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Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The shocking scandals behind the Monaco throne as Prince Albert and Princess Charlene celebrate their wedding anniversary
He might be the leader of the smallest Kingdom in Europe but the reign of Prince Albert II Monaco has seen its fair share of scandals and controversies. Today is Prince Albert's 14th wedding anniversary - when he tied the knot with the then Charlene Wittstock in two lavish wedding ceremonies that cost a combined total £53million. 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 even on their wedding day, the controversies that tend to follow the Monegasque Royal Family appeared. 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. 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. Charlene and Albert wait to met Pope Leo XIV in May. Despite their fair share of scandals, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene remain respected among other Royal Families in Europe. 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 an 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?' And they spent the first night of their honeymoon in South Africa - the nation that Zimbabwe-born Charlene represented at the Olympics during her swimming career - in separate hotels. During his years as a bachelor, Albert was known as the 'playboy prince' due to his string of romantic relationships with models and actresses. He also fathered several love children - two of which the prince has acknowledged. Meanwhile, Princess Charlene has been known to disappear from the public eye on multiple occasions, reportedly due to 'deep fatigue'. The princess took a prolonged medical hiatus in South Africa which saw her spend most of 2021 away from her husband and children. This meant she missed the seventh birthdays of her twins - Jacques and Gabriella - and her tenth wedding anniversary. Charlene also travelled to a Swiss clinic that allegedly specialises in mental health and addiction issues. SInce 2021, Charlene has been seen with the Royal Family. Albert's questionable financial practises have also been the subject of much scrutiny in recent years with Tatler going as far as to declare there was a chance the monarch might not have survived the scandal last year. The rumours started in 2023 when Claude Palmero, 68, who looked after the Royal Family's finances (including their investments, their properties and the main palace), was sacked after being targeted by a mysterious anti-corruption website. A few months later, French newspaper Le Monde published Palmero's 'secret notebooks', which claimed to detail reckless spending by the Royal Family. It alleged that Albert spends millions every year from a secret French bank account to pay his former mistresses and love children - with Jazmin Grimaldi, 31, and Alexandre Coste-Grimaldi, 20, receiving allowances of £344,000 each. According to Le Monde, Jazmin, Albert's love child with U.S. estate agent Tamara Rotolo, receives £73,000 every three months - despite not being part of the royal family. Palmero noted she was given £4,200 for her 18th and a flat in New York worth £2.6 million seven years later. Prince Albert II, Princess Charlene, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella during the Army Parade, as part of the official celebrations marking the principality National Day in 2024 He also noted that the palace was paying for kidnap and ransom insurance for Alexandre, 20, Albert's son with former air hostess Nicole Coste. The Prince acknowledged paternity of Alexandre in 2005. Princess Charlene's own mismanagement of her money was also criticised in the paper. She was routinely given an allowance of around £1.2 million a year - but still managed to overspend, according to Palmero's notes. The speed at which the mother-of-two apparently burned through money so worried the Prince's accountant that he wrote in his notes: 'It's crazy! I have no control over the Princess' spending.' After Albert sacked Palmero he was then questioned by police after Albert filed a lawsuit against him, resulting in an investigation into alleged 'breach of confidentiality, invasion of privacy and receiving the proceeds of two offences'. After losing his role in the palace, Palmero reportedly filed a lawsuit against the royal family, accusing them of abuse of weakness, attempted extortion and theft. He also contested his dismissal before a tribunal headed by Judge Linotte. When the president of Monaco's Supreme Court was pushed out, Palmero went to the European Court of Human Rights. He allegedly claimed that it wasn't possible to get a fair hearing in the super-rich principality. The case is still ongoing. Albert has denied all of Palmero's allegations. Despite the questions over their financial practises, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene remain respected among other Royal Families in Europe. In May, the royals joined other Catholic monarchs including the King and Queen of Spain and Belgium for an audience with Pope Leo XIV. Princess Charlene along with Queen Letizia of Spain and Queen Mathilde of Belgium are allowed to wear white in front of the Pope because of their faith. They are each one of only seven women in the world who have 'the privilege of the white'. Called 'le privilege du blanc' in French or 'il privilegio del bianco' in Italian, the special tradition is extended solely to designated Catholic queens and princesses and is reserved for important events at the Vatican, such as private audiences, canonisations, beatifications, and special masses. Normal protocol for papal audiences requires that ladies wear a long black dress with a high collar and long sleeves and a black mantilla.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Princess Charlene Wears an Elegant Elie Saab Dress to Pope Leo's Inauguration
Monaco's Prince Albert and Princess Charlene sat front row at Pope Leo XIV's papal inauguration on Sunday. The Princess wore an embroidered powder white dress by Elie Saab with a scalloped hemline and A-line silhouette, matched with white heels and a white lace veil. Typically, only Catholic queens are permitted to wear white to the inaugural mass, and as Monaco is a principality, the crown princess is permitted as well. Prince Albert responded quickly to the announcement of Pope Leo as the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church, writing on Instagram on May 9, 'On the occasion of Your Holiness's elevation to the Pontifical Throne, my family and I assure You of our fervent prayers for the greatness of Your Pontificate and humbly offer our respectful congratulations. Together with the people of the Principality, we express our deepest hope that the fulfillment of this eminent and weighty spiritual mission of universal scope will be marked by many satisfactions. I ask Your Holiness to kindly accept the respectful homage of my deep and filial devotion.' As Catholic royals, the Monégasque family has long maintained close ties to the Holy See. The royal couple issued condolences to social media for Pope Francis immediately following his death and attended his funeral last month. They had been present at Pope Francis's papal inauguration in 2013 and met with him at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City in 2013, 2016, and 2022. Princess Charlene converted prior to her marriage to Albert in 2011, in keeping with the state religion of Monaco, and is one of only seven women granted "the privilege of the white"—a permission given to Catholic queen, allowing them to wear a white lace veil in the pope's presence, as opposed to the black version required of most women. (And since Monaco is a principality, this privilege is extended to the princess consort.) The inauguration of Pope Leo could be seen as extra poignant for Prince Albert given he is also part-American through his mother, the late Princess Grace. Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, is the first American pontiff, born in Chicago in 1955. You Might Also Like 12 Weekend Getaway Spas For Every Type of Occasion 13 Beauty Tools to Up Your At-Home Facial Game
