Another Casiraghi Wedding

I was waiting for the Palace to release some official photos of the event but, as that has yet to happen, better to mention it now before it gets any later. Last Saturday, July 25, Pierre Casiraghi and long-time girlfriend Beatrice Borromeo were married in a small, private, civil ceremony in the Salon des Glaces at the Princely Palace in Monaco. Only about 70 close friends and family attended the ceremony though there were about 500 guests at the reception following in the palace gardens and later at the evening festivities at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo. Beatrice and Pierre have been together for the last seven years, she is from a very old and well-connected Italian family and Pierre, as we all know, is the second son of Princess Caroline and the late Stefano Casiraghi, nephew of Prince Albert II and grandson of Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace. The two met in Milan and are expected to have a more lavish event for the religious ceremony later in Italy on the bride's ancestral estate. We wish them all the best in their married life.

Pierre & Beatrice over the years:

Married - Again!

This past weekend it was all glitz and glamour for the second wedding of Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana (technically Casiraghi now) Santo Domingo. It was a far cry from their first, low-key, exchange of vows in Monaco. The reception was held at a Swiss resort with a star-studded guest list and such activities as a fondu party and a torch-lit ski down the mountain. Tatiana wore a Valentino wedding dress and both returned to the hotel wrapped in white furs in a horse-drawn carriage. The bride walked down the isle in an 11th Century convent founded by the Order of Cluny on a carpet of rose petals to the serene sound of “Ave Maria”. The day before the ceremony the couple also appeared at the church of St Joseph to have their son Sacha baptized into the Catholic Church. Congratulations to the new little Christian. The wedding sounds (no photos so far) like a great mixing of Old World charm and modern day celebrity. I was rather surprised at how traditional it all seemed for a couple that has mostly been known for doing things in their own way, and it sounded lovely ("traditional" is not a bad word around here). Princely uncle and aunt Albert II and Charlene were there of course as was little brother Pierre, sister and new mother herself Charlotte Casiraghi (along with her baby-daddy Gad) but of course pride of place went to the mother of the groom HRH Princess Caroline of Hanover. Others on the guest list included royals and celebrities from Prince Nicholas of Greece to Hollywood star Uma Thurmon. We wish them the best, especially since Andrea is next in line to the throne of Monaco until Prince Albert and Princess Charlene get busy and do their duty. And, yes, that was a not-at-all subtle hint!

Andrea is Married

Saturday (as in yesterday), a little before noon, Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo were married in a civil ceremony near the water in Monaco, witnessed by about 400 special guests (no cameras please) followed by a reception in the gardens of the Princely Palace. A religious wedding is also planned but will be several months from now in the bride's native Switzerland. So, congratulations to the happy couple and to their little son Sasha who, being legitimized by this union, officially takes his place in the line of succession to the Monegasque throne. My only problem with that is that there still has not even been an official birth announcement from the palace. Now, I realize, we were warned ahead of time that this wedding would be a very low-key, private affair but, really, there wasn't even a wave from the balcony by the happy couple. I also remain at a loss as to why Andrea has no official title. Look at it this way; think about all of the (valid and deserved) fuss and fanfare over the birth of little Prince George of Cambridge. Now, consider for a moment that, until Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene do their duty, little Sasha is just as close in the line of succession to a throne, one of the oldest in the world at this point, as baby Prince George is. And yet, very little coverage of the birth, not much for more the wedding of his parents and both father and son remain, legally, commoners. That just doesn't seem right. Anyway, perhaps it will be remedied in the future, perhaps they know something we do not. Not to sound impatient or anything but, of course, this whole picture changes if the Sovereign Prince and his Princess consort give us an heir to the throne...

Charlotte Causing a Stir, Andrea Setting a Date

Not a few people (including yours truly) were less than thrilled when Charlotte Casiraghi started getting serious with the Jewish-Moroccan-French actor/comedian Gad Elmaleh, 15 years older than her and already the father of a 12-year old son, but it seems things have only gone further and recently Charlotte has been causing the rumor-mill to go into overdrive. Recent photos of Charlotte have shown what many see as the beginnings of a 'baby bump' and (as seen above) Princess Caroline's youngest was recently spotted shopping for baby clothes. Are they for big brother Andrea's offspring -or one of her own? Charlotte recently celebrated her 27th birthday and has been keeping company with Gad for about eighteen months now. Rumors are thick that the two are already engaged but, if so, there has been no official announcement of it as yet. Still, many are running with the story that Charlotte is expecting a baby and that the two will be married before the year is out. Time will tell if these people are correct.

Meanwhile, August 31 has been named as the date for the wedding of Andrea Casiraghi and Tatiana Santo Domingo. According to the Princely Palace it will be a small, private ceremony. Not long ago the couple welcomed their first child, a boy, to the world; Sacha, Princess Caroline's first grandchild. Will another be far behind?

