General News & Information: Prince Albert & Princess Charlene 1: July 2011 - Feb.2012

[Sancia]

Originally Posted by KittyAtlanta

Stancia, do you have an Albert agenda of your own?

No but Monaco policemen are not all silent and some spoke about the supposed attempted flight.

[Sancia]

For french-speaking, here is a link of a tv-programm specialized on current events, broadcasted on a very serious french channel, France 5: C'est dans l'air. Yesterday, the subject was "Monaco: le rocher des rumeurs / Monaco, the rumours's rock". On the platform, maître Thierry Lacoste, the princely couple's lawyer, Colombe Pringle, Point de Vue' editor, Christophe Barbier, the editor of L'Express, Pierre Abramovici, journalist and historian.

The video is more than an hour long so I didn't watch the whole. But a few things have been said.
- Maître Lacoste is about to summon L'Express. He denys the attempted flight. He will only summon L'Express. His office has not enough time and lawyers to summon all the papers who wrote about the supposed flight. He has about two hundred documents to give to the court about the attempted flight.
He doesn't believe Christophe Barbier is lying but he thinks he has been mistaken and given false informations. He believes the wedding is a love wedding. He reminds that a wedding with a billion watchers is a source of an intense stress. Moreover, at a IOC meeting, families never sleep at the same hotel so it is not unusual that wife are in other hotels. He denies there is a third child. There is no negociations between the palace and a supposed mother and no request coming from a former lover of the prince.
- Christophe Barbier holds his own. He says he has several sources, not related to each others, and he won't display them till the case comes into court. He spoke about sources "at the closest to the palace". He reminds everybody about the protection of the sources (a fundamental principle in France - added by me) and is stunned to be asked the name of his sources by a fellow journalist. He looks quiet and not at all disturbed by the coming summoning.
He is under the impression maître Lacoste is more Albert's than Charlene's lawyer.
- There is a video with an interview of a people press' editor (if I am not mistaken about the title of her newspaper, it is very close to "yellow press"). She says they watched the wedding with a woman who is a translator for people with hearing disabilities and who can read upon the lips. This translator says prince Albert constantly gave Charlene orders during the ceremony: "go into the car", "kneel in front of the priest", "don't cry" ... Alas, the video keeps speaking of the honeymoon in South Africa. Maître Lacoste dismisses this as rubbish (or something like this).
- Colombe Pringle criticizes the princely palace's communication. She states Point de Vue has some sources about the flight which would confirm Christophe Barbier's paper. She gives no precision. However, she says there is nothing sure about the reason of the attempted flight. The pic on Point de Vue's cover was taken in South Africa in February.
- According to maître Lacoste, the honeymoon after the IOC meeting was in South Africa.
- Maître Lacoste is criticial towards papers on Internet, according to him informations are not checked when published on Internet. Colombe Pringle and Christophe Barbier protest.
- Their is a marriage settlement. Very simple. A notary appeared for and with Charlene. Confirmed by maître Lacoste.
- According to Pierre Abramovici (born in Monaco, former inhabitant of the rock), Nice Matin, the only paper specialized in Monaco, can't even published something critical about the princely family.
- Charlene is called "the sad princess" in Monaco.

[KittyAtlanta]

Only time will tell.

[lazuli]

Originally Posted by Sancia

For french-speaking, here is a link of a tv-programm specialized on current events, broadcasted on a very serious french channel, France 5: C'est dans l'air. Yesterday, the subject was "Monaco: le rocher des rumeurs / Monaco, the rumours's rock". On the platform, maître Thierry Lacoste, the princely couple's lawyer, Colombe Pringle, Point de Vue' editor, Christophe Barbier, the editor of L'Express, Pierre Abramovici, journalist and historian.