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Prince Albert reveals his proudest achievement since becoming ruler of Monaco
The infamous 'playboy prince' Prince Albert II of Monaco is notorious for his rather colourful love life, from a string of romances involving models and actresses, to fathering children outside of wedlock. The 67-year-old son of Grace Kelly finally settled down in his 50s when he married Princess Charlene, a former Olympic swimmer representing South Africa. But their relationship has been plagued by rumours of marital woe since even before they tied the knot. Despite the speculation, the royal has affirmed his proudest achievement in his nearly 20-year reign is 'first and foremost' his marriage to 47-year-old Charlene and their children, twins Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella. The prince made the remarks during a rare joint interview with his wife, where they spoke to a group of local journalists at the Prince's Palace in Monte-Carlo this week. Asked what he has been most proud of in his reign so far, Albert told La Gazette de Monaco: 'What I am most proud of is my marriage and my children, first and foremost.' His declaration comes after years of scrutiny over the state of his and Charlene's marriage. Albert has two children from relationships that took place before he wed Charlene who are officially recognised. They are Alexandre Grimaldi-Coste, 21, whom he shares with ex-Air France attendant Nicole Coste, and Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, 32, with American waitress Tamara Rotolo. But a dark shadow was cast over the wedding when allegations that Albert had fathered another illegitimate child and would face a paternity test after the wedding surfaced. Charlene had even been dubbed the 'Runaway Bride' by the French media after allegedly trying to flee before the wedding, but the reports were always denied. The nuptials went ahead and the celebration was attended by foreign royalty and celebrities in the Prince's Palace in Monaco, but it was scrutinised due to the rumours swirling around Albert's paternity results. The prince has faced yet another paternity suit in the years since they married, involving allegations he fathered another love child with an unnamed Brazilian woman. His lawyers claimed it was a 'hoax'. The couple strongly denied that their relationship was on the rocks in separate interviews in 2023 At the time, Charlene told South African website News 24: 'There's nothing wrong with our marriage and I find the rumours to be draining and exhausting. 'I simply cannot understand where they come from. It feels to me like certain media or people want to see us split.' After Charlene spent 10 years in South Africa due to ill health in 2021, even more speculation arose around the state of their marriage - but she returned to Monaco and has continued her royal duties and appearances with Albert She condemned media reports about her marriage as 'clickbait' and about 'putting bread on someone's table'. Meanwhile, Albert gave an interview to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera and praised Charlene for being 'always by my side and [supporting] me in leading the principality'. 'We are a working couple and sometimes that only allows us to see each other at the end of a long day full of appointments.' In April, Albert and Charlene put on a united front as they linked arms while attending a tennis match at the Monte Carlo ATP Masters Series Tournament at the Monte Carlo Country Club in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. They were affectionate with one another as they walked close together and exchanged fond glances. In 2021, the couple faced further speculation after Charlene fell ill in South Africa, during what was meant to be a 10-day visit. Complications from a sinus operation led to her staying in her native country for 10 months, and there have been rumours about the state of her marriage ever since. There had been claims by leading French media that Albert had signed an 'ultra-confidential contract' to pay his wife more than £10m a year to fulfil her Royal duties. She returned to Monaco but was there for a matter of days before leaving for a Swiss treatment facility. The exact nature of her condition was not made public but Albert said she was 'exhausted'. Photographs of their reunion were greeted with a hefty dose of scepticism by the French media. Prince Albert said he was 'hurt by the vicious rumours' peddled about his marriage following his wife's absence and said that it's the 'most beautiful thing' to have her back with him.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Princess Charlene and Prince Albert's Adorable Twins Reach Major Milestone in Matching Outfits
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Princess Charlene and Prince Albert of Monaco are raising 10-year-old twins, Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella. On Sunday, May 11, Monaco's Royal Family shared two new photos of the Monegasque royals celebrating an important milestone. In two photos, Jacques and Gabriella could be seen posing in white robes, and standing with their proud parents. "On this day of First Communion, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella who received this sacrament with faith and reverence," the caption explained. While Prince Albert wore a navy suit with a silver tie for the occasion, Princess Charlene wore a blue shirt dress with capped sleeves and gold round buttons. In November 2024, Princess Charlene opened up about Jacques and Gabriella in a wide-ranging interview with Gala magazine. "Gabriella is very curious," Charlene told the publication. "She is very intrigued by the world and life in general. She asks lots of questions and demands a lot of attention." Discussing her son, Charlene noted, "As for Jacques, he is curious and observant. [He is] more reserved, he is naturally very calm." Former Olympic swimmer Charlene also got candid about aging during the interview, and how getting older has impacted her sporting ability. "I walk, I cycle, I swim too, but not as much as before," she told the outlet. "I don't practise swimming as intensely as in the past. When I was young, I trained very hard, I challenged myself physically. These days, it's all about moderation." Prince Albert's wife continued, "It can be quite difficult because my nature is to want to beat records, win medals and surpass my limits." Charlene continued, "But, at nearly 47 years old, I can no longer do body won't let me. My spirit and my heart might, but my body says no!"
