Prince Albert II of Monaco: my Charlene is a woman who is worth the whole country. Monegasque womanizer: all the children and secret novels of Prince Albert II of Monaco Prince Albert of Monaco and his children

Marrying a prince is a dream that seems impossible to many. Seven years ago, former South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock managed to make it happen. But has the life of the wife of the Prince of Monaco turned into a fairy tale in reality?

In early July, Princess Charlene and Prince Albert celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary.

A wedding is considered one of the most joyful events in life. Well, if the groom is a prince, then the bride is automatically recorded as the lucky one who managed to hit the jackpot - no less. However, Charlene Wittstock, who has proudly held the title of Princess of Monaco for the past seven years, is ready to refute all these allegations. The former professional swimmer would like to forget the day of her marriage to Prince Albert II of Monaco (and the events preceding it) as nightmare.

On the own wedding the bride, as if forgetting about hundreds of high-ranking guests and cameramen and photographers fixing every moment, burst into bitter tears and, it seems, never smiled. A couple of years after the celebration, the princess with a forced smile will tell reporters that she was crying ... with happiness. Like, in fact, she was touched by the emotional performance of the artists at the wedding.

Not everyone believed the words of Charlene, who, after marrying Albert, is almost always unusually sad. What is the ex-athlete so sad about, who made the dream of many a reality and married the ruler of one of the richest states in the world? the site restored the chain of events and tried to figure out the reasons for the misfortune of Princess Charlene.

"Playboy" of the Monegasque court

Most representatives of the royal families of Europe try to avoid gossip and scandals so as not to spoil their reputation. However, Prince Albert III of Monaco did not worry much about his image in the press in his youth. He changed women almost every month. At one time, Kylie Minogue, Brooke Shields, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and other world-famous beauties “claimed” for the laurels of the future Princess of Monaco.

At the beginning of the 2000s, the Russian figure skater Marina Anisina also dreamed of a title and luxurious jewelry. “Albert looked after very nicely. But why should I marry just for money? I rejected him and chose to connect my life with Nikita Dzhigurda, ”said the former athlete Lera Kudryavtseva in her show Secret for a Million.

In the 2000s, Prince Albert showed signs of attention to the figure skater Marina Anisina, but she preferred his compatriot to him

Anisina, like many others, has repeatedly said that Albert is a wonderful, attentive lover. True, among those who spoke out on this score were not only women, but also men ... In the 1990s only son Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III accused of non-traditional sexual orientation. At first, the prince ignored these rumors, but his patience still snapped.

“The first time I was funny. When everyone around started discussing this topic, I got very angry. I'm already tired of repeating that I'm not a homosexual," Albert explained to Madame Figaro magazine.

Other facts also speak in favor of the prince. Suddenly, two women appeared, who spoke in detail about the "fruits" of their meetings with Albert. As early as 1992, US real estate agent Tamara Rotolo claimed to have given birth to a daughter, Jasmine Grace, from him. Paternity was established only in 2006, when the Prince of Monaco finally agreed to undergo a DNA test. caring father even invited his daughter to move in with him and promised to pay for her university education.

From time to time, illegitimate children are found with the Prince of Monaco

Before Albert recognized his illegitimate daughter, he had to recognize his son as well. A boy named Alexander was born in the summer of 2003. The mother of the child, flight attendant Nicole Coste, endured for a year and a half, and then sold the titled father of her child with giblets. It turns out that for several months she lived in the prince's personal apartment in Paris and pretended to be the girl of one of his friends. The prince was furious and sued several reputable publications at once for digging through dirty linen and unearthing something.

The scandal was so big that Albert had no choice but to declare himself the boy's father.

After that, other women began to appear, who claimed that the prince "made happy" them too. True, they failed to achieve anything from the representative of the Grimaldi dynasty, taught by bitter experience. By that time, he had acquired a pool of the best lawyers in Europe and suddenly turned into a monogamous.

Love at first swim?

Fans of the ruling family of Monaco were sure that Prince Albert would forever remain a bachelor. He had many women, but none of them managed to stay long. His sister Carolina was incredibly happy about this, who mentally placed her eldest son Andrea Casiraghi on the throne back in the 2000s.