A Wedding to Remember

It was on this day in 1956 that American film icon Grace Kelly was married to His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Huge crowds of tens of thousands of Monegasques turned out to cheer the happy couple and the event really put the tiny Principality of Monaco on the world map, certainly as far as the United States was concerned as 'Monaco fever' swept America from coast to coast. Ever since that happy day, many Americans have taken a special interest in Monaco and the House of Grimaldi -and obviously, a great many still do. For traditional style and modern glamour, the wedding of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace remains almost impossible to top. A happy occasion to remember.

Caro Makes Luxembourg Wedding

 It was a picture-perfect wedding for a picture-perfect couple on Saturday when HRH Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg married Countess Stephanie de Lannoy, formerly of Belgium, now Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. Almost every royal house one could think of was represented; Great Britain, The Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Spain, Greece and of course Monaco. Bearing the best wishes of the House of Grimaldi was HRH Princess Caroline looking as stylishly majestic as only she can. Is there anyone that has quite the "presence" of Princess Caroline? Tough call...

Today in History

On this day in 1956 a new era in the history of the House of Grimaldi was opened when HSH Prince Rainier III married Miss Grace Kelly of the United States.

New Book on the Princely Wedding

Prince Albert II has been busy lately with awards ceremonies but royalist romantics will be pleased to know that the official Princely Wedding book is now finished and will go on sale next Thursday in France, Monaco and will be available on the French Amazon on-line store. The book is very well done, quite to my taste, and features black and white photos of all the behind-the-scenes preparations, the wedding and the Jean Michel Jarre concert. It looks to be a spectacular piece of work.

Taking Them to Court

The threat was made and now it has been followed through on. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco are suing the French newspaper L'Express for invasion of privacy and publishing "incorrect facts" about the private life of the Princely couple. I say well done the Prince and Princess of Monaco. Someone should be made to answer for the dark cloud that was maliciously flung over the Princely wedding on what should have been a purely happy and celebratory occasion of the Grimaldi and Wittstock families and the Principality of Monaco. Of course, L'Express is not the only guilty party, not by a long shot, but they are the ones most other media outlets took their example from since, we were told over and over again, L'Express was a publication of great journalistic integrity. Well, not from where I'm sitting! This is, of course, not an effort to silence journalism, even of the rather trivial variety. I would not be in favor of that and I know the Princely Family wouldn't be either. However, what the Prince and Princess were hit with was not journalism, it was slanderous gossip wearing a journalistic mask.

A good journalist, for example, will report on an important story and give you some basic facts; exactly what happened, where it happened, when it happened and who it happened to. In most cases they will tell you where they got their information from so that others can verify that what they are reporting is true. In this case, however, all we got was third-hand rumors based on "anonymous sources" and then endless speculation. We were given gossip that was completely un-specific so that nothing that was reported could be verified. Freedom of the press is one of the most important liberties we in the western world have but that freedom should never be used as a cover to peddle gossip and ruin the lives of others simply to sell newspapers. Of course, L'Express will not be hurting too much, even if the Prince wins the case. The Palace has already said that they will be seeking only a nominal sum, the Prince does not need the money after all, because what is at issue here is not a monetary amount but a principle. Again, I say well done!

The Official Wedding Photo

 The Princely Palace released the official wedding photo which also features their (reigning) royal guests.

I also had to add this photo of HSH Princess Stephanie of Monaco and her little family. Yesterday's hot 80's pop icon is today's proud Mediterranean mother. How time flies.

Discours de S.A.S. Le Prince Albert II au Dîner du Mariage

(the Prince does speak in English -just wait for it)

MM Video: Princely Wedding in Monaco

Wedding Reflections

Many thought this day would never come but the once seemingly perpetual bachelor Prince Albert II has said “I do” and we now have a new royal in the ranks: Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco. I was very impressed with the ceremony, a great day for Monaco and the House of Grimaldi. Everything went off without a hitch, everyone looked good, you could feel the happiness in the air and all the glitz and glamour did nothing to take away from the feel that this was a Monegasque family wedding. My first and only real complaint had nothing to do with anyone involved but was the media coverage, specifically, the glaring lack of coverage in the American media. At the last minute, it was broadcast live on CNN International but that was it -and from what I have heard not many people even get CNN International. Evidently it is not included in most basic cable or basic satellite packages. This stands out all the more because of the intense media coverage of the British Royal Wedding which was on every network channel and every cable news outlet. Yes, the British monarchy is bigger, more pomp and ceremony and the attractive young couple are *the* “royal celebrities” of the day, but, come on, Prince Albert is American!

