The Riviera's most glamorous location awoke to begin a new era under a new ruler today. Monaco's 25,000 residents would be forgiven for not getting up too early, though, because the celebrations to mark Prince Albert's coronation ran late into the night.
Earlier in the day, with thousands of his subjects looking on in the courtyard of the royal palace, the 47-year-old was presented with two keys of the city as a symbol of his investiture. His sister Princess Caroline was also in attendance, along with her children Andrea - who is now second in line to the throne - Charlotte and Pierre. A visibly emotional Princess Stephanie was meanwhile accompanied by her son Louis and elder daughter Pauline.
Later on an orchestra played Mozart's Coronation Mass, but the classical music gave way to rock and pop anthems as a night of festivities got underway. In keeping with Monaco's reputation as a mecca for glamorous revelry, a breath-taking fireworks display lit up the skies over the Mediterranean port.
There were some more serious moments over the course of the day too, though, as the new monarch pledged to rid his homeland of its reputation as a safe place for shady money. "You don't need to be a big country to do big things," he declared. "Ethics must be behind everything we do. Money and virtue must go together at all times."
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