Red Cross Ball - August 3, 2012

[lazuli]

" (... ) the only two people whose presence is absolutely essential to this event are the reigning Prince and Princess-Consort. "
... Who, by the way, and in my humble opinion are the dullest reigning couple of comtemporay monarchy...Blah!

[melina premiere]

it is our own opinion Lazuli not ours.
Charlene had never scandals as Caroline and as Stephanie who have each two failed weddings.
Charlene was a swimmer but she had no children and was not divorced as other princesses who married a heir prince but it is your own opinion.

[FanofMonaco]

It's tough to compete with the Olympics no matter who you are.

[angela]

They looked great on the dancefloor. They can look a bit awkward being affectionate in public but I noticed on occasions like this they really seem to enjoy dancing together and always look genuinely close.

[Moonmaiden23]

Originally Posted by lazuli

" (... ) the only two people whose presence is absolutely essential to this event are the reigning Prince and Princess-Consort. "
... Who, by the way, and in my humble opinion are the dullest reigning couple of comtemporay monarchy...Blah!

"Dullest"...really? I think they are a lot of things, but certainly not dull. Every interview and move they make and the blogosphere lights up with gossip and speculation.

I think "controversial" is more accurate. They are not my personal favorites but what I do love about them is how they seem to genuinely not give a damn about the naysayers, or about being an "IT" couple...they do their thing and keep it moving.

I like and admire that.

[rosana]

Originally Posted by LadyFinn

Jean-Leonard Taubert-Natta de Massy, Princess Charlene, Prince Albert, Elisabeth-Anne de Massy, Melanie-Antoinette de Massy, Gareth Wittstock and Roysin Galvin
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/...NKfFE/610x.jpg

Lord!! I have never ever thought I would consider Elizabeth and Melanie (both pretty charming women) as the best dresses and most glamorous in an official photo of the Red Cross Ball. How times change!!
If anyone could look worse than Charlene, there is her sister-in-law, with an absolutely exageratted tan, tacky dress and showing some parts of her body we didn´t need to see.

[Jaya]

Originally Posted by Smush

Charlene looks absolutely stunning. And both seem very relaxed and happy. The Olympics did the trick.

Princess Charlene looks lovely but she is not stunning; absolutely not.
This was the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Grace and thirty years ago she attended this as her last Ball.There was no acknowledgement of this by anyone there. ; perhaps even losing the ball to pay to pay tribute to her as Stepahnie did not show obviously why.. I would have preferred that they the Grimaldis had had a retrospective ofher films already in the Principality instead of the Ball just once. Indeed Princess Charlene and Prince Albert do look happy and probably because they are aware of the fact of the anniversary and keeping up morale. It would have been great to see all the Grimaldis or just something else. I doubt Stephanie would attend.
They managaed to carry on - great!

[NGalitzine]

^^^^^
I don't think every public event has to be turned into a memorial for Grace. She has been dead for 30 years. They have already done the global tour of the Grace artifacts. At some time it has to come to an end and life for the principality has to move on. I am sure her family have their own private memories and that is enough.

[melina premiere]

I am entirely ok with you NGalitzine, Princess Grace is dead in 1982, not yesterday, there will be a ceremony in september .

[Moonmaiden23]

Originally Posted by NGalitzine

^^^^^
I don't think every public event has to be turned into a memorial for Grace. She has been dead for 30 years. They have already done the global tour of the Grace artifacts. At some time it has to come to an end and life for the principality has to move on. I am sure her family have their own private memories and that is enough.

Exactly. On Sept 14th(the 30th anniversary) there will likely be a Mass or some sort of memorial either in the Cathedral or in the Palatine Chapel where her family can honor her memory.

The Red Cross Ball would not have been an appropriate venue for something like that.

[C4A]

Thanks, Melina for the video link...nice video of the couple enjoying themselves. Are they returning to the Olympics?

[melina premiere]

I think they will return to Olympics because Albert is a member of the CIO staff

[iceflower]

.

