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

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Dates
  
1 Jul 2011 – 2 Jul 2011

Wedding of Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and Charlene Wittstock httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenthumb0

Participants
  
Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and Charlene Wittstock

Participant
  
Albert II, Prince of Monaco

Wedding of albert ii prince of monaco and charlene wittstock in 45 minutes


The wedding between Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and Charlene Wittstock took place on 1 and 2 July 2011 at the Prince's Palace of Monaco. It has been described as Monaco's "biggest party in 55 years", in other words, the biggest since the wedding of Albert's parents, Rainier III and Grace Kelly. Prince Albert and Wittstock first met in 2000 at a swimming competition in Monaco in which she was participating. They announced their engagement on 23 June 2010.

Contents

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

  • Best man: Christopher Levine (cousin of the groom, son of Princess Grace's sister Elizabeth Anne).
  • Maid of honour: Donatella Knecht de Massy (née Dugaginy) (wife of the groom's first cousin once removed, Keith Sébastien Knecht de Massy).
  • 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

  • The Princess and Prince of Hanover, the groom's elder sister and her husband
  • Mr Andrea Casiraghi, the groom's nephew
  • Miss Charlotte Casiraghi, the groom's niece
  • Mr Pierre Casiraghi, the groom's nephew
  • Princess Alexandra of Hanover, the groom's niece
  • Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, the groom's younger sister
  • Mr Louis Ducruet, the groom's nephew
  • Miss Pauline Ducruet, the groom's niece
  • Miss Camille Gottlieb, the groom's niece
  • The Baron and Baroness of Massy, the groom's first cousin and his wife
  • Baron Brice Gelabale of Massy
  • Baron Antoine of Massy
  • Baroness Elisabeth-Anne of Massy, the groom's first cousin
  • Baron Jean-Léonard Taubert-Natta of Massy
  • Baroness Mélanie-Antoinette Costello of Massy
  • Mr Leon Leroy, widower of the groom's late first cousin
  • Baron Keith Sébastien and Baroness Donatella Knecht of Massy
  • Baron Christine Knecht of Massy
  • Baroness Alexia Knecht of Massy
  • Baroness Vittoria Knecht of Massy
  • Wittstock family

  • Michael Wittstock and Lynette Wittstock, the bride's parents
  • Gareth Wittstock, the bride's yonger brother
  • Sean Wittstock, the bride's yonger brother
  • Royalty

  • The King and Queen of Sweden
  • The Crown Princess of Sweden and Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland
  • Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland
  • Princess Madeleine, Duchess of Hälsingland and Gästrikland
  • The King and Queen of the Belgians
  • The Duke and Duchess of Brabant
  • The Archduchess and Archduke of Austria-Este
  • Prince Laurent and Princess Claire of Belgium
  • The King of Lesotho
  • The Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
  • The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg
  • The King of Bafokeng
  • The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark
  • Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark
  • The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands
  • The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway
  • The Hereditary Prince and Hereditary Princess of Liechtenstein
  • The Crown Prince of Bahrain
  • The Earl and Countess of Wessex
  • Prince and Princess Michael of Kent
  • Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein and Princess Sara Faisal of Jordan
  • Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco
  • Sharifa Lalla Soukaïna Filali
  • Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana of Thailand
  • Royalty from non-reigning dynasties

  • Empress Farah of Iran
  • The Grand Duchess of Russia
  • Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia
  • The Prince and Princess of Prussia
  • The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Serbia
  • The Prince and Princess of Naples
  • The Prince and Princess of Venice
  • The Crown Princess and Prince Radu of Romania
  • The Duke and Duchess of Anjou
  • The Count and Countess of Paris
  • The Duke and Duchess of Braganza
  • The Duke and Duchess of Castro
  • The Margrave and Margravine of Baden
  • The Hereditary Prince and Hereditary Princess of Baden
  • The Landgrave of Hesse
  • The Aga Khan
  • Prince Leopold and Princess Ursula of Bavaria
  • Prince Christian of Hanover
  • Princess Virginia of Fürstenberg
  • Donna Beatrice Borromeo
  • Government and diplomacy

