Commemorations for the 80th anniversary of Monaco’s liberation

On 3 September, the Principality of Monaco will commemorate the 80th anniversary of its liberation from Italian, and later German, occupation during World War II.

This year, HSH the Sovereign Prince wanted these commemorations to be particularly special, as in the other countries involved, with a focus on the decisive role of the American armed forces in the liberation.  

General Robert T. Frederick’s 1st Airborne Task Force units, parachuted over Provence on 15 August, forced the retreat of German troops and allowed local groups of resistance fighters to come out of hiding.

A special tribute will be paid to General Frederick. The Monegasque State funded the creation of a bronze statue, unveiled on 14 August in La Motte, the town in the Var region where the Airborne Task Force was dropped exactly 80 years ago. A commemorative stamp depicting General Frederick was issued on 15 August by the Principality (model attached). General Frederick’s grandson, Bradford Hicks, is invited to the national day of remembrance on 3 September.

A military ceremony will be held at the Monaco Cemetery on 3 September at 5 pm in front of the memorial to those lost in world conflicts in the 20th century. The ceremony will be attended by HSH Prince Albert II, who will deliver a speech, as well as by other Monegasque senior officials. Three military detachments – from Monaco, France and the United States – are invited to pay tributes.

At 6 pm, after a wreath is placed at the commemorative plaque on the outside of the National Council building in memory of the Monegasque resistance fighter René Borghini and his liaison officer Esther Poggio, shot on 15 August 1944, HSH the Sovereign Prince will inaugurate in the lobby of the Ministry of State Monaco libéré ! 3 September–28 December 1944 (poster attached), an exhibition prepared jointly by the National Archives Preparatory Team, the Archives of the Prince’s Palace and the Audiovisual Institute of Monaco in close cooperation with the Monaco Multimedia Library.  The exhibition will run until 31 January 2025 to welcome a wide audience, including pupils and teachers at the Principality’s schools.

Earlier in the day, as per annual tradition, the Committee for the Commemoration of the Period will host multiple events in the streets of the Principality, with antique uniforms, equipment and vehicles, as well as a memorial visit from Avenue Saint-Laurent to Place du Palais that includes the Maison de France and Lycée Albert I.

The Monaco Multimedia Library, the Audiovisual Institute of Monaco, the Department of Education, Youth and Sport and the Devoir de Mémoire association will host additional events until spring 2025 to celebrate the end of World War II in Europe.