Prince Albert brings touch of class and ceremony to Dublin

The very modern prince was trailed by admirers as he took an unexpected walkabout

CHAOS ON Kildare Street. That’s what happened when a prince and his fiancee took an unscheduled stroll in Dublin yesterday. After viewing some prehistoric golden balls in the National Museum on the first day of his three-day State visit, His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, formerly one of the world’s most eligible bachelors, walked out with the very beautiful Charlene Wittstock for afternoon tea at the Shelbourne Hotel.

Trailed by a delegation of Monegasque (that’s Monaco folk to you and me) and his security detail, they successfully negotiated potholed pavements, scaffolding and a scrum of backward walking photographers making it to the hotel arm in arm and still smiling. The first head of state of a VV busy VVIP spring had arrived.

When his mother Princess Grace, famously a Kelly with Mayo ancestry, came here on an official State visit with his father Prince Rainier III 50 years ago, her star quality caused a bit of a crowd control nightmare outside the Gresham Hotel, where 14 people were hospitalised. Outside the Shelbourne, the fallout from the prince’s appearance was minimal, with just one disgruntled woman declaring she’d nearly been knocked over. Presidential candidate David Norris missed all the excitement, but passing by the hotel recounted meeting Prince Albert on two occasions in Monaco. “Lovely man and very astute,” was his verdict.

We had to take his word for it because the man from Monte Carlo wasn’t saying much to the media. Fortunately the unscheduled stroll was also an opportunity for an unscheduled interview. Had he any economic tips for the current Government?

The 53-year-old prince laughed and admitted: “I am not a very good economist myself . . . we have talked about it and I really wish the Government the best of success through these difficult times”.

Prince Albert, wearing a shamrock festooned tie, had met Taoiseach Enda Kenny (bright green tie) earlier at Áras an Uachtaráin where he was greeted warmly by President Mary McAleese, Martin McAleese and an Irish reception party that included Ireland’s Ambassador to Monaco, Paul Kavanagh, Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan and Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Seán McCann.

Waving Ireland and Monaco flags in the April showers and sunshine, schoolchildren from St Joseph’s national school in Kilmessan, Co Meath, seemed thrilled to be meeting the prince. Persistent Molly McWeeney (12) was particularly delighted because the school was invited to the Áras after she wrote to the President twice asking if they could visit.

“She said no first,” she revealed. Then a few weeks ago the school got a call to say they were welcome today. “It’s very exciting,” said Molly. The prince and his fiancee, who has some Kerry roots, had a brief chat with them and he ended the encounter with “go raibh míle maith agat”.

It was a day for serious pomp and ceremony and though nobody was saying it officially, the occasion doubled as a dress rehearsal for the visit next month by the queen. The two national anthems were played by the Army No 1 band against the booms of a 21-gun salute by the 2nd Field Artillery Regiment from McKee Barracks.

To the strains of Percy French’s Pride of Petravore the prince inspected an impeccably turned out guard of honour made up of soldiers from the Army’s First Southern Brigade, Naval Service and Air Corps personnel. With the help of head gardener Robert Norris the prince later planted an Irish oak in the grounds of the Áras and then joined in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Garden of Remembrance. Then it was off to Government Buildings for talks with the Taoiseach, a private lunch in Iveagh House and a tour of those precious National Museum treasures with director Pat Wallace, who got a gift covered in royal wrapping paper from the prince for his trouble.

The prince and his fiancee, a former Olympic swimmer from South Africa, arrived in the country on Sunday and it’s understood they stayed at the K Club that night, enjoying the hospitality of Irish honorary consul to Monaco, Michael Smurfit. They are staying at Farmleigh for the Dublin leg of the visit but will travel west tomorrow, where among other engagements the couple will make a private visit to the dilapidated cottage the prince owns with his sisters in Drimurla, Co Mayo, the home of Princess Grace’s grandfather, John Kelly.

Last night the couple attended a State dinner at the Áras and today the prince will announce details of a scholarship at Trinity College where the prince will take part in a podcast. Unscheduled royal walkabouts may also occur.