Surrounded by the prince, no one took seriously his passion for swimmer Charlene Wittstock from South Africa. The prince and the athlete met in Monaco in 2000 during a swimming competition. A pretty girl with a sports figure immediately liked him, and they began to chat.

We assume that the prince tried to subdue the swimmer with gallant courtship, but it did not work out: Miss Wittstock chose to return home and focused on preparing for the next sporting event.

The girl dreamed of winning Olympic gold, but instead of the coveted medal, she got something more valuable - the heart of a prince.

Albert still managed to win over Charlene, and at the beginning of 2006 they declared themselves a couple. The lovers arrived together at the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in Italy. Then the journalists learned that Wittstock decided to move to Europe in order to spend more time with her boyfriend. She was given a rather cold reception: the inhabitants of Monaco found fault with the fact that she did not speak French (and was not eager to learn the language) and was generally too simple for the ruler of their state.

The prince himself, meanwhile, proudly showed his beloved: he came with her to high-profile charity events, receptions and royal weddings. And in June 2010, Albert, who was then 52 years old, shocked the public with the news that he had finally decided to give up his bachelor life. In the official portraits on the occasion of the engagement, the prince and his bride looked happy - no one had any doubts that this was out of love. In addition, the size precious stones on the ring, Charlene clearly signaled the very serious intentions of the donor. The wedding was scheduled for July 2011.

Another of the Grimaldi family

A couple of months before the celebration, conflicting rumors began to appear in the foreign press that the bride had already changed her mind and was looking for an opportunity to return to her homeland without too much hype. What could have changed so drastically in just a few weeks? Couldn't Charlene have come to terms with the rules of court protocol? Or the loving Albert cheated on her with another?

Prince Albert announced his engagement to Charlene Wittstock in the summer of 2010.

Everything turned out to be much more complicated: another woman announced that she had given birth to a prince. The former swimmer was well aware that her fiancé had illegitimate children. However, the appearance of another illegitimate offspring unsettled her, because it turned out that the prince was cheating on her. To make matters worse, even without illegitimate children, Miss Wittstock was not at all sweet. Princess Caroline immediately disliked her, and the inhabitants of Monaco were constantly compared with Grace Kelly (in favor of the late princess, of course). It seemed that the meek and patient Charlene would endure this too, and swallow all the insults and forget. However, the bride of Prince Albert turned out to be a rebel, even if all the "rebellions" were subsequently suppressed.

runaway Bride

At the end of June 2011, just a few days before the royal wedding, it became known that the bride was ready to run away from the crown. Charlene was detained at Nice airport while trying to fly out of the country. According to rumors, the girl had only a passport and a one-way ticket with her. She was heading to South Africa, but did not even have time to board the plane - the police had sounded the alarm earlier and confiscated documents from the unfortunate fugitive. The passport, of course, was handed over to Prince Albert, who was very unhappy with Charlene's act.

A couple of days before the wedding, Charlene planned to run away from Albert. The third and final attempt was unsuccessful

The ruler had to persuade the former swimmer to marry him. He did not want to cancel the wedding at the last moment, because the dignitaries had already begun to arrive in Monaco. In addition, such a story would have completely destroyed the already not crystal clear reputation of the heir to Prince Rainier III.

Albert's representatives immediately stated that the whole story was invented by unscrupulous journalists.

“Do you have any idea how stupid this gossip is? Trust me, there is not a grain of truth here. Such news is invented by envious individuals. Charlene never tried to fly anywhere and did not even think about canceling the wedding. She and Albert are very upset and cannot understand why someone needed to defame their names, ”said the head of the press service. royal family Monaco Christina Steel.

It soon became clear that the attempt to escape was not the first. Charlene began to probe the soil two months before the wedding. She went to Paris, to the South African embassy, ​​and told her entourage that she had flown to the French capital to try on the dress again and pick up shoes for it. Alas, something did not grow together, and the girl had to return to the groom. Two weeks later, she again tried to escape, and again failed.

Representatives of the Prince of Monaco denied the information that his fiancee tried to leave him on the eve of the wedding

Her father also spoke out in defense of Miss Wittstock. In order to smooth out the unpleasant incident a little, he told about how everything was on the air of one of the South African radio stations: “Charlene really flew to Paris shortly before the wedding. She made the company of her mother, who could not find a hat for the celebration. This is the only time in the past few weeks that Charlene has flown anywhere." Michael Wittstock also admitted that he adores his son-in-law and believes that his daughter pulled out a winning lottery ticket. Charlene herself clearly had a different opinion ...

Married not the abyss

“My life was filled with new meaning with the advent of Jacques and Gabriella. I will do everything in my power to make them grow up happy, ”said the newly-made mother to the authoritative publication Paris Match.

Loneliness - boredom?

After the birth of a son and daughter, Charlene began to be more favorably treated by the inhabitants of Monaco, who for a long time refused to accept her. The escape stories left an indelible imprint. “What did she want? She immediately made it clear that she would prefer to be anywhere in the world, if only not here, ”one of the residents of the state reasoned, talking with a journalist from The Daily Beast.

Charlene herself has repeatedly said that she is very lonely. She hardly communicates with anyone and cannot find friends.

Per long years life in Monaco, Charlene was never able to make friends

“I met a lot of wonderful people in Monaco, but they remained just acquaintances for me. I have only a couple of reliable friends, ”the princess confessed in an interview with Tatler.

Charlene, it seems, is no longer very sad about life in a gilded cage: over the past seven years, she seems to have gotten used to her position. I wonder if the princess will decide to divorce her unloved husband when their children grow up?

It turns out the prince twins Jacques(8 months) and princess Gabriella(8 months) - not only children prince Monaco Albert II(57). Before marrying Charlene Wittstock(37) he had a very eventful personal life, which resulted in the birth of two more illegitimate children. One of them is called Grimaldi(23), which will be discussed.

Jasmine Grace Grimaldi- older illegitimate daughter prince Monaco Albert II and former waitress Tamara Rotolo.

She was born in palm springs (California, USA), but grew up in Palm Desert and Orange County (California, USA).

Mom Jasmine Tamara met with Prince Albert II in 1991 while on vacation Cote d'Azur . The holiday romance of a monarch and a waitress from California ended as quickly as it began. After the girl informed the head of state about the pregnancy, he hastened to break off all contacts with her. Therefore, Tamara had to return to USA and raise a daughter alone.

Jasmine met her father only when she was 11 years old. That she is the daughter of a prince Monaco, was officially announced on June 1, 2006, when the girl turned 14. “I dreamed of meeting my father, getting to know him better, telling about myself. I missed my dad. I'm glad we met, albeit so late. In any case, we now have great relationship", - shared the girl.

Granddaughter of the legendary Grace Kelly(1929-1982) knows his famous grandmother only from films, and in Monaco she first visited at the age of 11. “When I was little, my mother showed pictures of my grandmother, but I didn’t understand at all that she was an icon. Most of all I love the photos in which she smiles. Among them there is one shot where the grandmother is standing in a bathing suit, holding an orange on a stick with such an enthusiastic look! She looks so natural and carefree,” Jasmine shares her memories. - For the first time I felt that there is a connection between us when I saw the film "High Society" with her participation. I was fascinated by her talent."

The girl graduated from an elite Catholic school in palm springs where her famous father placed her.

As a teenager, Jasmine, like her grandmother Grace Kelly, played basketball, sang in the church choir and played in theatrical productions.

Now the prince's daughter Monaco lives in New York. She studies at the theater department Fordham University and takes the first steps in the career of a singer and actress. O modeling business 23-year-old Grimaldi, by her own admission, does not think.

Jasmine was professionally trained in vocals. In college, she even sang in her friend's band, and in February of last year, she began performing solo. According to Jasmine herself, her choice professional path indirectly influenced by the grandmother.

Albert II (born 1958) is the reigning Prince of Monaco, heir to Rainier III and the dazzling Hollywood film actress Grace Kelly. His turbulent personal life did not leave the pages of world tabloids for many years. Now he is known as loving husband and exemplary father. An avid athlete, a brilliant diplomat, an active philanthropist - this person is surprisingly versatile, and all his merits can hardly be listed. Let's find out what was the path of Prince Albert II to the throne, and also remember some interesting moments concerning his life. Moreover, this experience can help you look at your problems from a different angle and understand that there is always room for good endings in life.

Biography

Prince Albert II of Monaco was born on March 14, 1958 in the capital of the country - ancient city Monaco-Ville. The boy received his education at the Lycée Albert I and excellent results he graduated in 1976. After that, he completed a one-year course in various princely affairs and became a student at Amherst College, located in Massachusetts. After studying there for five years, Albert II became a bachelor of political science. After graduating, he served two years on the French warship Jeanne d'Arc as a lieutenant, and for a short period of time he did internships in large private companies in America and France.

Being crown prince, Albert showed particular interest in the problems of the humanitarian sphere, as well as charitable events. AT last years governing the country, Rainier III, his father, entrusted Albert with some of his duties. However, he began to help his parent in this even in his youth. Thus, Albert II was excellently prepared for the assumption of the throne.

On March 7, 2005, Rainier III ended up in the intensive care unit of the Cardiology Center due to heart failure. And on the last day of the month, Crown Prince Albert II was appointed Regent. On April 6, after the death of his 81-year-old father, he became the ruler of Monaco. And in November of the same year, his coronation took place.

Prince Albert II of Monaco bears the title of His Serene Highness. He also has a huge number of high awards and is a holder of many orders. In fairness, it should be noted that the monarch got them not so much because of his title, but for his services to his homeland and the European community.

Stormy personal life

Until the age of fifty, the Prince of Monaco was a convinced bachelor and did not even think about marriage. He was constantly credited love relationship with film actresses, models, athletes. The tabloid publications closely watched the novels of the prince and tracked each passion. Albert II's companions different years called Sharon Stone, Gwyneth Paltrow. A truly windy and fickle gentleman was Albert II, Prince of Monaco. Photos of his many chosen ones now and then flashed in the press. In 2001, the prince announced his engagement to American film actress Angie Eckhart. The press wrote that the son followed in the footsteps of his father. However, their relationship did not last too long.

The prince has two daughters and a son, born of different mothers. He officially recognized them, but they have no rights to the princely throne. This is due to the new laws of the country.

Questions of succession in Monaco

Until 2002, the laws of the state did not prescribe the rules for succession to the throne in the event that the prince does not have children from a legal marriage. However, due to such inconstancy of Albert, they had to be changed in order for the ruling dynasty to retain the throne. At present, the birthright is accepted in Monaco with male preference. This means that if Albert did not have legitimate children, his elder sister Carolina would become the heir to the throne, and then her son. Thus, no matter how frivolous Albert II, the Prince of Monaco, may be in his personal life, children born not from a legal spouse cannot have absolutely no rights to the throne.

Note that at present, the Crown Prince of Monaco is the son of Prince Albert - Jacques.

A family

In the summer of 2010, the prince announced his engagement to Charlene Wittstock, and a year later they were married. What do we know about the chosen one of Albert II? She is twenty years younger than the prince. FROM early childhood Charlene was fond of swimming. At the age of eighteen, the girl won national competitions in this sport, and also participated in the Sydney Olympics. After that, she arrived in Monaco, where she met with Albert II.

Their relationship did not develop rapidly, on the contrary, the prince continued to start relationships with other women. The romance of Albert II and Charlene began only in 2006. A year later, the girl was forced to leave due to an injury. big sport, and the prince invited her to Monaco.

wedding ceremony

Their wedding became one of the most magnificent and solemn ceremonies of the century. It was planned as a grand celebration for all residents of Monaco. At least a thousand invited guests, three public holidays, attracting a huge number of people - this is how Albert II conceived it. Photos and videos of the ceremony show that the celebration really succeeded: it was as luxurious as it was exquisite, and ended with magnificent fireworks. The bride and groom were delightful: he is in white dress uniform carabinieri, she - in a charming silk dress with a twenty-meter train from The wedding took place the next morning after the civil ceremony.

And on December 10 last year, Albert II and Charlene Wittstock became parents: the princess gave her chosen one charming twins: Jacques and Gabriella. Two weeks later, the family organized the first photo session of the kids, and when the children were not even a month old, they first came out.

Spouses dearly love each other and work together selflessly for the good of the principality.

Sportsmanship

Prince of Monaco early age passionately loves sports. Most of all he is fond of football, swimming, tennis. Interestingly, the prince spoke five times in Olympic Games for the national team of his country, taking part in bobsleigh competitions. In 1985, Albert fought for first place in But, unfortunately, he had to leave the distance. The reason was the malfunction of his car. He is also the patron of the AS Monaco football club.

Prince Albert II of Monaco is a member of the IOC and has been head of the country's National Olympic Committee for 11 years. For many years he has served as president of numerous sports federations(including swimming and modern pentathlon) and personally supervises the holding of some competitions in the principality, for example, annual athletics competitions.

Cooperation with the UN

Prince Albert II cooperates fruitfully with the UN. He managed to achieve the trust and recognition of this organization. The evidence is that he was chosen as the patron of the Year of the Dolphin in 2006 and entrusted with the official grand opening of it. Albert II takes part in many UN humanitarian and social initiatives.

The activities of the prince in the field of environmental protection

Albert II organizes various activities aimed at protecting and combating environmental pollution. He considers this area extremely important for the development of the state. According to the ruling prince, each person should contribute to the care of environment and be responsible for the decision environmental issues even at the household level.

Charity and cultural activities of the prince

Continuing glorious traditions his parents, Prince Albert II pays much attention to charitable activities. He participates in all kinds of actions and missions, both in Monaco and outside the Principality.

Albert II serves as Vice President of the Foundation, established by Princess Grace in 1964. This organization, first of all, provides patronage to gifted dancers, musicians, and artists.

Every year she assigns scholarships to representatives of talented youth. In addition, the Foundation participates in charitable events, both within the Principality and on international level. First of all, assistance is provided to children suffering from certain diseases. The Foundation helps them organize all-round leisure: arranges creative workshops, studios, children's theaters. In addition, assistance is provided in various medical research.

Interestingly, Prince Albert II of Monaco acts as Honorary President established twenty years ago by the International Napoleonic Society.

Humanitarian activities

The ruler of Monaco is actively involved in various humanitarian activities. In 1982, he was appointed head of the Red Cross of the Principality. Today he controls the programs international assistance held throughout the country.

With the participation of Albert, humanitarian actions are also carried out in other states: Romania, India, Brazil. At the same time, His Grace himself travels to the places where they are held. So, for example, he visited places that suffered from the terrible tsunami that happened in Thailand on December 26, 2004.

• Albert became the first acting monarch to visit the North Pole.
• According to the press, when the hero of our story was a participant in the Olympics, he refused any privileges and settled with the rest of the athletes, without emphasizing his origin at all.
• Shortly before the prince's wedding, information appeared in the press that the bride was going to run away from the crown. The reason was the emergence of a third illegitimate child Albert. However, in the end it turned out that these were just idle conjectures of the tabloid media. Later, Charlene herself commented on these rumors, calling them ridiculous and ridiculous.
• The reigning Prince of Monaco is considered one of the the richest people in the world. Today, his capital is estimated at more than one billion dollars. It includes houses and lands located in France and Monaco.
• For the second year in a row, he leads the ranking of the most handsome men planets according to the famous Glam Magazine.

When Prince Albert II ascended the throne, Monaco was a prosperous and prosperous state with centuries-old traditions and a happy people. And, thanks to his tireless efforts, it remains so to this day. Stormy romantic adventures did not prevent him from creating a strong and happy family and prove himself a brilliant ruler who cares about the prosperity of his principality and its people.

The wife of the Prince of Monaco threatened the Russian figure skater

An extraordinary event happened over the weekend. Prince of Monaco Albert Alexander Louis Pierre GRIMALDI, known as an incorrigible Don Juan and who never wanted to go down the aisle, nevertheless got married. At 53! His chosen one was the South African swimmer Charlene WITTstock, who for a long time refused to accept in the princely palace.

According to the official version, Albert and Charlene met in 2007, although in fact their first meeting took place ten years ago. The South African swimming champion came to Monte Carlo for international competitions, and Prince Albert (he became prince in 2005 after the death of his father Rainier III) for the sake of interest, he looked into the pool, where he was immediately seated on the VIP stand. When the blonde Charlene received the medal, the prince glared at her: Wittstock was remarkably similar to his mother - a Hollywood actress Grace Kelly, whom Albert adored and who died in a car accident.

However, the prince did not forget her. He specially flew to the World Cup stage in Germany to see Charlene. Later, journalists filmed them together at the Winter Olympics in Turin, and a year later Wittstock settled in Monaco.

However, it would be naive to believe that all these ten years, Charlene, the daughter of a computer company operator from the South African province of KwaZulu, lived in the heart of the ruler of Monaco. Albert II, even before he became a prince, was a great hussar. The author of these lines once came to Paris for an IOC session and got to a reception where Prince Albert (he is a member of the committee) was also invited.

- What are they waiting for? I asked naively.

They are waiting for the choice of the prince, - one of Albert's close associates answered laconically.

Notorious womanizer from Monaco is credited with love affairs With Naomi Campbell, Brooke Shields, Claudia Schiffer and other world famous beauties. They say that he was extremely polite and careful with them, always protected himself. And here are two love stories with simpler girls - a waitress from the USA Tamara Rotolo and a flight attendant from Togo Nicole Coast- ended with the fact that Albert II had illegitimate children. Moreover, Nicole gave birth to his son at a time when the prince was already dating Charlene! Both children, son Erica-Alexandra and daughter Jasmine Grace, Albert was forced to admit, but they cannot claim the throne. Now the whole princely family hopes that 32-year-old Charlene Wittstock will give birth to the ruler of Monaco, a legitimate heir. By the way, when Albert celebrated his 50th birthday, he invited Nicole Coast to the celebration. Offended Charlene, seeing the stewardess, made a scandal and refused to sit at the same table with her.

On Bill Gates' yacht

The list of women seduced by him also includes two famous figure skaters from Russia. With double Olympic champion Oksana Grischuk the prince met at the 1998 Nagano Games. He himself competed at the Olympics - in bobsleigh competitions. And how a mere mortal settled in the Olympic village. I ate in the common dining room, where I “rolled up” to our Ksyusha. After some time, Albert II invited her to his place in Monaco and settled in the princely palace. Grischuk was even honored to attend the birthday party of Prince Rainier III, who was still alive then. Albert took her to receptions and showered her with gifts, and one day they ended up together on a luxurious seven-deck yacht. Bill Gates, and Oksana involuntarily burst out: “I wish I had this!” The prince smiled condescendingly, but after that his relationship with Grischuk, which lasted for several years, quickly faded away. They say that added fuel to the fire and Wittstock. A swimmer from South Africa already knew Albert and, having learned that he was having an affair with a Russian figure skater, she firmly said: “Either I, or she!” And for greater persuasiveness, she threatened Grischuk herself on the phone: they say, it’s better to leave in an amicable way. Oksana, by no means a shy girl, became frightened and silently stepped aside. Eyewitnesses assure that at the mention of the name of Charlene Wittstock, Grischuk always shuddered involuntarily.

Albert was also carried away by the 2002 Olympic champion Marina Anisina, who played for France and lived at that time in Lyon. When Anisina is paired with Gwendal Peizerat became the world champion in ice dancing (this happened in Nice), Albert was present at her triumph.

Fortunately, his principality is located very close. After that, they spun love story. Skater Mom Irina Chernyaeva she had already begun to make far-reaching plans, but Albert clearly did not dream of such a mother-in-law. Happiness to experience her cool temper happened to the Russian actor Nikita Dzhigurde. Chernyaeva told him this:

My daughter dated the Prince of Monaco. And who are you?

But Dzhigurda, unlike Albert, married Marina.

By the way

According to the treaty of 1815, if the ruling prince of Monaco does not have legitimate heirs after his death, this principality, now independent, will again come under the jurisdiction of France.

Being in public next to ALBER, Marina ANISINA pretended to be modest

Turned out to be contagious blue blood. Recently, the news spread around the world: an incorrigible bachelor, 53-year-old Prince Albert II of Monaco, finally got married!

His chosen one was a former swimmer from South Africa, 33-year-old Charlene Wittstock. For this couple, the wedding was a triumph, the path to which lay through mutual misunderstandings, tears and quarrels.

Scandal at the end
On the day of the prince's wedding, July 2 this year, Monaco seemed to be immersed in a fairy tale: the streets were full of flowers and flags, citizens showed off in exquisite outfits, foreign guests were in a hurry to pay their respects to the newlyweds. Only European royal families were represented by a landing of 40 people! And the uncrowned heads of states and governments, world celebrities, journalists could not be counted at all.

In the snow-white uniform of an officer of the Carabinieri, he took a place at the altar in the courtyard of the princely palace and prepared to wait for his betrothed. But why on this happy day on his face did not come from a celebratory expression of concern? The fact is that Albert understood that as soon as Garlen appeared, the guests would immediately begin to look for signs of discord between the bride and groom ...

Just three days before the start of the celebrations, a scandalous article appeared in the French press: Wittstock tried to escape from Albert to her native South Africa. The background of the story is completely unpleasant. Say, in addition to two illegitimate children, Albert has another son - conceived with another woman in the midst of Charlene ...

Gossip aggravated the pre-wedding hassle, and Albert had to once again convince his beloved of the sincerity of his feelings. Now that the worries were over, the prince was almost sure that Charlene would not go anywhere. For too long, this girl, accustomed to winning, fought with the palace protocol and the slanders of envious people in order to refuse the gold medal at the very finish line ... “Almost certainty” made the tips of the monarch’s fingers tremble nervously, and her eyes peered painfully into the doorway, where from minute to minute she must to appear named.

And then came the solemn music. Arm in arm with her father, Mike Wittstcock, Charlene stepped onto the red carpet. The wrinkles on Albert's forehead instantly smoothed out, an excited, happy smile appeared on his lips. Unlike the groom, the bride did not smile: her face under the veil seemed to be carved from cold marble. And that made her even more beautiful. Armani's open satin dress hugged her slender figure, making the girl look like a mermaid even more than on the day when Albert first saw future wife. Admiring her, he plunged into a stream of memories.

As if in reality, the prince heard the starting signal, which in 2000 sent swimmers to win at the stage of the Mare Nostrum international tournament in Monaco. Usually, Albert - an Olympic bobsledder, a terrible fan and a member of the IOC - followed only the sports component of the competition. But this time it was different. In his head, one frame after another scrolled: a dolphin girl with a slender strong body, tightly drawn into a black swimsuit, flies out of the water in a halo of diamond splashes ...

After the finish, the prince went to look for a beautiful nymph in the technical area of ​​​​the competition. It was one of the rare cases when Albert thanked God for being born a monarch, and not a mere mortal, who would certainly have been ordered to come here! Communication began easily, and Charlene willingly accepted the invitation to dinner. That evening, the conversation revolved around swimming - the prince could not think of anything else to talk about with a girl who spent most of her life in the pool. Yes, and he himself was not distinguished by eloquence: the heir to the throne was taught to carefully choose words, limiting himself to safe cliches whenever possible. In addition, he was tormented by stuttering, which did not allow him to communicate freely in childhood, and now returned whenever the prince was nervous. Only about sports he could talk for hours. And Wittstock was the first girl who was not tired of ranting on this topic. On the contrary, she looked with burning eyes, absorbed every word, added something from her experience. “We were drawn to each other from the first meeting,” Albert recalled. “Charlene won me over with her sincerity, curiosity and openness.”

The personal life of the monarch at that time was like a delightful series for fans of the yellow press: he changed women one after another, but the short duration and superficiality of relationships only aroused suspicions of latent homosexuality. When asked why he is still not married, he answered: “I know that a woman lives in the world - smart, sociable, with a sense of humor, possessing sufficient charisma and character to represent an entire country. When I meet her, I will marry!” And Charlene seemed to him just like that: a little immature, but with good inclinations. And being the face of the state for her, the champion, was not new. That's just age ... Only 22 years old - peak sports career, incompatible with a romance of royal scope. That evening, Albert and his new acquaintance only wished each other good night under the soft light of lanterns on the threshold of the restaurant, and dispersed. For five years.

Extreme strength test
Having met by chance again at a Christmas party, the couple never parted. At that time, all boundaries disappeared for both: they dined in Paris, the next evening they climbed the tower of the London castle, and a week later they went on a yacht along the Bay of Biscay ...

The stormy romance was overshadowed by only one thing - Albert's father, Prince Rainier III, was seriously ill, and every day he got worse. The son gradually took over the reins of government: it became more and more difficult to leave Monaco for at least a few hours. And bring to light new sweetheart Albert hesitated. He understood perfectly well: in a country that was foreign to the girl, under the gun of thousands of curious eyes and surrounded by several hundred ubiquitous paparazzi, their relationship was waiting for an extreme test of strength.

The situation was aggravated by another scandal. Former flight attendant Nicole Coast, originally from Togo, threatened that if Albert did not publicly acknowledge them common child, she herself will tell the press about the illegitimate baby. The crowned dad always took care of his son, regularly transferred money, and provided Nicole with his Parisian apartment. But this was not enough for the woman: in her heart there was resentment against the old Prince Renier, who forbade his son to marry only because of the dark color of her skin. And the thirst for revenge erased all the boundaries of decency ...

“This is blasphemous! How can you take revenge on a dying person? Charlene once exclaimed when this topic slipped back into the conversation.
“She has such a character,” Albert answered sadly. “I acknowledge the child. But only after the death of the pope.
He tried to be frank with his girlfriend. He told about the son, and about the daughter, conceived with a waitress at the resort. Innate wisdom helped Wittstock treat the Don Juan list of his beloved with understanding. And when Coast, keeping her word, told her story to reporters, only Charlene's support kept Albert from a nervous breakdown.

Nicole could not harm Rainier with her trick: he was already too sick to read the newspapers. But for relations, the scandal became a kind of litmus test: the prince was convinced of the kindness and devotion of his beloved. After the death of his father, mourning and all the events associated with the transfer of power, he invited Wittstock to settle in the palace. For him, a confirmed bachelor, it was a huge and decisive step towards the altar.

Instead of a princess, a Christmas tree
Start them life together it was difficult to call it easy. So, the first appearance of Charlene in the role of the official girlfriend of the prince to this day is an occasion for jokes. Being euphoric from the new status, the girl was not fully aware of its seriousness. And one day, instead of getting ready for a charity ball, she played beach volleyball all day. As a result, it was necessary to pack in a wild hurry: Wittstock borrowed a green dress from a friend living closest to the beach, put on large cheap jewelry and hastily painted her nails with bright red varnish. Was it any wonder that the next morning the press depicted the outfit of the potential princess in the most caustic tones: they say, look - Prince Albert II and the New Year tree!

"It happens sometimes, but similar situations easy to avoid. Armani and Lagerfeld work with you: listen to them, and no one else will find fault with your clothes, ”Albert reassured his hysterical girlfriend.

However, the services of fashion designers were not enough: Charlene's terrible accent became a new reason for bullying. In general, the path from Cinderella to the princess turned out to be thorny: they laughed at the girl’s words, parodied her manners, and simply did not want to understand the desire for freedom. The prince himself was subjected to numerous attacks. In the role of his wife, the inhabitants of the principality wanted to see a fairy fairy, completely devoid of flaws, and by no means a living person of flesh and blood.

“What are you doing next to this illiterate mermaid? Play around and that's enough. You can find a much more worthy match, ”a close friend tried to reason with Albert on one of the hot June days last year.
This girl is a personality! A man with an iron will and good heart, the prince retorted. - You know, only in it I can be sure to the end. She stayed with me when they poured slop on me. Comforted, instead of arranging scenes of jealousy. I think I really love her…”

And that same evening, instead of listening to friendly advice, the prince acted in the exact opposite way. Concluding his beloved in his arms, Albert whispered in her ear: “You know, I'm tired of being a bachelor. And I want to ask you for help in this matter ... "

love in the aquarium
And now they were both standing at the altar. The prince knew: the trials were just beginning - the freedom-loving Charlene would have to get used to many more conventions, so revered in the courtyard. But I was sure - so strong and true love like them, they can do a lot!

Putting a Cartier ring on the girl's finger, the prince could not help smiling dreamily. And his newly-made wife answered those hedgehogs! On her face, until recently so concentrated, were already dancing sunbeams happiness, so well known to all lovers. Immediately after the wedding, the newlyweds visited the small church of St. Devota, the patroness of the principality. There, Charlene left the bride's bouquet - the same way Grace Kelly did many years ago when she married Rainier III.

In the church, it seemed to the new princess of Monaco that the bright, sonorous voices of the children from the church choir carried her silent request for happiness to heaven itself. Holding on tightly to Albert - as if in order not to accidentally fly away after the voices! She pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and pressed it to her wet eyes. “My dear,” the embarrassed prince muttered in a barely audible voice. At the exit from the church, he bent down to publicly kiss his lawful wife for the umpteenth time in a day. But she only coquettishly, albeit tangibly, slapped him on the cheek and whispered: “I am ready to live in front of everyone in this small royal aquarium. I understand - otherwise it is impossible. But some things should remain only between us.