I don’t want to dwell too much on this but it bothers me as I know many people who wanted to watch were not able to or had to resort to computer viewing. The U.S.A. really has no connection with the modern British monarchy whereas Prince Albert IS an American, his mother was American, as a boy he spent nearly half his life in America, he went to school in America and so on. If there was any royal event one would think the American media would have every reason to cover intensely it would be this one. Well, it was America’s loss in any event because the ceremony was spectacular. Monaco itself was at its summer Mediterranean best, the skies were blue, the sun was shining so I guess Albert was not joking when he said he issued a Princely decree for sunny skies and no rain today! Being the old fashioned sort that I am, I prefer weddings to be held in church but the Princely Palace provided a perfect backdrop for the event. Everything looked spectacular though I’m sure the assembled clergymen were sweating up a storm under all those vestments. I loved the little local girls in their Monegasque dresses as flower girls, very cute, very appropriate and very inclusive -that really helped give the impression that this was a Monegasque affair from start to finish.

The royals were out in force amongst the crowd and it seemed to me that the promise was kept that we would get a better look at the assembled crowned heads than we did in London. Princess Charlene looked very much the “serene” highness today, she seemed to be floating the whole time. Prince Albert, dashing in his summer whites, was in full “Albie” mode, lots of reassuring touches, winks and funny faces and gestures for his bride. Yesterday and today he was always ‘on’ -could have been the star of his own show, which, in a way, he was, though he had to know all eyes were on the bride who managed to maintain her serenely detached look throughout the ceremony. Nieces Pauline Ducruet and Charlotte Casiraghi each did one of the readings, both looking very smart for the occasion. Princesses Caroline and Stephanie were both beaming with pride. Based on her past remarks, Princess Caroline may have been doing the ‘happy, happy, joy, joy’ dance in her mind, but she is ever the professional princess on such occasions. I did not notice Stephanie becoming as emotional as she did at the civil wedding but, one must keep in mind, yesterday was the anniversary of Princess Stephanie’s marriage to Daniel Ducruet, which produced some great children but otherwise did not turn out so well so it may have been a doubly emotional occasion for her that day. After Pauline’s flawless performance with her scripture reading, Stephanie did break out in a broad, beaming smile of motherly pride.

The ceremony was grand but still personal with an emphasis on faithfulness and forgiveness. These days that point seems to need to be emphasized a little bit, or a lot, marriage = faithfulness. When that doesn’t happen, the forgiveness part becomes rather more important. The vows were exchanged, the people cheered and the new Princely couple withdrew to the Princely Lexus hybrid (powered by electricity generated by pixie dust of course) for the drive over to the Chapel of St Devote where, like Princess Grace, Princess Charlene gave her bridal bouquet to the patron saint of Monaco and the Grimaldi Princely Family. In the intimate confines of the chapel, listening to the soaring spiritual singing, the new Princess finally got a little emotional and had to dab at a few tears. Of course, the day would not be totally out before the yellow press gave the family something to cry about -but I refuse to go into that today. Refuse. One thing that was certainly evident was the genuine pride and happiness displayed by the crowd. It does my heart good to see it every time. The people of Monaco love their Prince, they count themselves lucky to live where they do, untouched by the problems of larger countries and they appreciate the value of their ancient monarchy, their Prince and they want things to continue. A happy day for the people of Monaco, a happy day I hope for everyone involved. I send them all my heartfelt congratulations.

Vive Monaco!
Vive l’Prince!
Vive l’Princesse!

The Princely Wedding -At Last!

 Princess Charlene, in her Armani gown, escorted in by her father -who was watching his step as the Sovereign Prince eagerly awaits the arrival of his bride.

 Prince Albert and Princess Charlene -a couple that prays together, stays together.

Albert gives a little reassurance to his princess

"One more for the road sugar"

Prince Albert was dashing in white summer uniform and the flower girls in traditional Monegasque costume were, I think, a great touch and did exactly as they were supposed to. An event for everyone.

The "Green Prince" and his new Princess hop in their environmentally friendly car (which runs off electricity generated by pixie dust) for a spin around the Principality to see and be seen on their way to the Chapel of St Devote where Princess Charlene will offer her flowers to the saint as Princess Grace once did.

Princess Charlene got a little emotional at the chapel, not surprising for what has been the most important couple of days of her life, a time, she has said, she will cherish forever.

Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco

Vive l'Princesse!

Princely Wedding Replay

Available here if you missed it.

We Have a Princess!

The Princely Rifles Band played for the couple as Monegasque children in national costume saluted their Sovereign Prince and new Princess consort Charlene of Monaco.

Monegasque and South African flags were waved by the crowd outside the palace, watching the civil ceremony in the throne room on large screens.

