He was the playboy prince and she was the Olympic swimmer-turned-princess.
Thirteen years ago, across two wedding ceremonies that cost a combined £53million with accompanying celebrations, Prince Albert of Monaco tied the knot with the then Charlene Wittstock.
With a glittering 850-strong guest list that included Sir Roger Moore and Prince Edward, the religious ceremony on July 2 followed the civil nuptials a day earlier.
At the latter, Charlene stunned in an off-the-shoulder Armani dress boasting a six-metre train and studded with 40,000 Swarovski crystals and 20,000 mother of pearl tear drops.
But the couple’s uneasy kiss – and the fact that at one moment Charlene was in tears – perhaps betrayed the trouble that had already taken place and the further angst that was to come.
Days before the big day, rumours began to circulate that Charlene had tried to flee the country on three occasions with a one-way ticket to Johannesburg.
And they spent the first night of their honeymoon in South Africa – the nation that Zimbabwe-born Charlene represented during her swimming career – in separate hotels.
It was the celebrity event of the summer in 2011 when Albert II of Monaco married Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock. The couple said ‘oui’ in front of 850 VIP guests. The religious ceremony (above) took place on July 2, a day after the civil service
Prince Albert and Princess Charlene beam outside the Prince’s Palace in Monaco after their civil ceremony on July 1, 2011
Three years later, Charlene gave birth to twins Jacques and Gabriell, who were the first legitimate heirs to the throne after Albert’s children out of wedlock.
In 2021, the princess took a prolonged medical hiatus in South Africa which saw her spend most of the year away from her husband and children.
She missed both the seventh birthday of her twins and her tenth wedding anniversary.
Her time away followed fresh allegations that Albert had fathered a third love child, this time in 2005 with an unnamed Brazilian woman.
The Prince’s lawyers dismissed the claim as a ‘hoax’.
In April 2022 the couple were seen together for the first time in more than 12 months. Charlene then returned to full-time public duty in May that year.
Charlene sparked rumours when she was seen crying on her wedding day. She later said: ‘There were all the mixed emotions because of the rumours and obviously the tension built up and I burst into tears’
The bride’s silk wedding dress was designed by Giorgio Armani, had a six-metre train and was studded with 40,000 Swarovski crystals and 20,000 mother of pearl tear drops. It took a total of 2,500 hours to make
Charlene and Prince Albert beam as they walk arm in arm after the religious ceremony at their 2011 wedding
Under blue skies, the former Olympic swimmer had transformed into a Princess and became her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco
The white rose petals dropped in their thousands to welcome the newly wed couple
Their £53million three-day wedding extravaganza was certainly a spectacular occasion
Charlene’s gown took 2,500 hours to prepare. Above: The Princess arrives for the ceremony
Princess Charlene and Prince Albert II of Monaco pose on the balcony of the Prince’s Palace after their civil ceremony
But the return to normality was short-lived, for Charlene again disappeared from public life – this time for more than three weeks – in July last year.
Her husband meanwhile was spotted at Wimbledon without his wife.
Before he met Charlene, Albert seemed destined for life as a bachelor amid a soap opera of love child scandals.
When the couple met, few expected romance to blossom – Charlene was after all a sports-mad olympian 20 years his junior.
Yet the couple fell in love and made their first public appearance at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
To marry into the family, Charlene was require to learn French and Monegasque and she had to convert to Catholicism. The couple then became engaged in June 2010.
The similarities between their love story and that of his father, Prince Rainier III, and his Hollywood actress mother Grace Kelly did not go unnoticed.
French journalist Philippe Delorme went as far to tell the Daily Mail in 2011: ‘If the Princess Grace story was a movie, then Princess Charlene is the remake.’
Days before the wedding, a Parisian news magazine reported that Charlene had been stopped at Nice airport after allegedly learning a ‘distressing’ revelation about her future husband’s private life.
A senior Monaco detective claimed at the time: ‘Charlene had her passport confiscated so that the Prince’s entourage could persuade her to stay’.
The rumour mill in France went into overdrive. Charlene had, it was suggested, heard talk of another illegitimate child, allegedly conceived when she was dating Prince Albert in 2005.