The video is more than an hour long so I didn't watch the whole. But a few things have been said.
- Maître Lacoste is about to summon L'Express. He denys the attempted flight. He will only summon L'Express. His office has not enough time and lawyers to summon all the papers who wrote about the supposed flight. He has about two hundred documents to give to the court about the attempted flight.
He doesn't believe Christophe Barbier is lying but he thinks he has been mistaken and given false informations. He believes the wedding is a love wedding. He reminds that a wedding with a billion watchers is a source of an intense stress. Moreover, at a IOC meeting, families never sleep at the same hotel so it is not unusual that wife are in other hotels. He denies there is a third child. There is no negociations between the palace and a supposed mother and no request coming from a former lover of the prince.
- Christophe Barbier holds his own. He says he has several sources, not related to each others, and he won't display them till the case comes into court. He spoke about sources "at the closest to the palace". He reminds everybody about the protection of the sources (a fundamental principle in France - added by me) and is stunned to be asked the name of his sources by a fellow journalist. He looks quiet and not at all disturbed by the coming summoning.
He is under the impression maître Lacoste is more Albert's than Charlene's lawyer.
- There is a video with an interview of a people press' editor (if I am not mistaken about the title of her newspaper, it is very close to "yellow press"). She says they watched the wedding with a woman who is a translator for people with hearing disabilities and who can read upon the lips. This translator says prince Albert constantly gave Charlene orders during the ceremony: "go into the car", "kneel in front of the priest", "don't cry" ... Alas, the video keeps speaking of the honeymoon in South Africa. Maître Lacoste dismisses this as rubbish (or something like this).
- Colombe Pringle criticizes the princely palace's communication. She states Point de Vue has some sources about the flight which would confirm Christophe Barbier's paper. She gives no precision. However, she says there is nothing sure about the reason of the attempted flight. The pic on Point de Vue's cover was taken in South Africa in February.
- According to maître Lacoste, the honeymoon after the IOC meeting was in South Africa.
- Maître Lacoste is criticial towards papers on Internet, according to him informations are not checked when published on Internet. Colombe Pringle and Christophe Barbier protest.
- Their is a marriage settlement. Very simple. A notary appeared for and with Charlene. Confirmed by maître Lacoste.
- According to Pierre Abramovici (born in Monaco, former inhabitant of the rock), Nice Matin, the only paper specialized in Monaco, can't even published something critical about the princely family.
- Charlene is called "the sad princess" in Monaco.

In a word, the all matter stinks!!!

[Sancia]

Just a precision about this TV-program. The presenter, Yves Calvi, is a very serious journalist, is trusted and has a very good reputation. C'est dans l'air often goes deeply into subjects with which other journalists deal in a superficial way and he likes to have guests with differents or opposed opinions on the subject.

[angieuk]

Why should they (newspapers/press/media tv) be allowed to 'seek and destroy'? Are they so PERFECT themselves that they can afford to judge and find guilty any person they like? We are all flawed individuals. There is no such thing as a perfect person, or a perfect diamond for that matter. These people should look at their own houses before throwing stones at others. So maybe Albert is not perfect, but who is? Or maybe these so called journalists think they are the only ones who have never made mistakes, or regretted past actions/decisions. While they are judging Albert who is judging them? People are not interested in these stories, this is just about making money as per usual. I for one, would hate to have my life put under a microscope; I have made bad decisions and mistakes and if you haven't ---- then lucky you!

[KittyAtlanta]

Originally Posted by Sancia

Just a precision about this TV-program. The presenter, Yves Calvi, is a very serious journalist, is trusted and has a very good reputation. C'est dans l'air often goes deeply into subjects with which other journalists deal in a superficial way and he likes to have guests with differents or opposed opinions on the subject.

I wonder if Calvi would like it if "a very serious journalist" went deeply into the subject of "him."

