24/05/2026 Women@PACE
Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco was the guest of honour at a working breakfast of the Assembly’s Women@PACE group which took place in the Principality ahead of a meeting of the PACE Standing Committee.
Welcoming the Assembly to Monaco, the Princess said that in a world often marked by division it was more important than ever for committed women from across Europe to meet for dialogue and co-operation around essential subjects such as human dignity, solidarity and the protection of the most vulnerable.
Underlining Monaco’s commitment to democratic values, Her Serene Highness noted that democracy is not only a system of institutions, but is also a culture of respect, listening and shared responsibility: “True leadership is measured not by power alone, but by the ability to create harmony between people, nations and generations. Strength is not domination.”
Her Serene Highness – who had an earlier career as an Olympic swimmer – evoked the power of sport as a unifying force: “Sport teaches discipline and humility. It teaches us how to deal with pressure, doubt, failure and resilience. But no one succeeds alone. Sport also teaches the power of unity.”
The Princess, who was born in Zimbabwe before moving to South Africa as a young girl, spoke of her personal experience: “You have probably seen the film Invictus. I lived through that period in South Africa. I saw how sport — swimming, to which I dedicated much of my youth, and rugby in particular — could help unite people in a country still deeply marked by division.”
She added: “Nelson Mandela understood something very powerful: sometimes a jersey, a team or a field can bring together people whom everything seemed to divide. This is why, in Monaco, we believe in building a stronger society through sport and the values it teaches.”
The Princess said Madiba’s vision had inspired the work of her Foundation, which organises sporting initiatives to create inclusion and equal opportunity, especially for young people: “Very concretely my Foundation teaches children how to swim, raises awareness about water safety and trains people in rescue techniques. Water should remain a place of joy, not grief.”
She ended with warm words for the Women@PACE group, which was created at the initiative of PACE Secretary General Despina Chatzivassiliou in 2022: “At a time when public debate can sometimes become harsher and more fragmented, seeing women from across Europe come together around dialogue, co-operation and dignity sends a powerful and necessary message.”
The head of Monaco’s parliamentary delegation to PACE Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo, who helped to organise the event, said that hearing the Princess speak of the importance of sport in bringing society together and promoting values had been “a very enriching moment”.
The Women@PACE group is open to women members of the Assembly — from all countries and across party lines — for informal discussion and sharing of experience from women’s perspectives.
Other leading women to have shared their experience with the group include the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Maltese President Myriam Spiteri Debono and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.
