The Riviera Times publishing director Petra Hall met Prince Albert in his private gardens at the palace in Monaco

As always when we meet, he greets me in perfect German, on this occasion to comment that he will not have time to go to Munich for the Oktoberfest, but will be joining the fun at the Café de Paris as he has done so often in the past.

The meeting and greeting over, we settle down in the almost tropical garden and as expected the first topic is his marriage to Charlene Wittstock on 2nd of July 2011.  The big surprise is that the ceremony will take place outdoors on the square in front of the palace to ensure as many people as possible are able to share in this very special event.

The couple wanted a wedding that would bring them close to his people and the guest list has already reached nearly a thousand.  Given the unusual venue, many Monegasques will also be able to attend.

The civil ceremony will take place the day before in the palace and will be private.

There is to be no special ceremony in the historic cathedral where his parents tied the knot in 1956, and where they are now buried.

Of course, my immediate question is, "What if it's raining?" to which he pauses before trotting out the Principality's famous motto: "But it never rains in Monte-Carlo!" Then he adds that obviously they will be prepared for any circumstances.

Looking smart in a blue blazer and beige trousers, although he is not wearing a ring, he says "it is all systems go" with regards the preparations. Many hotels are already fully booked, as Monaco is expecting at least 1,500 journalists in addition to all the visitors who will no doubt be flocking to the Principality in a hope of catching a glimpse of the princely couple at some point during the day.

With the big news out of the way, we move on to another positive topic: the recent agreement between Monaco and Germany (see left-hand column). "I am very glad that we have reached this extremely important stage. We have been working towards this for years to demonstrate our desire for transparency." The Principality has signed 24 agreements to date, 13 of which are with OECD countries. "We will continue in this direction,” he adds as “it is also very important for companies who want to establish themselves here."

Asked about tourism revenues, as being a main source of income, the Prince replies: "The crisis hasn't hit us too hard but we must not rest on our laurels and always develop new ideas to attract people to Monaco."

Compared to 2009, the number of nights spent in hotels by visitors rose seven per cent this year while cruise passenger numbers are up by 27 per cent this summer compared to the same period last year.

Only a few days after our meeting in the palace gardens the Prince was off to New York to participate in the big General Meeting of the United Nations and the start of Climate Week. He then went on to the International Arctic Forum in Moscow. The profile  the Principality has abroad, particularly on the environment projects associated with his eponymous foundation, is clearly important to him: "Monaco has a big role to play both as a catalyst and a federator of countries who are not communicating with each other," he explained.

Which is one reason why, when we were saying goodbye, I made him promise that he would come to the 10 year anniversary of The Riviera Times in 2012. For there is little doubt that Prince Albert really appreciates the presence of the 144 nationalities who live in his country and contribute to the life of the Principality.

PH