Prince Albert II of Monaco had a noticeable facial scar as he returned to public life for the first time since he underwent a recent medical procedure on his scalp.
The royal, 67, had a scar visible on his left cheek when he attended the opening of the 48th International Circus Festival at the Chapiteau de Fontvieille in Monaco, alongside his nephew Louis Ducruet and niece Camille Gottlieb, on Friday, January 16. (Louis, Camille and their sibling Pauline Ducruet’s mother is Albert’s sister, Princess Stéphanie of Monaco.)
Hello! Magazine reported on Friday that Prince Albert would not miss any royal engagements after undergoing a dermatological procedure.
“The Princely Palace reports that, as part of a routine dermatological follow-up, H.S.H. Prince Albert II underwent a scheduled, short medical procedure on his scalp and face to treat a benign condition,” a statement from the Prince’s Palace of Monaco confirmed. “The procedure required a few stitches. The Sovereign Prince’s schedule of activities continues as normal.”
Prince Albert kept up his public appearances on Saturday, January 17, when he traveled to Vatican City to meet with Pope Leo XIV for the second time ever.
The Vatican has confirmed that Prince Albert spoke with both the Pope and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, about fostering a spirit of unity between Monaco and the Vatican.
“During the cordial discussions at the Secretariat of State, the good diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the principality of Monaco [and the] historic and significant contribution of the Catholic Church to the principality’s social life [were acknowledged],” The Vatican confirmed. “Attention was given to several issues of common interest, such as care for the environment, humanitarian assistance, and the defence and promotion of the dignity of the human person.”
Monaco’s first family has had numerous health issues in recent years. Prince Albert’s wife, Princess Charlene, fell seriously ill while visiting South Africa in September 2020 due to complications from persistent ear, nose and throat issues.
The princess, 47, underwent multiple surgeries in the spring and early summer of 2021, before temporarily stepping back from public life as she battled exhaustion. Thankfully, Princess Charlene recovered sufficiently enough to resume her public schedule in 2022.
Meanwhile, Prince Albert has the unfortunate distinction of being one of the first members of a royal family to test positive for COVID-19 in March 2020. He was treated at Princess Grace Hospital and continued working through his convalescence.
A statement released by the palace at the time promised that Prince Albert was “not worrying at all” about his condition. The prince encouraged Monaco’s residents to “respect the measures of confinement and to limit contact with others to a minimum.”
When his distant relative King Charles III (then Prince Charles) was diagnosed with COVID-19 shortly thereafter, some suspected Charles may have been infected by Albert at a royal function.
“I was at a roundtable for his foundation, but we never shook hands,” Prince Albert later told French radio network RTL on March 26, 2020. “I was at the other end of the table, way far away.”
He added, “We nodded hello to one another, so I don’t think I can really be accused of contaminating him. There were a lot of other people around at the congress center, and I know he continued his schedule afterwards for a number of days. [He] had a number of other opportunities to catch it.”
More recently, King Charles has battled an unspecified type of cancer after being diagnosed in early 2024. He offered a rare update on his health in a December 2025 TV speech about cancer prevention, where he reminded viewers that “early diagnosis quite simply saves lives.”
“Indeed, today I am able to share with you the good news that thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and adherence to ‘doctors’ orders’, my own schedule of cancer treatment can be reduced in the New Year,” he announced. “This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care in recent years; testimony that I hope may give encouragement to the 50 percent of us who will be diagnosed with the illness at some point in our lives.”
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