
Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella of Monaco celebrate first Holy Communion attended by proud parents Prince Albert and Princess Charlene
Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella of Monaco have made their first Holy Communion, the royal palace announced.
The heir to the Monegasque throne - also known as the Marquis of Baux - and his twin sister, both 10, marked the religious ceremony with a series of sweet family portraits shared to the royal household's official Instagram page.
The First Holy Communion, also known as the First Eucharist, is one of the most important milestones in the Catholic faith.
It is a key step in in a child's faith journey, symbolising their deepening relationship with Jesus and the Church, and it involves receiving the consecrated bread and wine, believed to be the body and blood of Christ.
The young royals beamed as they were joined by their parents Prince Albert of Monaco and Princess Charlene at the important ceremony.
A translated statement shared to the palace's Instagram page read: 'On this day of First Communion, we extend our most sincere congratulations to Crown Prince James and Princess Gabriella who received this sacrament with faith and compulsion'.
It further read that the palace extended its 'heartfelt congratulations' to the prince and princess who 'received this sacrament with faith and reverence'.
The prince and princess looked adorable in white floor-length robes and matching gold necklaces.
Prince Jacques, appropriately called Hereditary Prince Jacques, looked wholesome as ever in a pair of black leather lace-up loafers and a well-coiffed haircut.
His sister - who is younger than the future king by two minutes - donned a pair of fitting white leather shoes, while her fringe was neatly parted and styled with a gold floral headband.
The siblings smiled sweetly as they posed on the grounds of the Church.
Their parents Prince Albert and Princess Charlene were on hand to celebrate the momentous occasion, after which they posed for celebratory photographs.
The prince, 67, and princess, 47, were pictured standing behind their children and appeared to be in happy spirits.
In one image, the prince, 67, firmly embraced his son's left shoulder, perhaps signalling a physical show of support for his special day.
The young royals beamed as they were joined by their parents Prince Albert of Monaco and Princess Charlene at the important religious ceremony
For the ceremony, Albert - who has reigned over Monaco since 2005 - donned a dark blue suit, a crisp white shirt and a grey tie.
Meanwhile Charlene stunned in a stylish dark grey ensemble with gold circular buttons.
The former Olympian swimmer opted for a pared back look, as her make-up was minimal and her blonde tresses appeared to be tied backwards, allowing only a few strands loose for a parted fringe.
The quartet looked spectacular and appeared to be in the happiest of spirits as they smiled cheerfully for the camera.
The young royals are perhaps now accustomed to taking photographs after celebrating their 10th birthdays with a set of endearing snaps.
Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella of Monaco marked their milestone birthdays with a set of previously unseen family photos.
The prince and princess were born two minutes apart at Princess Grace Hospital Monaco, which is named after their late grandmother, on December 10 2014.
Although the children, who are the first set of twins in Monaco's royal household, occasionally appear with their parents for public occasions, they are growing up largely outside of the spotlight.
To mark their birthday, the Royal Family's official Instagram account shared 12 new images of Jacques and Gabriella with their followers.
The majority of the images were taken by Eric Mathon - the royals' official photographer who took their Christmas card image too.
The first undated image shows Princess Gabriella in a gymnastics uniform and matching bow while wearing a medal around her neck and holding a pair of binoculars.
As she beams for the camera, Gabriella's brother, who is dressed in a white polo and jeans, puts an arm around his sibling as they stand inside a gymnasium's private seating area.
The photo montage also includes a candid image of the twins laughing in a garden while dressed formally for an unspecified occasion.
Princess Gabriella - who wore an ivory dress and matching coat - is pictured leaning on her brother, who is wearing a navy suit and trying to control his giggles.
