Made for Royalty
BALL IN MONACO 2018
The organisers of the biennial Ball in Monaco pulled out all the stops for the 10th anniversary celebration of the most-anticipated event on Singapore’s social calendar. Upon arriving at the Marina Bay Sands Grand Ballroom, guests enjoyed flutes of Perrier-jouët champagne while perusing the booth of sponsor Air France as well as the future plans of Monaco’s new marina district, Anse du Portier, alongside the art pieces that were up for auction that evening. Once the ballroom doors swung open, everyone was visibly surprised by how the space had been ingeniously transformed—screens cladded all four corners of the ballroom, displaying images of the interiors of the Prince’s Palace of Monaco. Since the first gala in Singapore in 2008, Prince Albert II of Monaco has always made it a point to grace the event, which raises funds for his eponymous foundation that is dedicated to the protection of the global environment. This year, for the first time, he was joined by his nephew, Andrea Casiraghi, son of Princess Caroline. “It is our responsibility to change our development model. To move away from short-term thinking and stop acting in our short-term interests,” stressed Prince Albert II during his passionate opening speech. This message was reiterated by guest-of-honour Masagos Zulkifli, Singapore’s
minister for the environment and water resources. In their speeches, Jean-marc Deromedi, honorary consul of Monaco in Singapore, and George Tanasijevich, president and CEO of Marina Bay Sands, both thanked guests for their support. The 600 guests were treated to a decadent meal by chef David Myers of Adrift, as well as an exciting programme including an impressive vocal performance by Filipina singer, Alienette Coldfire. During the live auction, two hosts pitted the guests on one side of the ballroom against the other bidding on lots that included luxury resort stays and exquisite jewellery pieces. The most competitive bidding was for a bespoke FP Journe Chronographe Monopoussoir Rattrapante watch that was specially created for the event. In the end, the one-of-a-kind creation went under the hammer for a whopping $400,000. The Ball in Monaco ended as impressively as it started, with an illuminated dragon dance and the unveiling of a gigantic three-tier cake to mark the momentous occasion. All in all, the evening was a massive success, raising a record-breaking $1.5m to support the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s work in marine conservation, climate change and sustainability.