On the balcony the couple were joined by Maid of Honor Donatella Knecht de Massy and Best Man Chris Le Vine.

The Grimaldi clan was out in force, here HRH Princess Caroline and HSH Princess Stephanie wave to the crowd. All of their children attended the ceremony as well.

Also on the balcony, the bride's family: proud parents Kenneth and Lynette Wittstock and brother Gareth Wittstock.

The new Princess of Monaco greets her people for the first time.

A kiss by the happy couple - the crowd demanded it!

Finally, the mayor of Monaco gives a congratulatory speech to Prince Albert and Princess Charlene on this happy occasion before they head off to another reception and prepare for the 'main event' tomorrow.

And Now It Is Legal!

Royal Guest List Update

Crown Prince Frederick, Crown Princess Mary, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark.
Their Majesties King Carl XVI Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine of Sweden.
TRH Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex and HRH Prince Michael of Kent from the U.K.
TRH the Prince and Princess of Orange
TM King Albert II, Queen Paola, Crown Prince Philippe, Crown Princess Mathilde, Prince Laurent, Princess Claire and Princess Astrid of Belgium.
TRH the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
HSH Prince Alois and HRH Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein
TRH Lalla Mariam and Lalla Soukaina of Morocco
HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand
HRH Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad of Bahrain
HRH Prince Feisal al Hussein of Jordan
HH Prince Aga Khan IV
HM King Letsie III of Lesotho
HIH Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia
HIH Empress Farah of Iran
HRH Prince Louis Alphonse, Duc d'Anjou
HRH Henri, Comte de Paris, TRH the Duke and Duchess of Vendôme
HRH Prince Vittorio Emanuele and Marina Doria of Italy
TRH Prince Emanuele Filiberto and Princess Clotilde of Italy
TRH the Duke and Duchess of Bragança
HRH Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia
TRH the Duke and Duchess of Castro
TRH Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia
TRH Princess Margarita and Prince Radu of Romania
HRH Prince Leopold of Bavaria
HH Princess Ira von Fürstenberg
HH Erbprinz Bernhard von Baden

Clearing the Record

I had not wanted to talk about this, wasn't going to, but stories like these do tend to spread so, now that we are in the final countdown to the happy occasion I will speak my peace and lay the matter to rest. It all started when L'Express ran a story claiming that secret "sources" they trusted told them that last week Charlene had found out some terrible secret about Prince Albert that sent her over the edge. Her father sent her a one-way ticket to South Africa and she was about to board a plane for home in Nice when she was stopped by French police, taken back to Monaco and calmed down. Afterwards, supposedly to calm the fears of the Monegasque the two went on a stroll through the principality just to show everyone that everything was okay. The Palace immediately denied the story of course and demanded to know who the "source" was that said such a thing to defame the Sovereign Prince days before his wedding. Of course, the "journalistic integrity" (as if such a thing existed anymore) of L'Express meant no information was forthcoming. Obviously though, one does not have to be a genius to tell that this tall tale stinks to high heaven.

In the first place, the story probably cannot confirm their "facts" because almost no facts are given. There is no exact timeline for one thing (that has changed) and it first came out when Charlene was in Greece for the opening of the Special Olympics. They also never said what the "secret" was that sent Charlene running. They imply (without actually stating of course) that it was an illegitimate child -yes, another one. However, the fact that Prince Albert, a foot-loose bachelor for many decades now, is not exactly pure as the wind-driven snow is hardly news to anyone on planet earth. Charlene knows about his two children, any allegations in this area would not be news, not be anything to be shocked over. Furthermore, on what grounds would the French police stop Charlene for getting on a plane in Nice? The French Republic is not exactly Stalinist Russia, police have to have a reason to stop someone. The Prince of Monaco may be an effectively absolute monarch inside his tiny realm but he cannot give orders to the police of foreign nations -that's just ridiculous. In short, nothing about this story makes any sense at all.

However, I cannot say I am totally surprised. Unfortunately, I fully expected something like this to happen. Prince Albert II, like any high-profile, public figure these days, has people who dislike him, people eager to take advantage of him and at least one with absolutely no life who spends every day slandering him in the most ridiculous fashion out of childish spite. I will mention no names because I don't want to "feed the trolls" as they say in 'Internet Land' but I would bet dollars to navy beans I know exactly who leaked this idiotic story and exactly who the "source" is that made it public. This is no more than an effort to get money, attention and most of all to spoil a happy occasion, not just for the couple and the House of Grimaldi but for all the people of Monaco who are collateral damage in this instance. It is utterly disgraceful and I will leave it at that.

Mariage à Monaco

This photographic look back at the lives of Albert and Charlene was done by Stéphane Bern, a close friend of Prince Albert II.