Princess Charlene beams with joy at her new husband, Prince Albert II of Monaco, following the religious blessing of their marriage.
July 4, 2011
The Daily Mail:
“The new Princess Charlene of Monaco tried to flee home to South Africa three times before her ‘arranged marriage’ to Prince Albert, it was alleged yesterday.
The former Charlene Wittstock, 33, reportedly made her first escape attempt when she travelled to Paris in May to try on her wedding dress.
The allegations, which are surprising considering she went ahead with the wedding on Saturday, emerged in the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche , It went on to report that later in May, Charlene made a second apparent attempt to escape during the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Monaco Grand Prix along the Monaco Harbor.
A month before their royal wedding, Charlene Wittstock and Prince Albert II of Monaco attend a dinner following the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix. May 31, 2011.
Then, last week, royal officials are said to have confiscated her passport en route to Nice airport via the helicopter service that runs between the Mediterranean principality and France. She was then persuaded to go on with the marriage.
‘Several sources have confirmed that an arrangement was reached between the future bride and groom,’ reported Le Journal du Dimanche.”
The reports followed confirmation by palace sources while the wedding was in full swing that Prince Albert, 53, was due to have DNA tests because of claims by at least one woman that he has fathered another illegitimate child. He already has a 19-year-old daughter and six-year-old son. Le Journal du Dimanche quoted Monaco “policy advisers” among those discussing “two illegitimate children -one already born, the other to come.” (The Vancouver Sun)
Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, the child of Prince Albert II of Monaco and Tamara Rotolo, was born in Palm Springs, California, on March 4, 1992.
Alexandre "Alex" Coste is the natural son of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and former flight attendant from the African Republic of Togo Nicole Coste. He was born on August 24, 2003.
“Sources said the Monaco palace had hoped the glitzy wedding – attended by a host of celebrities and European royalty – would ‘overshadow’ new claims about secret children fathered by Albert.
The Monaco Palace
Instead, Charlene was in floods of tears at one point, while her 53-year-old husband looked on impassively.
Princess Charlene weeps at the religious ceremony blessing her marriage to Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Meanwhile, the reception that followed provoked ridicule with tacky features such as a giant wedding cake that towered over the couple and a mirrored dance floor.
Monaco's Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene cut a small cake while standing by their enormous (leaning?) wedding cake at the Gala Dinner at the Opera Garnier in Monaco, July 2, 2011. Pink Proteas flowers from Princess Charlene's native South Africa adorn the many-tiered confection. The wedding cake was redcurrant and vanilla. Charlene is radiant in her second Armani gown of the day.
Among the guests were Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, actor Roger Moore and Topshop boss Sir Philip Green and his wife, Tina.
Fireworks light the sky over the Monte Carlo Casino after the gala dinner to celebrate the wedding of Prince Albert II to Charlene Wittstock of South Africa. July 2, 2011
Tomorrow the couple are due to fly to South Africa on honeymoon, presenting Charlene with her best chance yet of ‘escaping’ Monaco.”
Source: The Daily Mail
Readers, for more on the Monaco Royals, Princess Albert II and Princess Charlene, on Lisa’s History Room, click here.
Lisa's History Room 
Oh Lisa!
Upon close perusal of the photograph of Ms. Wittstock in tears, one can only conclude that Prince Albert feels no love for his bride. There is no trace of tenderness; no evidence of concern at all. His worth is correspondingly diminished in my heart and mind. This, added to the evidence that this man has taken to littering the Western world with fatherless children, militates an inexorable conclusion regarding his character. Prince Albert II, His Serene Highness The Tortoise, is a royal cad. He is a cold and unfeeling narcissist, fueled by unwarranted self-regard.
Am I too hasty in my rush to judgment?
Sincerely,
Shirley
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Shirley, it’s a truth we don’t care to admit. Prince Albert II is bored by the whole thing, bored with Charlene. There is no affect in the man. HO, HUM! I detect no loving-kindness either. Well said. Poor Charlene.
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Charlene looked beautiful. What a joke though! Already has 2 maybe 3 children. He didn’t look impressed at all. He won’t be true to you Charlene!
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My guess is he’s narcissistic. The entire family seems very dysfunctional…
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I’m with you, Sama.
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In all honesty, I never expected Prince Albert to marry; in fact, at one time I thought he was gay. That said, in looking at their pictures I don’t see a loving couple on what should have been a joyous occasion. Its not so much that he already has two children with other people, many, many people all over the world marry and have outside children. The problem is there for all to see in their faces. If the reports are true that she attempted to leave before their marriage and was stopped, at some point in time if the situation does not right itself, this marriage will fail.
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The marriage may have already failed. He is doing it to produce an heir and hold onto the throne. Otherwise, it passes to Caroline and her heirs.
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There is not a chance of love in royal marriages – its about politics and money. There is not a chance of love in most marriages – its about power and money. if there is love there is no need for contract, but mostly its hormones and people who dont know each other. at least charlene and albert know each other for ten years. envy is not elegant. she is beautiful and he was not allowed to marry a black woman. he compromised and married a beautiful woman from africa. i guess he loves his son and his first daughter most of all like any man you all know. big big brave girls….
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Hi, Sonja, it’s an effort to keep love alive in any relationship. Thanks for visiting Lisa’s HIstory Room.
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I was reading an interesting article today: Why go through the charade? Well, in the house of Grimaldi, Albert, who has never married but has plenty of illegitimate children, has to have a legitimate heir or Monaco becomes a French protectorate.There was a recent change to the constitution that would have a allowed the throne to pass to his sister, Princess Caroline. But, three times married, living in Germany and about to go through her second divorce, she might not be seen as a good prospect for a principality whose sole reason for existence is tax evasion and gambling.
