Heaven or Hell: 18 celebrities share their thoughts on Monaco

celebrities share their thoughts on Monaco

Model and socialite

From its A-list parties to pretentious pomp, we ask Monaco’s most famous fans (and detractors) what they really think about the principality...

“I went to school in Monaco until I was 10. We lived on Avenue Princess Grace and I remember learning to swim at the Beach Club and keeping our yacht Isabella in the harbour. As teenagers we went to the Paradise nightclub and the open-air pool next door but, like so many of the places from my childhood, they’re both gone now. This year a couple of friends hosted a pop-up for their nightclub 1 OAK at the Fairmont and Chris Brown and Justin Bieber played – it was a really fun night. However, the traditional Monaco spots are still the best. I always go back to the Hôtel de Paris and the Hermitage and never miss a chance to shop at the Metropole, but if you only have one afternoon in Monaco don’t miss the incredible Oceanographic Museum out on the rocks. Amazing.”

Picture courtesy of John Engel / Alamy Stock Photo

celebrities share their thoughts on Monaco

Italian businessman

“Monte-Carlo is the ideal place to raise kids because it’s so safe, the weather is always nice and there’s such a strong international community. My son Falco is fluent in three languages and his schoolmates are from all over the world.”

Picture courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Mark Webber

Ex-Formula One driver

“I love driving at Monaco but the rest of it, well, I can absolutely take it or leave it. It’s extremely pretentious and really not my cup of tea.”

Amanda Wakeley

Fashion designer

“The Monaco Yacht Club, designed by [Norman] Foster in 2014, is my favourite place in Monaco. Its boat-like structure is architecturally profound and watching the sun set over the harbour on a warm summer’s evening is gorgeous.”

Sir David Tang

Entrepreneur and philanthropist

“Monte Carlo is an onomatopoeia for luxury.”

Picture courtesy of Shutterstock.com /  Dmitry Chulov

Charlene

Princess of Monaco

“I was going to the Red Cross Ball in 2007 and had been playing beach volleyball all day, so I just painted my nails red and threw on a green dress. I thought I looked great at the time, but looking back, I realise that my debut into Monaco society should have been better executed!”

Picture courtesy of Shutterstock.com / Serena Rossi

Jacques Villeneuve

Ex-Formula One driver

“Monaco is hell. The driving is amazing, it’s the weekend that’s a pain. You can’t sleep at night because there’s music everywhere until six in the morning. It’s hell to work. It’s not the good old days, where you went to a gala the night before and drank and raced anyway.”

Picture courtesy of Shutterstock.com /  Lukasz Janyst

celebrities share their thoughts on Monaco

Ex-Formula One driver

“The chairman of the board, the president, the CEO – everybody came to Monaco because of the style, the speed, the danger. Joan Collins, Graham Hill – that’s the Monaco Grand Prix. It still does that. Elizabeth Taylor came. Bette Davis came one year. Frank Sinatra. Louis Armstrong. The Beatles all came. So did Rod Stewart. If all these people were there, you had to stand out to be noticed.”

celebrities share their thoughts on Monaco

Irish entrepreneur and Boat International contributing editor

“The sense of security in Monaco is second to none. There are not many cities in the world where you’d have no problem walking home alone at midnight. Some people call it a police state, but I would not. There is a big police presence but you don’t really see or feel it, and it obviously works – I’ve lived here for 12 years and I’ve yet to hear about a break-in. Monaco is a pretty place, but people rarely see all the hard work that goes into keeping it as beautiful as it is. There are jet bikes out on the water every morning with scoopers on the front, collecting all the little bits of paper floating on the water. The beaches are raked every day. And, though some people find it ridiculous, the roads are washed at 5am every day. If you have an early flight to the airport, sometimes you have to alter your route as these machines are out cleaning everything!”

Roger Moore

British actor

“The other day an Irish friend and I were having lunch at the Café de Paris, which attracts a vast number of visitors curious to see the old Monte Carlo. I came out and got in my car. My Irish friend called me later and said there were two chaps from Manchester saying: ‘What’s bloody James Bond doing in a tin can?’”

Picture courtesy of Shutterstock.com / InnaFelker

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