Shocking images have reached Monaco showing a highly delicate moment for Prince Albert. The sovereign of the Principality did not expect that what happened just a few hours ago in Madrid would place him at the center of a movie-like scene.
What was supposed to be a day of celebration ended in a fielded battle with two people arrested and 22 injured. None of them was Prince Albert, who was able to leave the scene escorted by his security team.
| Instagram, @palaisprincierdemonaco
Monaco holds its breath after what happened to Prince Albert
The unexpected chaos in Madrid put Prince Albert, sovereign of Monaco, at the center of a scene that seemed straight out of a movie. The visit of Monaco’s sovereign, planned to take over the competition in 2026, turned into a tense incident.
Prince Albert traveled to Madrid to attend the end of La Vuelta and celebrate the arrival of the cycling race in Monaco in 2026. What was supposed to be a sporting and protocol event turned into a scene of tension. The images that shocked Monaco show Prince Albert escorted by his security team, with a serious expression, as he leaves Plaza de Cibeles.
The pro-Palestinian protests that spread through downtown Madrid paralyzed the final stage and led to the immediate evacuation of the prince. In one of the photographs, Albert is wearing a dark blue suit, cap, and sunglasses, as he walks discreetly, protected by the agents surrounding him.
Meanwhile, the crowd, with Palestinian banners and protest chants, invaded the podium area and the surroundings of the finish line. This made any public ceremony unfeasible. The security operation surrounding Prince Albert proved key to his exit.
The decision to evacuate him was not improvised: his team had already considered different exit routes due to the risks. As a result, Prince Albert was unable to greet the winners at Cibeles or take the baton for next year. The ceremony was suspended and, for now, there has been no reaction in Monaco regarding what happened.
Prince Albert remains silent in Monaco
The atmosphere in Madrid was alarming: thousands of protesters took over Paseo del Prado, Plaza de Cibeles, Gran VÃa, and Atocha. A very complicated night was expected, but the truth is that the final result was much less than expected. Two people were arrested and 22 officers suffered minor injuries out of the more than 1,800 (1,800) who were deployed to the conflict areas.
What happened at the end of La Vuelta was the chronicle of a tension that had been building since the race arrived in Spain. Little by little, the unrest has been increasing due to the participation of the Israeli team, owned by a billionaire who supports Netanyahu’s stance. The image of the president of Madrid alongside the Israeli team, which further inflamed tempers, did not help either.
| Instagram, @palaisprincierdemonaco
Because of all this, the one who had to be evacuated was Prince Albert, whose images moved all of Monaco. Despite the tension and anguish of the moment, the Principality has not commented on the disturbances. Silence prevails in the Monegasque territory as they wait to see if there will be a handover ceremony next year.
In the end, Monaco’s monarch managed to leave downtown Madrid. Not before starring in one of the most talked-about images of recent times: leaving escorted amid shouts and banners. An evacuation that marked a tense moment, where the prince was caught between two worlds: that of royal ceremony and that of urban protest.