But the Princess would go on to dismiss the ‘hilarious’ rumours. She said: ‘Why would he go through all this effort to have our dearest friends come join us, for us to be reluctant?’
Prince Albert added: ‘My family have long been the subject of rumours born out of jealousy.’
Charlene and Albert share an awkward kiss on the balcony of the Prince’s Palace after the civil ceremony which made them husband and wife, July 1, 2011
The couple’s twins Jacques and Gabriella seen on the balcony of the Prince’s Palace during the National Day celebrations in 2022
Princess Charlene and Prince Albert seen arriving for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey
At the civil ceremony, Charlene wore a custom-made aquamarine Chanel suit that was matched to the colour of her eyes.
With press rumours swirling around them, the couple posed for some very awkward photos.
Then finally there was the religious ceremony.
Guests also included the then-French President Nicholas Sarkozy, his wife Carla Bruni, model Naomi Campbell, businessman Philip Green and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
Alain Ducasse, France’s most celebrated chef, provided the food, while Johnny Hallyday and Andrea Bocelli were to perform.
As Charlene was asked, in French, if she would marry Albert Grimaldi, Princess Stephanie, the groom’s younger sister, raised her eyes to the elaborately panelled ceiling depicting the history of Alexander the Great, as if invoking his help.
Everyone held their breath.
Charlene said ‘oui’. Then Albert said ‘oui’. Outside, the crowds burst into applause. Inside, Stephanie breathed out, and burst into tears.
Under blue skies, the former Olympic swimmer transformed into a royal and became her Serene Highness Princess Charlene of Monaco.
More than 7,000 citizens were then invited to post-ceremony cocktails on the square outside the Prince’s Palace.
The drinks reception was followed by a concert by the French composer Jean Michel Jarre.
Their first public appearance as a couple: Prince Albert with Charlene in Turin for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin. Few expected romance to blossom – Charlene was after all a sports-mad Olympian 20 years his junior
Albert proposed with a handcrafted pear-cut diamond flanked by smaller diamonds designed by Paris-based Italian jeweller Repossi. Above: The ring on Charlene’s finger in 2012
Prince Albert with his mother Grace Kelly in 1977. The Princess died in 1982 in a car crash
Prince Albert concluded the formalities with a heartfelt speech to his new princess. ‘It has been a very emotional journey to this day, sometimes not an easy one,’ he said.
‘Charlene, thank you for putting up with my inconsistencies and idiosyncrasies. You are a wonderful woman.
‘Marrying you is the best decision I’ve ever taken. I’m happy to share my life with you.’
As for her tears, Charlene later told The Times: ‘There were all the mixed emotions because of the rumours and obviously the tension built up and I burst into tears [immediately after the ceremony].
‘And then I burst into tears some more because I was thinking “Oh no, now the whole world has seen me cry”.’
Having tied the knot, the couple then flew into Durban, South Africa, for the start of their honeymoon.
While they arrived at an audience with South Africa’s then president, Jacob Zuma, a local newspaper reported that they left in two separate vehicles.
The mystery deepened when it turned out that Prince Albert was staying at the Hilton hotel in Durban, yet Charlene was bedding down at the Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga – more than ten miles up the coast.
Despite the speculation, it was later claimed that the reason was simple enough: that the prince had remained in Durban because he had an early meeting the following morning and was worried about getting stuck in traffic had he travelled in from outside the city.
The father of the new princess, retired photocopier salesman Mike Wittstock, explained at the time: ‘This is because Albert attended the conference for the International Olympic Committee at the Hilton.
‘The conference started at 7am and Albert did not want to get up unnecessarily early and to sit in traffic.’
A Monaco Palace source later confirmed that ‘for practical reasons, it was better’ for the prince to stay in the Hilton.
However, neither the source nor Mr Wittstock explained why Charlene did not simply stay at the Hilton with him.
Despite this early strife, the Prince and Charlene have stayed together – even through their more recent struggles.
Speaking of Charlene’s 2021 absence from public life, Albert told People magazine: ‘She didn’t leave Monaco in a huff! She didn’t leave because she was mad at me or at anybody else… She didn’t go into exile.
