FAMOUS MONEGASQUES alamy . com alamy . com
In the French sport magazine ‘ La Vie au Grand Air ’ issued on March 30 , 1905 , there was a big article about the sports hobbies of the Prince of Monaco .
mustn ’ t let them always be outshone by his considerable contributions to science and oceanography .
ALBERT I А MAN OF ETHICS AND COURAGEOUS PEACEMAKER
The Dreyfus Affair
Did you know that Prince Albert I was the only Head of State at the time who spoke out publicly in favour of Dreyfus ? This was courageous given Monaco ’ s relationship with France whose hierarchy were lined up against Dreyfus . His ethical stance on the Dreyfus affair can be gleaned from his letter in response to Zola ’ s “ I Accuse !” (“ J ’ Accuse ”) was the historically famous open letter published on 13 January 1898 in the newspaper L ’ Aurore by Émile Zola in response to the Dreyfus affair . Zola addressed President of France Félix Faure and accused his government of antisemitism and the unlawful jailing of Alfred Dreyfus , a French Army General Staff officer who was sentenced to lifelong penal servitude for espionage . Zola pointed out judicial errors and lack of serious evidence .
The letter was printed on the front page of the newspaper and caused a stir in France and abroad .
In response to Zola ’ s “ J ’ Accuse ” letter , Prince Albert I wrote to the author : “ Your statement contains the most wonderful sentiments that a soul could express . It honours humanity , it adds a ray of light to the glory of France . For all those who admire independence and sincerity in patriotism , you have risen higher than the renown of your talent .”
Peace among Nations
In the tension-filled times leading up to World War I , Prince Albert made numerous attempts to dissuade Germany ’ s Kaiser Wilhelm II from war . When war came , Prince Albert could not avoid becoming involved . In one incident , he even wrote personally to the Kaiser in an effort to ameliorate the consequences of General Karl von Bülow ’ s wrath . Without the Prince ’ s intervention , the French villages of Sissonne and Marchais would have been destroyed . In the “ Great War to End All Wars ,” Monaco declared its neutrality , but in fact , provided the Allied forces with hospitals , convalescent centres , and soldiers , including Prince Albert ’ s only son , Louis .
A Force Behind Emancipation of Women in Sport
Pierre de Coubertin , founder of the modern Olympic Games was , as is well known , an opponent of women ’ s participation as athletes at the Games . And when the first post-war event was staged at Antwerp in 1920 , women competed in the same number of sports as at the last pre-war Olympics in Stockholm in 1912 ; that is to say just two — tennis ( with the great Suzanne Lenglen ) and aquatics .
Prince Albert I lent his weight to the women ’ s sports movement . The following year 1921 after the Antwerp Olympics , an event was held in Monte-Carlo that brought together over a hundred women athletes from five countries . Similar meetings took place in the Principality in 1922 and 1923 .
The 1921 programme incorporated an extensive series of athletics events and a basketball tournament , won by the British team .
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