Monaco royal attends Bucharest inauguration of Rainier III monument

Princess Stéphanie of Monaco is in Bucharest today, October 4, to attend the inauguration of the monument of Prince Rainier III, her father. The monument includes the statue of Prince Rainier III and seven other bronze elements representing life-size circus numbers. It is located close to the Circului Park, which hosts the capital’s Globus Circus. Prince Rainier III created the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival, an event the Bucharest Globus Circus attended several times. Update: The inauguration was met writ criticism on social media as the statue cost some RON 8.8 million (around EUR 2 million), at a time when Bucharest hospitals suffer from lack of funding, as well traffic in Bucharest is in need of solutions, critics argued. The traffic on Aleea Circului, between the Stefan cel Mare Road and the Globus Circus, will be restricted today, from 13:00 to 18:00, for the event. Bucharest mayor, Gabriela Firea, tourism minister, Mircea Titus Dobre, the ambassador of the Monaco Principality in Romania, Robert Fillon, the ambassador of France to Bucharest, Michelle Ramis, and Prince Radu Duda will also attend the inauguration. On Thursday, October 5, Princess Stéphanie will meet with members of the Romanian royal family. Princess Margareta and Prince Radu will welcome her at the Elisabeta Palace. King Mihai of Romania and the late Queen Ana were close to Prince Rainier III and to Princess Grace of Monaco, and visited the former Monaco royal couple often. Eighteen years after getting married in an Orthodox ceremony in Athens, King Mihai and Queen Ana renewed their vows in a Catholic ceremony held in 1966 in Monte Carlo. Princess Margareta and Prince Radu also met Prince Albert II of Monaco, the reigning monarch of the Principality of Monaco and the brother of Princess Stephany, on multiple occasions. The Romanian royal couple also attended the wedding of Prince Albert II and Charlene Wittstock in July 2011. Bucharest starts setting up Prince of Monaco monument editor@romania-insider.com (Photo source: Gabriela Firea Bucharest Mayor Facebook page)