  • George Abela (President of Malta)
  • Maria Luisa Berti and Filippo Tamagnini (Captains Regent of San Marino)
  • Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (President of Iceland)
  • Mary McAleese (President of Ireland)
  • Nicolas Sarkozy (President of France)
  • Pál Schmitt (President of Hungary)
  • Michel Suleiman (President of Lebanon)
  • Christian Wulff (Federal President of Germany)
  • Marthinus Van Schalkwyk (Minister of Tourism of South Africa)
  • Jeff Radebe (Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development of South Africa)
  • Angelino Alfano (Minister of Justice of Italy)
  • Karlheinz Töchterle (Minister for Science and Research of Austria)
  • Salma Ahmed (Ambassador of Kenya to Monaco and France)
  • Constantin Chalastanis (Ambassador of Greece to Monaco and France)
  • Mirko Galic (Ambassador of Croatia to Monaco and France)
  • Kornelios Korneliou (Ambassador of Cyprus to Monaco and France)
  • Ulrich Lehner (Ambassador of Switzerland to Monaco and France)
  • Marc Lortie (Ambassador of Canada to Monaco and France)
  • Lejeune Mbella Mbella (Ambassador of Cameroon to Monaco and France)
  • Tomasz Orlowski (Ambassador of Poland to Monaco and France)
  • Charles Rivkin (Ambassador of the United States to Monaco and France)
  • Missoum Sbih (Ambassador of Algeria to Monaco and France)
  • Veronika Stabej (Ambassador of Slovenia to Monaco and France)
  • Viraphand Vacharathit (Ambassador of Thailand to Monaco and France)
  • Sports personalities

  • Gerhard Berger (former Formula One racing driver)
  • Jonas Björkman (former World Number 4 professional tennis player)
  • Sergey Bubka (retired pole vaulter)
  • Nadia Comăneci (gymnast)
  • Charmaine Crooks (athlete)
  • Bob Ctvrtlik (volleyball player)
  • Sophie Edington (backstroke and freestyle swimmer)
  • Patrice Evra (international footballer)
  • Mark Foster (butterfly and freestyle swimmer)
  • Frankie Fredericks (former track athlete)
  • Graham Hill (swimming coach and former competitive swimmer)
  • Jacky Ickx (former racing driver) and Khadja Nin
  • Branislav Ivkovic (swimming coach, who trained Charlene Wittstock ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics)
  • Byron Kelleher (rugby union half-back)
  • Henri Leconte (former professional tennis player)
  • Axel Lund Svindal (World Cup alpine ski racer)
  • Julia Mancuso (alpine ski racer)
  • Ian McIntosh (rugby union coach)
  • Elana Meyer (former long-distance runner)
  • Ilie Năstase (former professional tennis player)
  • Ryk Neethling (swimmer)
  • Terence Parkin (deaf swimmer)
  • François Pienaar (former rugby player)
  • Nicola Pietrangeli (former tennis player)
  • Sarah Poewe (professional swimmer)
  • Wayne Riddin (swimming coach and former competitive swimmer)
  • Count Jacques Rogge (President of the International Olympic Committee)
  • Roland Schoeman (swimmer)
  • Sir Jackie Stewart (former racing driver and team owner)
  • Jean Todt (President of the FIA) and Michelle Yeoh
  • Franziska van Almsick (swimmer)
  • Pernilla Wiberg (alpine ski racer, IOC member)
  • Fashion industry

  • Giorgio Armani
  • Roberta Armani
  • Terrence Bray
  • Naomi Campbell
  • Roberto Cavalli
  • Inès de La Fressange
  • Sébastien Jondeau
  • Karolína Kurková
  • Tereza Maxová
  • Karl Lagerfeld
  • Celebrities and others

  • Bernard Arnault and Hélène Mercier-Arnault
  • Dame Shirley Bassey
  • Andrea Bocelli (tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist)
  • Bernadette Chirac (former First Lady of France)
  • Bernice Coppieters (ballet artist and member of the Les Ballets de Monte Carlo)
  • Donna D’Cruz (DJ and model)
  • Renée Fleming
  • Francisco Flores Pérez (President of El Salvador between 1999 and 2004)
  • Juan Diego Flórez (opera tenor)
  • Jean-Christophe Maillot (dancer and choreographer)
  • Jean-Michel Jarre (musician)
  • Pumeza Matshikiza (lyric soprano)
  • Sir Roger Moore and Lady Moore
  • Guy Laliberté (Canadian entrepreneur, philanthropist, poker player, space tourist and CEO of Cirque du Soleil)
  • Yves Piaget (Swiss watch-maker and President of Piaget SA)
  • Eric Peugeot (French marketing engineer)
  • Bertrand Piccard
  • Johann Rupert (South African businessman and chairman of Richemont, VenFin and Remgro)
  • Eric Sempe (French guitarist)
  • Sonu Shivdasani (Founder and former CEO of the Six Senses group)
  • Victoria Silvstedt (celebrity, model, actress, singer, and television personality)
  • Sir Michael Smurfit
  • Umberto Tozzi (pop/rock singer and composer)
  • 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.

    References

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


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