[Sancia]

Originally Posted by angieuk

Why should they (newspapers/press/media tv) be allowed to 'seek and destroy'? Are they so PERFECT themselves that they can afford to judge and find guilty any person they like? We are all flawed individuals. There is no such thing as a perfect person, or a perfect diamond for that matter. These people should look at their own houses before throwing stones at others. So maybe Albert is not perfect, but who is? Or maybe these so called journalists think they are the only ones who have never made mistakes, or regretted past actions/decisions. While they are judging Albert who is judging them? People are not interested in these stories, this is just about making money as per usual. I for one, would hate to have my life put under a microscope; I have made bad decisions and mistakes and if you haven't ---- then lucky you!

Newspapers are selling by millions when the Grimaldis are on the cover but noone is interested.
By the way, you all missed the point of the TV-program. It was not a program about: "Monaco: are the rumours true?" but "Monaco: how does it come that there are so many rumours about the principalty?" There were very good points about the way the princely palace works, the princely communication, etc... It is easy to criticize without having watched when you can.
It was a very interesting program in which every proof was given that people are interested in the Grimaldis because everything was made by the Grimaldis to have people interested in them. Monaco's economy is partly based on the interest for the princely family. One doesn't pay 20 millions euros for a wedding if he doesn't seek world-wide media attention.
In this forum, many posters are posting pics, are seeking pics of the princely family in every occasion, even private, and yet the journalists are blamed if they do the same. I really don't understand.

[KittyAtlanta]

We are not using any of the information we have/or seek to make money...we're just benign collectors of things royal/princely.

Did Calvi solve the problem of "how does it come that there are so many rumours about the principaliaty?" Perhaps you could share the conclusions of the TV program to which so many of us don't have access.

[Sancia]

Originally Posted by KittyAtlanta

We are not using any of the information we have/or seek to make money...we're just benign collectors of things royal/princely.

Did Calvi solve the problem of why "how does it come that there are so many rumours about the principaliaty?" Perhaps you could share the conclusions of the TV program to which so many of us don't have access.

I didn't watched the whole program but they explained that only a few people in Monaco has inside informations about the princely family. Lot of Monaco inhabitants are thinking they know the prince because they meet him in the streets but they don't, and Monaco is very small and has not a lot of inhabitants. So there are a lot of people who think they know everything about them although they know nothing.
There is another problem: there is no monegasque newspaper. The only one is Nice Matin, which is French and which never publishes a critic towards the family. And the communication of the palace is ... amateurish, with no main line. That could explain everyone thought the IOC meeting was the honeymoon although it was not.
Christophe Barbier said he was offered a phone meeting with prince Albert and when he phoned, the prince was already in South Africa. So there are many reasons to explain people are speaking: they think they know, they want to know, and they know nothing. Just an example. Nice Matin is saying the honeymoon was in Mozambique, as revealed by the couple. The couple's lawyer said it was in South Africa. It is a secondary point, but who is to be believed?
(Everyone explained the people I just spoke about were not bound to have been the sources of the rumours about the attempted flight.)

[Boris]

Thank you Sancia for your summary of the French TV program including the conclusions it came to regarding the current state of things of the whole affair.
I figure it must be rather frustrating for you to stick to reporting the facts you have access to in the midst of a lot of 'tittle-tattle'; IMO the story which is developing here has quite a few interesting aspects, and not only regarding the machinations of of Monaco.
In general terms, it also brings up questions about the freedom of the press and about public persons trying to control the media, while at the same time allowing the media to invade their own privacy whenever it serves a purpose for them - a dilemma which is on a far more serious level for Royals in theit particular position than for mere celebrities, ever since they achieved a celebrity status themselves during the past century.
If a created image and the reality behind it diverge to a degree that makes the image impossible to maintain, of course no serious journalist will continue to buy and swallow this image, but rather seek the truth.

[KittyAtlanta]

I see. Thanks for the additional information. So, it's just another TV program that speculates on current speculation.

As for the honeymoon being in South Africa, Mozambique is considered southern Africa and shares a border with S.A. Perhaps it's just symantics.

