Fit For A Prince

International celebrities including Hugh Jackman and Rita Ora were present at a special New York event to launch Montblanc’s new Le Petit Prince special edition Meisterstück writing instruments and accessories, inspired by the classic novel of the same name.

- Pablo Chaterji

You learn something new every day. Sometimes it’s a little nugget of information that very few know about, in which case you feel rather pleased with yourself. On occasion, however, you make an acquaintance with a fact that is extremely widely known – and then you feel like a right numpty. The latter experience is something I underwent recently when I learnt, for the very first time, about a fascinating man called Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

He was a renowned French aviator, poet and writer, working as a commercial pilot before WWII, a reconnaissance pilot with the French Air Force during WWII and, after he migrated to the USA in 1940, he wrote three of his best-known novels, one of which was a children’s book called The Little Prince. Now, this particular book isn’t exactly an under-the-radar title. It is available in 300 languages, sells more than 2 million copies a year, has sold over 140 million copies, is among the top four best-selling books *of all time*, has been adapted to film, TV, ballet, opera and live stage — and I had never heard of it. Thankfully, there are plenty of people who have, including Montblanc CEO Nicolas Baretzki, who was instrumental in the German luxury firm’s decision to design an edition of the Meisterstück writing instrument in honour of this extraordinary book, and its author. Baretzki is French, and his enthusiasm about the project comes as no surprise, given that