Another image from the same occasion shows the twins making a love heart with their hands as they pose in front of a water fountain.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Free school meal plan requires key change to stop children ‘missing out', Labour told
The government has been urged to make a key change to its plans to expand free schools meals to all pupils in England on universal credit. The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has said ministers must go further and introduce a national auto-enrolment system for free school meals, in order to reduce inequality. The group found distinct variations in free school meal registration practices across England. Their report, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, calls for a national auto-enrolment scheme to ensure all eligible families are registered. The call comes after ministers announced its plans to expand free school meals last week. Currently, households in England on universal credit must earn below £7,400 a year (after tax and not including benefits) to qualify for free school meals. The expansion, set to be implemented in September 2026, is expected to make 500,000 more children eligible for free lunches, according to the Government. Parents currently have to apply for their children to receive free school meals, rather than eligible children being automatically enrolled. The report said: 'Despite this expansion in FSM (free school meals) eligibility, without further action from the Government, children may continue to miss out on the free meals they are entitled to. 'The barriers to registration and differences in registration practices across LAs means children still face inequalities in access to free meals.' Authors added: 'In terms of barriers families face in applying to FSM – including English as an additional language, stigma, confusion about eligibility – auto-enrolment would largely eradicate these issues.' Despite efforts to boost registration, language barriers and a lack of digital access are preventing the meals reaching children that need them, it said. An additional 77,700 children became eligible for free school meals in the past year, according to recent data published by the Department for Education. More than one in four (25.7%) pupils in England were eligible for free school meals in January, the equivalent of 2.17 million children – up from 24.6%, or 2.09 million, in January 2024. But the report from EPI – which is based on surveys and interviews with local authorities and multi-academy trusts in 2024 and early 2025 – found where a child lives or goes to school determines how hard it is for families to register for free school meals. In some local authorities, parents are required to make their own application while facing significant barriers and if found ineligible at the time must reapply when circumstances change. While in others, they use local auto-enrolment to proactively identify entitled children without relying on parents sharing details or making an application. The report also found that some children who attend maintained nurseries before and after lunch are missing out on free meals to which they are entitled. Dr Kerris Cooper, senior researcher for early years and inequalities at EPI, said: 'Our research shows that while the extension of free school meal eligibility is a very positive step, more needs to be done to ensure that all children entitled to free meals can actually access them. 'First, there are still significant barriers for families to register for FSM, and where a child lives plays too big a role in their chances of being registered. 'Second, the youngest children, who face the highest risk of poverty, will not benefit from this expansion in eligibility unless all children attending early education are also included and settings are supported to deliver this. 'Introducing national auto-enrolment and including children in early education would enable this expansion in FSM eligibility to more meaningfully extend access to more children in poverty.' Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'The expansion of free school meals, to include all children in households on universal credit, is a positive move that recognises there are children living in poverty who have been missing out. 'Moving to a national system of auto-enrolment would be the next logical step to ensure that everyone who is now eligible under the new criteria will actually receive a meal and the intended benefits.' He added: 'We see no reason why a national system of auto-enrolment cannot be established relatively straightforwardly. 'This is something that would make a big difference to vulnerable families.' Last week, education minister Stephen Morgan told MPs in the Commons that the Government would be working to make it easier for people to apply. He said the announcement on expanding free school meals was a 'significant, straightforward process for parents to know whether they are eligible'.


The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Love Island fans furious as huge part of show ‘goes missing' – as shock new couple emerge with secret snog
LOVE Island fans have been left furious after a huge part of the show went missing on tonight's episode. It was another drama-packed edition of the ITV2 dating series with this year's Islanders wasting no time in stirring up trouble with one another. 4 Snogs were being dished out left, right and centre with plenty of couple-swapping on the horizon. However, fans were left more irritated after an iconic feature was pulled from the episode. As the show ended on a Hideaway cliffhanger with Blu's shock snog with Shakira, fans were left on the edges of their seats hoping for a preview of the fallout. But the usual 'tomorrow night' preview was scrapped and the programme instead cut straight to the end credits. Narrator Iain Stirling has become known for his teased catchphrase but fans were not treated to that delight this evening. It left viewers wanting more as they raced to X - formerly Twitter - to share their annoyance. Reacting in disappointment, one fan said: "I hate when they don't give us a tomorrow night." A third wrote: "Erm?!!! Where's the tomorrow night preview ??? "Don't Introduce us to a vibe you cannot maintain pls." Love Island viewers horrified as bombshell makes 'disgusting' sex revelation Someone else said: "What no tomorrow night?? Kmt." It comes as fans were left discussing the eight-year age gap between the show's newest couple, Harry and Shakira. Things got rather steamy between the two but viewers took to social media to share their thoughts on the fact Shakira is 22 while Harry is 30. One wrote: 'Shakira is 22??? Get her away from Harry and his 30 year old a** immediately!!' Someone else said: 'I just deeped the age gap with Shakira and Harry…' And another commented: 'Harry and Shakira look good together but he is 30.' 4 4


