Take Prince Albert and Princess Charlene of Monaco.
The couple met in 2000 at the Mare Nostrum swimming competition.
Charlene, an Olympic swimmer, placed first in the 200m backstroke at the event.
But as intriguing as their relationship is, Prince Albert and Princess Charlene’s wedding was even more interesting.
Instead of speculating about the nature of the royal marriage, let’s discuss something we know.
Here’s what Prince Albert and Princess Charlene’s wedding was really like.
In 1956, Grace Kelly went from being a Tinseltown starlet to a legitimate princess whenshe married Prince Rainier.
Grace and Rainier had 600 guests at their wedding, including actor Ava Gardner and famed hotelier Conrad Hilton.
Despite the beautiful event, many have wondered whether Grace was truly happy with her marriage.
The day before the wedding, Barbara Walters was in Monaco to conduct an interview with the bride-to-be.
In aninterviewwith Walters, the late journalist said, “I said, ‘Are you happy?’
and [Grace] said, ‘I have a certain peace of mind.'”
Walters added, “When the interview was over, she almost broke down in tears.”
Over 10 years later, Charlene addressed the claims that had flooded the tabloids at the time.
“And then the rumors started.
They said I was running away.
Where was I running to?
The dark side of the moon?”
Charlene said in an interview withPeople, assuring that she had no intention of ever leaving her then-fiance.
You wouldn’t believe it," Princess Charlene added.
Anything more than that is often considered extravagant.
How, then, would Princess Charlene and Prince Albert’s three-day-long marital affair be described?
The events began on June 30, 2011, with an Eagles concert at Stade Louis II stadium.
The following day, the ceremonies began.
It was during this ceremony that Charlene officially became a princess.
On Saturday, July 2, Princess Charlene and Prince Albert held a religious ceremony.
“I was worried how things were going to turn out, the sequence of events.
I wasn’t very relaxed.
For reference, just over 33,000 people lived in Monaco in 2011.
“This was an enormous affair probably even bigger than I ever thought.
It was nice in many ways,” Prince Albert toldPeopleof his wedding.
Of the 800 guests, many were quite notable.
“We wanted something to match the color of my eyes,” Charlene said toVogueabout her Friday attire.
Designed by Giorgio Armani, Charlene’s ivory wedding dress took 2,500 hours to sew.
Charlene changed into a second Armani Prive gown for the reception.
Planning for this event took a small village, and not everyone saw eye-to-eye on the details.
“There were huge arguments.
Not between us but with everybody … Everything!
There were dozens of other small details that made the entire wedding weekend unique.
Charlene’s wedding bouquet was made of white flowers, including lilies of the valley.
Michelin-star chef Alain Ducasse was in charge of the meal.
Famed pen brand Montblanc created a special set of pens for the couple to sign their marriage certificate.
“It was all very elegant and moving … today is truly wonderful.
Charlene looks stunning,” Naomi Campbell toldVogueof the wedding.
For Prince Albert and Princess Charlene, the decision, instead, was which famous rock band to hire.
The concert was free to Monaco residents and was held at Stade Louis II, a stadium in Monaco.
“Some people hire a string quartet he got The Eagles.
It was a huge, huge weekend,” Prince Albert’s friend Chris Lavine toldPeopleof the wedding festivities.
Though grand, the bride and groom were reportedly a little overwhelmed by the magnitude of the events.
“It just kind of got out of control with all of the events,” Lavine said.
“The actual wedding day itself was not as …
I mean it was pleasant, but I was more worried about how things would turn out.
That probably shows on the footage,” Prince Albert toldPeopleabout his demeanor on his wedding day.
And it was very unfair to, the and we know the source.
But, and we’ve been able to deal with that.
But it was a very unfair treatment.”
But like their wedding, the royal couple’s honeymoon was a bit more luxurious than most honeymoons.
Albert and Charlene reportedly honeymooned in South Africa and stayed at the Oyster Box Hotel in Umhlanga.
At the time, suites at this hotel ran guests 4,600 a night.
The couple reportedly stayed in the Presidential Suite and had views of the Indian Ocean.
the source told theDaily Mail.
South Africa was likely chosen as the couple’s honeymoon destination because it’s Princess Charlene’s home.
“I will never forget my native country,” the bride toldTatler.
First and foremost, I am committed to the people of Monaco,” she added.
In retrospect, the couple might have done things differently
Hindsight is 20/20.
“A private affair it would have been fine with me.
And fine with Charlene too.”
