Close call on garden graffiti spares royal blush

MONACO may be smaller than Phoenix Park, but we need all the friends we can get in Europe right now so the red carpet was well and truly rolled out for Prince Albert.

After a trip to the Áras it was off to lay a wreath at the Garden of Remembrance for the emotional high point of a visit to mark the 50th anniversary of that of his parents, Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier in 1961.

However, some visitors are sadly not as respectful to the national dead as the Prince was, and there was a bit of a last-minute kerfuffle over what to do about a prominent piece of blue spray paint graffiti slap bang in the centre of the crescent-shaped wall which acts as the backdrop to the imposing statue that dominates the gardens.