Prince Albert II of Monaco visited Trinity College Dublin today as part of his three-day visit to Ireland.
An unveiling ceremony took place during his visit, marking a major donation Prince Albert has made to the conservation of the iconic Old Library at Trinity College.
Prince Albert's €1 million donation will go towards the €90 million restoration of the library which will see the removal into storage of all 750,000 of its books.
A frieze containing the name of HSH Prince Albert II was also unveiled on the Gallery of the Long Room of the Old Library alongside the founding donors to the Library.
The visit marks 60 years since the Irish state visit of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace (1961) and 10 years since the first state visit of Prince Albert II (2011).
Prince Albert was joined on the visit by his children, Princess Gabriella and Crown Prince Jacques.
In the course of his visit to the Old Library, Prince Albert was shown the Book of Kells, the 9th century gospel manuscript written and illustrated by Columban monks, famous throughout the world for its beautifully intricate decoration and representative of Ireland as a seat of art and learning.
He was also given a special viewing of items drawn from the library’s extensive special collections related to the work of his grandfather, Prince Albert I, a keen oceanographer and explorer. They included copies of the earliest treatises on oceanography from the 18th century, forming part of the Library’s Dutch Fagel Collection.
Provost and President of Trinity College, Professor Linda Doyle said: “We are delighted to welcome Prince Albert II to Trinity College Dublin. His visit builds on Trinity’s existing links with Monaco through the Princess Grace Irish Library and our Centre for War Studies. Prince Albert joins a tradition of philanthropy that dates from the establishment of the University in 1592.
“On behalf of the Trinity community, I would like to thank Prince Albert for his support of this landmark restoration project which will ensure the preservation of the Old Library, as a global cultural icon for Trinity, the city of Dublin and Ireland.”