Jacques and Gabriella with their mother Princess Charlene in January 2023 watching the traditional Sainte Devote procession in Monaco
Charlene first stepped out with a dramatic half-shaved head in December 2020
Albert and Charlene pictured together (left) in August 2021 during her time in South Africa. Right: Charlene (right) in October 2021 when her appearance sparked concern
Charlene was also admitted to a European treatment facility in Switzerland for exhaustion, both ’emotional and physical’
Princess Charlene of Monaco arrives for a photocall as part of the Golden Nymph Awards ceremony of the 62nd Monte-Carlo Television Festival in the principalty of Monaco on June 20, 2023
Princess Charlene seen at the Monaco Grand Prix in May
‘It was absolutely just a medical problem which had to be treated.’
He added that her illness had ‘affected them both and it had not been addressed earlier because he was ‘concentrating on taking care of the kids’.
Reflecting on her relationship with her husband in an interview with Tatler magazine last year, Charlene said: ‘…The moment I met Albert, I felt a profound sense of destiny. I have been quoted as saying I felt weak at the knees.
‘That is a slightly trite way of phrasing it, but it is true – I knew he was the one.’
Last month, Princess Charlene again signalled a return to relative normality with her outing at the Monte Carlo Television festival alongside her husband.
It came after she dazzled with an appearance at the Monaco Grand Prix in May.
Who are the Monaco royal family?
Rainier III ruled Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest ruling monarchs in European history, and had three children with wife Grace Kelly – Caroline, Princess of Hanover, Prince Albert and Princess Stéphanie
Rainier III ruled Monaco for almost 56 years, making him one of the longest ruling monarchs in European history.
He was crucially responsible for the transformation of Monaco economy, shifting from its traditional casino base to its current status as a tax haven and cultural destination.
The Prince also coordinated the substantial reforms of Monaco’s constitution, which limited the powers of sovereign rule. He married American film star Grace Kelly in 1956, with generated global media attention.
They had three children, Caroline, Princess of Hanover, Prince Albert and Princess Stéphanie.
Caroline served as first lady of Monaco until her brother married Charlene in 2011. She regularly attends important social events in Monaco, such as the National Day celebrations, the annual Rose Ball and the Red Cross Ball.
She married French banker Philippe Junot in 28 June 1978, before divorcing in 1980, before marrying Stefano Casiraghi, with whom she had three children Andrea Albert Pierre Casiraghi, Charlotte Marie Pomeline Casiraghi and Pierre Rainier Stefano Casiraghi.
Stefano was killed in a speed boating accident in 1990, with Caroline going on to marry Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick in 1999, and have one daughter Princess Alexandra Charlotte Ulrike Maryam Virginia of Hanover.
Meanwhile Princess Stéphanie has been a singer, swimwear designer and fashion model.
Tragically, on 13 September 1982, while returning home from their farm in Rocagel, France, Stéphanie and her mother had a car accident. Grace died the next day, on September 14, while Stéphanie sustained a fracture of a neck vertebra.
Caroline served as first lady of Monaco until her brother married Charlene in 2011 and regularly attends important events, such as the Rose Ball, with him
Countess Beatrice Boromeo, Pierre Casiraghi, Princess Caroline of Hanover, Prince Albert II of Monaco, French actress Carole Bouquet, Dimitri Rassam, Charlotte Casiraghi, Tatiana Santo Domingo, Andrea Casiraghi and Princess Alexandra of Hanover arrive for the ‘Bal de la Rose’ in 2019
She began a relationship with Daniel Ducruet with whom she had two children, Louis and Pauline. She gave birth to her third child Camille Gottlieb in 1992.
Prince Albert II ascended to the throne after the death of his father, Prince Rainier III, on 6th April 2005. He is one of the wealthiest royals in the world, worth an estimated $1 billion.
He married former Olympic swimmer Charlene in 2011 and gave birth to twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques in 2014
The children are often seen at royal events alongside Princess Charlene and Prince Albert, including on the balcony at Monaco’s National Day celebrations on 19th November every year.