Prince Albert of Monaco made a surprise appearance at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on Monday.
The 67-year-old sovereign made the trip from the principality to attend the annual service.
The prince joined King Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales, for this year’s celebration, which draws inspiration from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2026, which centres on accelerating partnerships and investment for a prosperous Commonwealth.
The service, organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society, brought together government officials, young people and prominent figures from the creative industries to celebrate the 56-nation organisation.
Prince Albert of Monaco was seen entering Westminster Abbey for the Commonwealth Day service on Monday
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A congregation of 1,800 people gathered at the historic abbey to mark Commonwealth Day 2026.
Prior to the royals' arrival at the abbey, three separate anti-monarchist protests erupted.
Yellow placards, held by anti-monarchy group Republic, reading "Not My King" were visible, as well as a massive banner stating: "What Did You Know? Abolish The Monarchy. Charles, What Are You Hiding?"
Princess Anne and Sir Timothy Lawrence were also in attendance at Westminster Abbey.
Prince Albert was met with anti-monarchy protestors as he arrived
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It comes as the BBC has scrapped its live coverage of today’s Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, opting instead to air an episode of Escape to the Country.
The national broadcaster attributed the decision to budgetary constraints.
A BBC spokesman defended the scheduling change, telling the Sun: “Our decision not to broadcast the Commonwealth Day ceremony in the same way we've done in previous years reflects the difficult choices we have to make in light of our funding challenges.
“BBC News plans to cover the service across its platforms, including the BBC One bulletins and rolling news channel.”
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The Westminster Abbey service has been held annually since 1972 and televised by the BBC since 1989, serving as the sole yearly event uniting the 56 Commonwealth member states and their combined population of 2.7 billion people.
Nations including Australia, Canada and India form part of the Commonwealth family, with King Charles serving as its head.
King Charles will speak on how precious the union of the Commonwealth is during his message
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In his speech to the audience, King Charles will say: “In a world that can feel increasingly fragmented, this voluntary union of free association remains rare and precious a forum for open and honest discussion and debate to help improve the lives of the nearly three billion people who call our member states home.”
His Majesty also pointed to significant economic opportunities, noting the bloc possesses "untapped potential for prosperous trade between trusting partners" while highlighting that nearly two-thirds of Commonwealth citizens are under 30.
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