I will wait for information from the Palace, but continue to read the speculation.

[Smush]

Originally Posted by KittyAtlanta

...
I will wait for information from the Palace, but continue to read the speculation.

I'll do the same and hope for more beautiful pics

[Renata4711]

I understand what people have said about Nice-Matin, but that group of newspapers is just an offshoot of a larger group .... in this case - Groupe Hersant Media.

It's possible to email Nice-Matin, especially their Monaco bureau:
Grégory Leclerc, email monaco@nicematin.fr +37793104390

[fandesacs2003]

Originally Posted by Sancia

By the way, you all missed the point of the TV-program. It was not a program about: "Monaco: are the rumours true?" but "Monaco: how does it come that there are so many rumours about the principalty?" There were very good points about the way the princely palace works, the princely communication, etc... It is easy to criticize without having watched when you can.
It was a very interesting program in which every proof was given that people are interested in the Grimaldis because everything was made by the Grimaldis to have people interested in them. Monaco's economy is partly based on the interest for the princely family. One doesn't pay 20 millions euros for a wedding if he doesn't seek world-wide media attention.
In this forum, many posters are posting pics, are seeking pics of the princely family in every occasion, even private, and yet the journalists are blamed if they do the same. I really don't understand.

I saw only the second half, of the program, but I could not really understand all the points, but it was superintersting. Why in a TV analysis was the Prince's advocate present ?

[Renata4711]

Thierry Lacoste is not only PA's lawyer. He and PA were in primary school together and have been close friends for decades. Thierry's mother Nadia has been the Palace Press Office boss for ages, but is retired now.

Regarding the case, TL says it's not about money, and that they will ask for a nominal amount (one euro) plus media articles.
http://www.remicastillo.com/article-...x-rumeurs.html

[Bones]

I can certainly understand Prince Albert getting fed up with all of this -it has rather put a pale of water on what should have been the most happy days of his life. My problem with it is not just the unnamed sources, people can take anonymous sources for what they are worth, but rather the lack of specifics. In some recent remarks Michel Roger said that they have proof that the paternity claim is false and that Charlene was in or on her way to Greece when the 'runaway bride' story was supposed to have happened. But that's the biggest problem, at least for me, because no one has ever said specifically when this was supposed to have happened. If you don't give specifics you can never verify or disprove them. The only person that should be named is the alleged baby-momma because if that is true she could never remain anonymous anyway. However, the papers give no name and the Palace said that no ex-girlfriends have come forward with any claim. So, until someone does, how is that a story fit to print? Whatever the truth is, I would prefer for the media to 'put up or shut up'.

[Renata4711]

My hunch is that the "presse people" will realise that the game is up. They've had their fun, now it's time to go out there and try and find some real news !

[FanofMonaco]

It gets crazier. www.Monaco247.com says that PA is sueing L'Express, per Monaco's Secretary of State. The editor of L'Express is calling for France to annex Monaco. A French blogger to Nice Matin is calling for Monaco to annex France; so he won't have to pay income tax. L'Express is behaving like they are desparate for customers. It also said no mother has contacted the Palace about a paternity test and that Charlene was on her way to Greece when she was supposed to be fleeing the country.

[LadyMacAlpine]

The head of government of Monaco, Michel Roger, railed against the "rumors" to Albert II of Monaco and Charlene.
He confirmed that the couple would continue LEXPRESS.fr - which keeps its information .

These rumors have been formally denied by the Palace and the royal couple's lawyer , Albert II and then by himself - while being accredited by sources close to the organization of marriage.

As for the persistent rumor of a supposed third illegitimate child that Prince Albert would have been when he was already engaged to Charlene, "there is evidence that this is wrong," said Michel Roger.

LExpress I think its funny that anyone would ask for France to Annex Monaco when it is an independent State. I can see the headlines Sarko declares war on Monaco because he was mad over having to wait at the Royal Wedding.