The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Why Helena and Harry's shotgun trip to The Hideaway means Love Island's rediscovered its sex factor
CALL me a voyeur, but I'm a 40-year-old, married woman who is hot under the collar at the idea lust is back on Love Island. The Sun told yesterday how two of this year's intake enjoyed a sleepover in the private Hideaway boudoir just 56 hours after meeting. 6 It's even juicier because - officially - both blonde cabin crew Helena Ford and semi-pro footballer Harry Cooksley are coupled up with other Islanders. Of course it helps that both are cut straight from the Barbie and Ken mould, with matching abs, glowing tans and designer locks. So when I heard from my source that the pin-up pairing had snuck away on Monday to spend the night in the private bedroom, I was gleeful. That's not because I get my kicks watching twenty-somethings frolic in a Majorcan villa - honest, Mr Cross. It's because it was the early sign of promise that sex might just be back on Love Island after years of celibacy. Bold choice too far Let me lead you astray, back to 2015 when the ITV dating series first plunged a group of youngsters into a luxury villa and encouraged them to find, ahem, love. The series' main characters were John Lee and Hannah Elizabeth, who weren't afraid to get down to it in the communal bedroom. Despite Michelle and Stuart, then Makosi and Anthony engaging in a public PDA on Big Brother in 2004 and 2005 respectively, such bold antics felt entirely new to TV viewers and split the nation. But nothing prepared the pearl clutchers for what happened a year on. The entire cast let rip, with eight couples going all the way - usually in the shared bedroom - which was all fun and games until ITV bosses took two specific editorial decisions too far. Love Island fans spot clue islander is 'faking' claim he has never shared a bed with a girl Beauty queen Zara Holland was stripped of her Miss GB title after having sex with Alex Bowen in the Hideaway in 2016. The judges were said to have been particularly offended by a scene which saw her visibly enjoying the act. Then, another late night scene showed Emma-Jane Woodham on top of Terry Walsh, above the bed covers. It was a bold choice too far - even after the 9pm watershed - and viewers rushed to Ofcom. That was the end of sex on Love Island as we knew it and from then on, execs took the decision to instead show a shaking bedside lamp or tangled pair of feet. And in recent years the Instagram career-focussed cast and media trained Islanders have abstained entirely. Abi Moores told The Sun that no one hooked up in the 2023 series until the penultimate night, when the cast are allowed to spend a night away from the cameras. 6 6 Only TV personality Joey Essex and his girl Jessy Potts succumbed last summer - and the only clue was a wobbling champagne bucket, as they cemented their union, artfully off shot. But this lot don't seem to be as PR-focussed. Last night's episode, the third of this series, presented a lapdance, finger sucking, a string of snogs and even a three-way smooch. Tommy and Megan, Dejon and Meg, Shakira and Blu and throuple Helena, Harry and Conor have all locked lips. And the ep teased Helena and Harry's saucy sleepover, with them sharing an afternoon kiss on the Hideaway's swing and joking they would 'wait five minutes after everyone's gone to sleep then sneak in overnight.' Frankly, it's the green shoots of recovery the long-running series needs. The launch drew an audience of 1.4 million across all devices, which ITV proudly reported was ITV2's biggest show this year. But it represented a drop on last year's 1.6 million and was a far cry from its heyday when 6 million tuned in. As the series celebrates its tenth anniversary, there's still some love left for the format - all 11 series have been streamed a whopping 2billion times to date on ITVX. This year's up-for-it cast could prove to be the Viagra the series needs. 6 6 The dating show genre has upped its game in recent years, with Rylan Clark's Dating Naked asking its cast to find love entirely in the nude. And 12 innocents even explored popping their cherries on Channel 4's Virgin Island. But will Helena and Harry end up regretting their private night? Zara Holland, now 29, crown for being Love Island's most talked-about bonker after her beauty pageant scandal in 2016. After the series, she said: 'I regret massively having sex on the show. 'If I could turn back the clock, I would. 'I know I didn't do anything illegal, I was twenty at the time, there's nothing to be ashamed of but yes, you know, it was the biggest regret.' Montana Brown's relationship with Alex Beattie only lasted a couple of weeks when they left the villa. And Montana, now 29 and a mum of two, came to look back on their hour-long sex sessions during the 2017 series with regret. She said: 'In hindsight, having sex on TV wasn't the best idea. My advice to the new hopefuls is not to do it. 'If I could have done it differently, I wouldn't have had sex. 'It's all everyone wants to speak about now.' While some regret having sex on TV just once, Kem Cetinay's remorse comes from the fact he had so much. The 2017 series winner, now 29, spoke about his amorous stay in the villa with Amber Davies. He said: 'Maybe I shouldn't have had as much sex as I did – maybe once or twice would have been enough. 'Now I've got a business and I've got staff, and if new recruits search for me, some of the first articles that come up will be about me having sex on TV.' There's plenty of Islanders who still love the fact they for lusty on screen. It's as if people wanted me to be ashamed, but I'm not going to be. Megan Barton-Hanson Jess Shears, now 32, romped with Dom Lever on 2017's series and she reckons hooking up in the villa helped cement their relationship. They are now married with two children. She said: 'I don't regret having sex on TV as such, but it's a bit strange that the whole nation knows about it. 'No one normally knows about your sexual relations but then at the end of the day if that worked for Dom and I, I'm glad that we did because I'm still with him now.' Kady McDermott, now 29, also didn't regret her on-screen sex with boyfriend Scott Thomas in the 2016 series. The couple even stayed together for 18 months after leaving the villa. She said: 'I personally don't regret having sex because it was with someone I was actually with and loved.' And Megan Barton-Hanson is another who has vocally supported pursuing a physical connection on the show after hooking up with Wes Nelson in 2018. She said: 'There is still so much stigma around women even saying they enjoy sex, let alone doing it on national TV. 'When Wes and I were interviewed afterwards, I would always be asked if I regretted having sex on TV and if my parents were embarrassed. They didn't ask Wes. 'It's as if people wanted me to be ashamed, but I'm not going to be.' *Love Island continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.