In a bold and courageous move, Prince Albert II of Monaco has announced that he will not sign into law a bill that would have legalised abortion on demand in the Principality.

The Prince’s decision puts a stop to the changes approved earlier this year by Monaco’s National Council to permit abortion on request up to 12 weeks and to reduce the age of parental consent from 18 to 15.

Speaking to members of the press in Monaco, Prince Albert said: “I believe the current system expresses who we are, considering the role of the Catholic religion in our country, while ensuring safe and humane support.”

When formally notifying the Council that the bill would not be endorsed, he said he understood “how sensitive this subject is” and the “emotion it can bring up.” Prince Albert’s decision to stand up for the right-to-life is highly unusual among European sovereigns today, making his actions all the more commendable.

Another relatively recent example of a monarch refusing to lend their support to abortion was the late King Baudouin of Belgium who temporarily abdicated his throne for three days in 1990 to avoid giving a law legalising abortion his signature.