctively many residents feel better when out of Monaco, if only for the fact that they get to see a few trees and some grass.
Boring Monte-Carlo:
There isn’t that much to do in Monaco. For a minute village, it’s not bad, but compared to any other medium-sized city (Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Saint-Tropez, Toulon, etc.) there just isn’t much to do at all.
Paradox in wealth in Monte-Carlo:
One literally sees at least thirty Ferraris or Lamborghinis every day. Everyone is surrounded by garish jewellery stores and designers. It’s status-obsessed and yet no one can get any real status through material possessions here because everyone is so wealthy – it’s a bizarre paradox.
Conclusion: glitter on the outside, deadly boredom on the inside. Avoid marrying into that family!