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Jacqueline, Monaco is also beautiful and ancient. Princess Caroline has shown leadership throughout her lifetime. Her husbands may not be stellar but that doesn’t mean Caroline isn’t.
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Yes, Monaco does look quite beautiful.
Personally I like Caroline, I still have pictures of her when she was married to Philipe. She was/is a beautiful woman. They really should have handed the reins over to her. If anything the leadership would have remained calm but not now as Albert will have affairs and the marriage will end up breaking down.
Lisa, what I wrote was in a newspaper. I would say that the powers that be wanted a male to run the show. I mean he has never come across as wanting to be married anyway. I think he has been given a push, but it is a push that is going to hurt a few people.
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Albert seems so bored with Charlene. Poor Girl! Caroline has a creepy husband and she is said to be so nervous she smokes 6 packs a day. Their sister Stephanie has had at least 2 children outside of marriage. The family just needed their mom Princess Grace longer than they had her.
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This is slightly off-topic…did you see the pics of Will and Kate in cowboy hats? Darling!
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No, but I’m checking it out!
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Hi There – Love the pics in the article. I think you too are being very hard on the couple. The only reason why Caroline as placed in the line is that she has a son that could be prince if Albert fails to produce one. They are 20 years apart….I cannot see this working but I wish them all the best.
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Cyn, hi. I am not being hard on the couple. All that I printed in my post is in quotes – from sources named. I wish the Prince and Princess well although Albert has shown little maturity in his private life.
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Hello, Lisa – Just joined your blog, discovered it by chance. I come from
New Zealand, which is part of the British Commonwealth – Have worked
the travelled alot over the past 20 years, and having visited Monaco for
several days in 2000, its very beautiful, and the permanent population have
their privacy, games, fun, love, along with a grand lifestyle, but its
hardly surburbia. Also travelled widely in South Africa,2005, which is in such a
contrast -more beautiful in many ways, grand, plenty of space, great history, and an educated permanent population with its many facets lifestyles, alot different to Monaco -However with these two different countries in their lives & hearts, Charlene and Albert have the ability to have a wonderful life together – I hope they both take advantage of it, and have quality of life, rather than quanitity. I wish them well, and hope they look after one another in every way that is needed – love,friendship and understanding.
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I envy you all the travel to farflung locales. Thanks for joining Lisa’s History Room and tell your friends about it.
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My guess is that the palace will let Charlene go as soon as she produces a legitimate heir. It doesn’t matter how many children Albert fathers outside of wedlock, succession cannot pass except to a legitimate Grimaldi. I think this is why Albert decided to marry after all these years. As soon as she has a baby I think they will let her leave, but then she will have to decide just how much she wants out as she will have to leave her child behind.
I have seen video footage of her crying and it is even worse than the photos. There is no love between these two. I just wonder if Charlene thought their was and now she is nursing true heartbreak. I have not followed their romance very closely. I find it hard to believe that she went into this with her eyes closed. Maybe she realizes just how unhappy her life will be trapped in a loveless marriage, perhaps for a while she thought living a royal life of privilege would make up for this but when claims of yet another illegitimate child surfaced and she realized that Albert will live business-as-usual (meaning nailing stewardesses and cocktail waitresses) without any regard for her whatsoever, maybe she finally realized what kind of mess she had gotten herself into.
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Dana, have you read on The Huffington Post that Albert and Charlene honeymooned in S. Africa in separate hotels? The marriage is indeed a sham.
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I didn’t read about separate hotels but I did read that they cut their honeymoon short to come back and deal with this latest child claim. I agree the marriage is a sham, I think it is from her side too but maybe she finally realized that all the money and privilege being married to the ruler of Monaco might bring was not worth the cost of her freedom particularly when Albert lays his seed everywhere.
I am not a royal watcher but have always had a fascination for this family because of Grace Kelley. All 3 Grimaldi’s are totally messed up, in my view they lost their mother too soon and with her gone there was nothing to ground them.
In that I give a lot of credit to Prince Charles for being a strong parent to William and Harry, they also lost their mother young and it could have gone this way for them. When Diana was alive no one thought of Charles as a good parent but it is obvious he has been a strong guiding force in their lives. Yes, Harry is mischievous and has gotten himself into a few stupid situations but they have grown up beautifully.
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Monaco – playground for the rich and famous – couldn’t have been a very wholesome place for Grace Kelly to raise her kids.
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Lots of bashing going on here. I attended school with “Al” as we called him back then. He was down to earth and not the least bit self-centered….very considerate and a bit insecure. He loves the U.S. and cannot help the position into which he was born. I wish him the greatest personal happiness in his life with Charlene.
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Al, thanks for visiting Lisa’s History Room. I don’t know Al but it’s obvious that he’s a playboy. Naturally, I do not think highly of a man who treats women like toys.
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i think it was their issue and we shouldn’t interfere in those matters
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They are public figures. We can star gaze and comment if we choose!
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I have never understood how Monaco could have legally prevented (now) Princess Charlene from leaving the country, or for confiscating her (S. African?) passport, as reported in the tabloid press. As a Canadian, with a Canadian passport, I cannot imagine that in those circumstances, I would not have found a way of getting word to my embassy (in France, at least). Can you explain this, Lisa?
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Anyone out there with an opinion?
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Is Charlene ill? What’s going on with her?
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Clearly, she is ill. I don’t have the answers but it is a downright shame. Grace Kelly did not like the golden handcuffs of being a princess either.
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