Prince Albert II of Monaco exhibits his personal collection of Olympic torches at the Grimaldi Forum

The Sovereign is exhibiting his collection of 40 ingenious objets d'art free of charge under the glass roof of the Grimaldi Forum until 18 August. A perfectly staged journey through time.

This Friday, the Olympic cauldron will be lit in Paris to shine like a beacon over the world for the duration of the Games. The flame has carried a universal message of peace since it was first lit at the Amsterdam Summer Games in 1928. It wasn't until 1936, in Berlin, that a relay carrying a torch to the host country was instituted. It was then extended to the Winter Olympics in Oslo in 1952.