S.A.S. Prince Albert II, a keen expeditioner is planning another trip to the North Pole in Spring 2006

S.A.S. Prince Albert II seems to have inherited more than just the name from his ancestor Prince Albert I. The young Prince seems to share his forefather’s keen interest in the environment and exploration. In the early 20th century, Prince Albert 1st, set off to explore the ice barriers and glaciers in the unknown regions of Spitzberg in the North Pole. One hundred years later, in July 2005, Prince Albert journeyed to this same area of the planet to witness first hand the problems of global warming.

Through a series of photos taken by his great, great, great grandfather, the Prince was able to see visible changes in the ‘Lilihöök’ and ‘Monaco’ glaciers he visited. The Lilihöök glacier has receeded by six kilometres and specialists estimate that 40% of the glacier’s volume has melted in the past century. The Prince now has his sights set on returning to this area of the world and the Palace announced yesterday that from April 10 to 19 2006 the Prince will attempt to reach the North Pole by dog sleigh from a Russian base in Borneo, a distance of some 100kms. The exact details of the expedition are to be released at a press conference in November.