Princess Charlene of Monaco speaks of sport as a unifying force

Princess Charlene of Monaco was the guest of honour at a working breakfast of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe's Women@PACE group, which took place in the Principality ahead of a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly's standing committee.

Welcoming the Parliamentary 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 cooperation around essential subjects such as human dignity, solidarity and the protection of the most vulnerable.

True leadership is the ability to create harmony

Underlining Monaco's commitment to democratic values, Princess Charlene 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."

The Princess - 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."

Shared sport experience united South Africa in the 1990s

Princess Charlene, 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."

Female lawmakers from across the continent come together in Monaco

She ended with warm words for the Women@PACE group, which is a non-political, cross-party, informal platform open made up of female members of the Parliamentary Assembly which has existed since 2022: "At a time when public debate can sometimes become harsher and more fragmented, seeing women from across Europe come together around dialogue, cooperation and dignity sends a powerful and necessary message."

Other leading women to have shared their experiences with the group include the Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Maltese President Myriam Spiteri Debono and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe