Wedding of Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and Charlene Wittstock

Couple

Prince Albert II is the current Sovereign Prince of Monaco, having succeeded his father Rainier III in April 2005. Charlene Wittstock was born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) but moved to South Africa with her family when she was 12. She has represented South Africa in swimming, and participated in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She met Prince Albert at the 2000 Marenostrum International Swimming Meet in Monaco, which he presided over. She retired from swimming in 2007. Prince Albert was also an athlete, competing in bobsleigh in five Olympics.

The couple were first seen together in 2006. Speculation was rife that they were getting married in 2009, and they finally announced their engagement on 23 June 2010.

During the week before the wedding, the palace was forced to deny reports that Wittstock had been getting cold feet. French weekly L'Express reported that Wittstock tried to leave Monaco on Tuesday, 28 June, after rumours surfaced that Albert had fathered a third illegitimate child. The report claimed Monaco police intercepted her at Nice Côte d'Azur Airport and confiscated her passport, and that it took "intense convincing" by Albert and palace officials for her to stay. The palace called the stories "ugly rumours" born out of jealousy.

Background

A two-day public holiday for the celebrations was declared.

Commentators said that the wedding would be important for Monaco to survive as a tax haven. Monegasque authorities believed that the event would increase tourism.

Best man and maid of honour

Stamp of Monaco

On the occasion of Prince Albert II of Monaco’ marriage to Miss Charlene Wittstock, on 1 July 2011 the Stamp Issuing Office of Monaco issue the postage stamp (Block), created by Georgy Shishkin (laureate of competition).

Wedding details

The wedding dress of Wittstock was designed by Giorgio Armani. Lexus was the official car supplier for the wedding. The bride and groom traveled in a Lexus hybrid car to Sainte-Dévote Chapel, where Princess Charlene laid her bridal bouquet to Saint Devota, the patron saint of Monaco, in accordance with Monegasque tradition.

Civil

Festivities began on the night of 30 June with a concert at the Stade Louis II by American rock band the Eagles. The concert was attended by 15,000 Monegasques and the couple.

The civil ceremony took place on Friday 1 July 2011 in the Throne Room of the Prince's Palace. The ceremony was conducted by Philippe Narmino, Director of Judicial Services and president of the Council of State. Wittstock wore a silken blue jacket with ankle-length pants by Chanel. After the confirmation by Narmino, the newlywed couple signed the marriage register with a specially created pen made by Montblanc in gold and precious stones and adorned with their monogram . In connection with the civil ceremony, Wittstock received the formal style Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco. The 20-minute ceremony was also attended by Prince Albert's sisters Caroline, Princess of Hanover, and Princess Stéphanie of Monaco.

After the ceremony, the couple appeared on the balcony of the Salon des Glaces to salute the crowds. They waved and kissed each other shyly, prompting another round of cheers from the crowd. The couple were also joined by Princesses Caroline and Stéphanie with their children as well as Charlene's parents and brothers.

They joined other Monegasques in the Palace Square for a specially prepared buffet with Mediterranean and South African dishes by Chefs from South Africa and Monaco, headlined by multiple Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse.

A free concert was performed by French composer Jean-Michel Jarre and his group at 22:00 hours on the Port Hercules, with an attendance of 100,000. It included a display of lights, lasers and fireworks. The new couple appeared on stage with the Princess adorned in a bespoke necklace made of 18K rose gold set with diamonds and pearls designed by the jewelery house Tabbah.

Religious

The religious ceremony took place the following day in the courtyard of the palace. Unlike other recent royal weddings and the wedding of Rainier and Grace, the religious ceremony was not held in a cathedral. The ceremony was conducted by the Archbishop of Monaco, Bernard Barsi. The palace gates were open so that up to 3,500 visitors could follow the ceremony on giant screens in the palace square. Screens were also set up throughout the tiny principality. The couple then left for Sainte-Dévote Chapel to place the bride's bouquet, during which voyage they were greeted by the public along the procession route. Part of the ceremony was in Afrikaans, a language of Dutch origin, which is spoken in Charlene's home country of South Africa.

The bridesmaids were children dressed in the national dress of Monaco. The dresses were designed by Princess Caroline and Jean-Christophe Maillot, the director of the Les Ballets de Monte Carlo The dresses featured personal touches, such as silk stockings embroidered with the couple's monogram, and aprons that featured both the couple's monogram and the name of the area of Monaco that each girl is from. Each outfit took more than 120 hours to create. The girls were also wearing necklaces of black velvet ribbon with gold crosses given to them by Prince Albert.

The dinner reception took place on the terraces of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, followed by fireworks and the opening of the Opéra Ball. The Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Opéra Choir performed under the direction of Lawrence Foster. Other performers included Andrea Bocelli, Renée Fleming, Pumeza Matshikiza accompanied by French guitarist Eric Sempe and percussionist Patrick Mendez, Juan Diego Flórez, Lisa Larsson, Wiebke Lehmkuhl, Kenneth Tarver, and Alexander Vinogradov.

Guests

The guest list consists of reigning and non-reigning royalty, other heads of state and government, ambassadors to Monaco from various countries, businessmen, entertainers, fashion designers, models, and sportspersons. The following is a list of notable guests who attended the religious ceremony:

Grimaldi family

Wittstock family

Royalty

Royalty from non-reigning dynasties

Government and diplomacy

Sports personalities

Fashion industry

Celebrities and others

Honeymoon

Their honeymoon started out at the International Olympic Committee meeting, in Durban, South Africa, where they stayed in the £4600 a night Presidential Suite of the five star The Oyster Box hotel in Umhlanga, just north of Durban, South Africa. After the meeting was over, they flew to a paparazzi-free honeymoon in Mozambique.