Monaco Royal Wedding Gossip Round Up

Prince Albert in a Can

To get the most out of the upcoming Royal Wedding, one should be up-to-speed on the latest news.   In the interest of enriching your Royal Wedding experience, here is a sampling of the royal scoop:

Last week, the New York Times examined what it’s been like for Charlene during her four years of probation, I mean limbo, while she anxiously waited for Albert to pop the question, …and everyone else anxiously waited to see if she would trip up and be disqualified. Even in this interview, when she has the prize in the bag, she still defers to Albert for even the simplest question, revealing the pressure she is under to never deviate from the script (…and imagine the added stress when she must speak in the linguistic minefield that is French!)

Monaco Wedding Royal Stamp

It’s almost Hitchcockian, this role that she is taking on, where she is both encouraged and vilified for taking on the look of Princess Grace.  The Rivera Reporter did an interesting story titled “Charlene: But Will She Be Happy?” that contrasts Charlene’s old life (tracksuits)  with the new one of designer clothes and paparazzi… check out this photo spread from The Telegraph for some interesting portraits of the future princess (scroll sideways) in her former work clothes (a swimsuit) as well as her new ones.

But more pressing is the speculation currently lighting the web on fire (and vigorously denied by the Palace) that Charlene might have tried to bolt the Principality upon hearing of new Albert hijinks…  Others wonder whether the relatively young and scandal-free Charlene will be stepping into to the Princess Diana trap…  And is Nicole Coste Monaco’s “Camilla”?

Okay so now you’re up-to-date on the current events, but what about boning up on a little Monaco history?   Here’s an article that will fill you in on the family that has “more scandals per kilometer than any other royal family in Europe.”

Update June 29: the latest developments from the Daily Mail on the big wedding scandal: did Charlene try to flee just days before the wedding?   True, false, …or a publicity stunt to generate interest for what seems to be a rather wooden marriage? 

Update July 3:  Prince Albert faces paternity test after wedding… what a way to put a damper on the honeymoon!

Update July 21:  Prince Albert is so mad at all the spurious rumors about his marriage that he held a 12-minute no-questions press conference to quell all doubts, with his stony silent bride looking on.  He castigated irresponsible journalists for “printing rumors without verifying the facts,”  but when one journalist tried to verify a fact, the Prince snapped, “I’m not answering any questions!”  He said the rumors were so outrageous that he and Charlene just had to laugh, like the one that cast doubts on the marriage just because they slept in separate hotels 10 miles apart on the first night of their honeymoon… “It was for practical reasons, obviously!”   …Obviously!

Sources:

• New York Times – Charlene Wittstock and Monaco prepare for Royal Wedding
• Telegraph: Monaco’s Modern Day Princess Grace
• People Magazine – Charlene not a Runaway Bride says Palace
• Macleans Magazine – Royal Pains
• Daily Mail Online – Charlene Wittstock’s big day arrives
• The Telegraph – Prince Albert of Monaco faces paternity test after wedding, officials confirm
• Nice-Matin –  Rumeurs a Monaco: Albert n’en peut plus