Some more additional pics can also be found here:



** ppe gallery **

[Elly C]

Has any announcement been made as to why Stephanie pulled out having been stated as attending? Although I think the comparison with the Grace years of the ball is perhaps becoming irrelevant, what I think is relevant is that members of the immediate family are turning up in less numbers, and I wonder why Caroline's family have never really attended. I know they support the Rose Ball, but the Red Cross Ball is meant to be THE event of the social calendar.

[almab]

Thanks for posting the video. It looks like they had a good time.

[melina premiere]

In the years of Princess Grace, nobody asked why Princess Antoinette was not attending the red cross ball when she did not attend sometimes( She did not attend during years after the wedding of Rainier and Grace). The main couple Grace and Rainier was here, that was the most important(Rainier was the patron of the red cross gala and after, Princess Grace was the patron) now the main couple is Albert and Charlene(Albert id the patron ) . and it is the most important.
In the announce, it is said under the presidence of SAS prince Albert of Monaco with the presence of SAS princess charlene and ..? when you read this you do quickly the difference, Prince Albert must be here, it is his duty , but the other members come or do not come , it is not a duty for them.
The sisters Caroline and Stéphanie came because Albert was alone it was a sort of support then Caroline did not attend to the red cross gala since she is alone , Stephanie attended until the wedding of her brother. Both are alone and it is not pleasant to be alone in a gala where you are eating and dancing.
Stephanie did not attend to the rose gala since many years. The Casiraghi children attend only to the rose Ball because this gala is under the presidence of their mother. This year Charlotte was the only who attended to this gala.

An other video

Albert und Charlène auf Kuschelkurs - Royal: News aus den Königshäusern - glanz & gloria - Schweizer Fernsehen

[Elly C]

In the early years of Rainier and Grace's marriage, it is pretty well documented that the relationship between Princess Antoinette and the first couple were poor which may explain why Antoinette did not attend so many Galas during this time - although later, her attendance was pretty much guaranteed until ill health overtook her. Caroline attended all of the balls (I think) once she was old enough to do so while Grace was alive, and Stephanie also attended - although of course she was still very young when Grace was alive. So I don't think the fact that Albert now has Charlene, although obviously a factor, should be the reason why the rest of the family appear to have "downgraded" this event.

[Moonmaiden23]

I think it's pretty simple. Until Albert had a wife, Caroline and her children attended out of a show of loyalty and support. How sad would it have been for Albert there all alone?

Now Monaco once again has an official Premiere Dame. The absence of Caroline and her children and Stephanie does not need to mean that this will be the permanent new look of things going forward.

It just means that they are not necessarily needed there like in the past, and are now more free to attend or not attend as they please.

I am certain that we will still be getting occasional glimpses of the other members of the family at key events.

[LadyMacAlpine]

Every time any of you wonder why Princess Caroline isn't attending an event think of this. Caroline speaking of Albert. "Of course, he doesn't stop saying he needs to find the right one. But at this point, I'd settle for Joan Collins!" Gadsdent Times

I had a book Caroline and Stephanie and that was mentioned and if I recall correctly one of the reasons she wanted him to marry was so she would no longer have to fill in as Princess of Monaco (they don't have a First Lady) and could retire with her family. She never wanted the trio to receive a title even though Rainier bestowed the title Duke of Monaco on Stefano.

[lazuli]

Originally Posted by Moonmaiden23

I think it's pretty simple. Until Albert had a wife, Caroline and her children attended out of a show of loyalty and support. How sad would it have been for Albert there all alone?

Now Monaco once again has an official Premiere Dame. The absence of Caroline and her children and Stephanie does not need to mean that this will be the permanent new look of things going forward.

It just means that they are not necessarily needed there like in the past, and are now more free to attend or not attend as they please.

I am certain that we will still be getting occasional glimpses of the other members of the family at key events.

Even so, and i agree with everithing you say, i think the great allure was, no doudt the presence of one of the most beautiful and charismatic princesses of the world: P. Caroline. I believe most of the attendants of the ball, went there to have the oportunity to be close to her. So, i think that without her, the event looses part of its glamour and magic...
Come on, can we really define the princely couple as glamourous?!?!?