Solemn Princess Charlene and Prince Albert attend poignant ceremony with Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron


Princess Charlene and Prince Albert joined 2,500 members of the public to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the 2016 terror attack in Nice


Princess Charlene of Monaco attends the ceremony to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Nice attacks© Alamy Stock Photo
Eleanor Dye
Eleanor DyeOnline Royal Correspondent
1 hour ago
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Princess Charlene and Prince Albert appeared visibly moved on Tuesday at a ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of the 2016 terror attack in Nice. 

The Monagasque royal couple joined French president Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte in the French Riviera city during Bastille Day. 

They were marking ten years since the attack on the Promenade des Anglais, in which 86 people tragically lost their lives. 

Mother-of-two Charlene, 48, wore a formal sleeveless navy dress and was seen with a white fan due to the heat. 

Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron joined Princess Charlene and Prince Albert© Alamy Stock Photo
Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron joined Princess Charlene and Prince Albert

She appeared emotional as Macron and representatives from the victims' families gave speeches.

Also present were government ministers, local officials, and around 2,500 members of the public, as well as former French presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande. 

Onlookers watched a film reflecting on the tragedy and a musical tribute by cellist Gautier Capuçon. 

43 children and 43 first responders entered the square, representing each of the victims, before receiving an olive branch. 

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene have previously attended official commemorations of the attack and have consistently supported acts to remember those who lost their lives. 

What happened during the Nice attacks?

On 14 July 2016, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a 31-year-old Tunisian national, drove a 19-tonne lorry for nearly 2km into the crowd that had just been watching the fireworks, killing 86 people and injuring more than 400 before he was shot dead.

France was plunged into three days of national mourning, with former French President Francois Hollande giving a televised address, fighting back tears as he said the nation had been "badly hit".

Princess Charlene and Albert were welcomed by Mayor of Nice Eric Ciotti © Getty
Princess Charlene and Albert were welcomed by Mayor of Nice Eric Ciotti

Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron said at the time: "A sickening and dreadful attack in Nice. I know we stand with the French people and share their values. They shall never defeat us." 

In 2022, seven men and a woman were sentenced by a special court in Paris to jail terms ranging from two to 18 years. 

Three of them were convicted of association with a terrorist, while the five others were found guilty of supplying weapons. 

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