While most royals and celebs are revelling in sun-drenched destinations this summer, Albert of Monaco has been visiting a rather more challenging region - the Svalbard Spitzberg archipelago, which lies between Norway and the North Pole.
In doing so, the recently inaugurated leader was retracing the rather chilly footsteps of his namesake and great great grandfather, Albert I, who financed the first expedition to the area in 1906.
Later a great statesman, and humanitarian, Albert I was just 22 when he developed an interest in the then relatively new science of oceanography. He participated in numerous expeditions and went on to found the prestigious Oceanographic Museum of Monaco which initially housed collections from his own travels.
Modern-day Albert, who was accompanied on his visit by several North Pole specialists, covered over 1,200 kilometres during the trip, which was to study the effects of pollution on the ecosystem and the Arctic population.
A land of endless glaciers and towering mountains, the peninsula is home to polar bears and walrus, as well as the location of important nesting sites for birds.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
