Engagement of Prince Albert II to Miss Charlene Wittstock

[CrownPrincess5]

That's why her shoulders are so massive.

 

[Zonk]

That's why her shoulders are so massive.

I am not sure I would say massive but yes, she definitely has swimmer's shoulders. Which in certain dresses are her best feature IMO.

 

[GömdNatt]

I doubt he proposed to her only 4 days or so ago. I'm sure it was done before the Swedish wedding, which is why he took her to the wedding.

edit: excuse me, I thought it was fact that her father confimed Albert asked for her hand before the World Cup.

 

[CrownPrincess5]

I was surprised to see this on Yahoo!.
Monaco's Prince Albert to marry Charlene Wittstock - Yahoo! News
She won't be "Crown Princess" right? I think they got that wrong.

 

[Nathalie Cox]

No, she will be Her Serene Highness, Princess Charlene of Monaco, not Crown Princess. She is getting married to a Sovereign, not an heir.

 

[crisscross1]

No, she will be Her Serene Highness, Princess Charlene of Monaco, not Crown Princess. She is getting married to a Sovereign, not an heir.

There is something about her name that is very un-princess like. Charlene reminds me of a character from an Australian soap opera. Charlotte would have been so much nicer.

 

[georgiea]

I was surprised to see this on Yahoo!.
Monaco's Prince Albert to marry Charlene Wittstock - Yahoo! News
She won't be "Crown Princess" right? I think they got that wrong.

I think this article got a lot wrong I hope.

 

[rarotonga]

Apparently people are skipping over the WELL KNOWN FACT THAT ALBERT ASKED CHARLENE'S FATHER CIRCA JUNE 10TH FOR HER HAND.

I doubt he proposed to her only 4 days or so ago. I'm sure it was done before the Swedish wedding, which is why he took her to the wedding.

Pray tell, where did you get this piece of factual information? There's an earlier post on this thread citing a rag that Albert rang up Charlene's father this past Tuesday to ask for her hand. I'm not saying Star Magazine is the best source, but I'm curious where you got the information.

 

[LadyMacAlpine]

Apparently people are skipping over the WELL KNOWN FACT THAT ALBERT ASKED CHARLENE'S FATHER CIRCA JUNE 10TH FOR HER HAND.

I doubt he proposed to her only 4 days or so ago. I'm sure it was done before the Swedish wedding, which is why he took her to the wedding.

Where did you get the date from? You apparently didn't read what her father said in the press. From The Star a SA Newspaper

Monaco gets SA's Grace Kelly June 24, 2010

By BRONWYN GERRETSEN, NONTOBEKO MTSHALI, JAMEY KEATEN & Angela Charlton

Before Prince Albert, 52, of Monaco could announce his engagement to his long-term sweetheart, he had to phone a Benoni man to ask for his blessing.

Just before 4pm on Tuesday, Michael Wittstock received a call from the prince, whose full name is Albert Alexandre Louis Pierre.

It was just before the kick-off of Bafana Bafana's final World Cup match.

Wittstock is the father of former South African Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock, 32, who coached swimming at Durban schools.

"He phoned me so I could give him the blessing to put the ring on her finger," said Wittstock.

Charlene swam for South Africa at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, but did not win any medals. She had won gold in the 100m freestyle at the All Africa Games the year before.

Wittstock had lived in the principality since 2006, a palace spokeswoman, Laetitia Pierrat, said.

But she won back her title and was swimming for the SA team up until 2007. I thought you had to live in the country you were competing for?

ETA: For the person who asked if Albert was the age of her parents the answer is yes.

 

[Hereditary Thane]

Do I inhabit a different universe? The British have only one interest: themselves. There were many in the UK who would have welcomed a little coverage of the Swedish romance and subsequent wedding. What the media here gave us was less than 10 seconds on the main tv channels news bulletins. Congratulations to Albert and Charlene, and of course the people of Monaco, who will give their new Princess a warm welcome.

 

[Zonk]

Where did you get the date from? You apparently didn't read what her father said in the press. From The Star a SA Newspaper
But she won back her title and was swimming for the SA team up until 2007. I thought you had to live in the country you were competing for?

Actually, that is not the case at all. There are a TON of athletes who compete for one country and train in another country. Especially after the fall of the former Soviet Republic. There are also US citizens who have dual citizenship and are on other countries Olympic and National teams. The current Olympic Figure Skating Champion, is from Japan and trains in Canada or the US I believe.

We live in a world with transparent boundaries now.

 

[janb]

...
But she won back her title and was swimming for the SA team up until 2007. I thought you had to live in the country you were competing for?

No. The best Swedish swimmers tend to live in US or Australia (for training reasons), our best soccer players are spread over Europe and more than a few top Athletes lives in Monaco (for tax reasons and shorter travels to continental Europe).

 

[LadyMacAlpine]

Actually, that is not the case at all. There are a TON of athletes who compete for one country and train in another country. Especially after the fall of the former Soviet Republic. There are also US citizens who have dual citizenship and are on other countries Olympic and National teams. The current Olympic Figure Skating Champion, is from Japan and trains in Canada or the US I believe.

We live in a world with transparent boundaries now.

Thanks Zonk that's one question I didn't have an answer for.

 

[Simply Amazing]

Much Congratulations!!!

I think the bride-to-be looks absolutely stunning in her first official photo to mark the engagement. With her elegant beauty and her obviously regal poise, she is on the fast track to airbrush a few of these amateur royal wives (e.g. Princesses Letizia and Mette-Marit) clear out of the picture. I am so pleased by this news and wish the couple (especially the soon-to-be princess) all the happiness in the world!! BTW, the ring is... Simply Amazing!!

 

[Leslie2006]

No, she will be Her Serene Highness, Princess Charlene of Monaco, not Crown Princess. She is getting married to a Sovereign, not an heir.

That, and Monaco is a Principality not a Kingdom. The royals there are Serene Highness, not Royal Highness and Albert is Sovereign Prince, not King.

 

[cuckoo]

Congratulations to the two love birds!!!! I like her green dress!

Here I found the whole body of the offical photo for the engagement, It's so sweet, and I really like her green dress!
from:ROYAL MONACO RIVIERA

 

[SarahMay]

The Royal Magazines must be in sheer heaven with Victoria's recent wedding, Tatianna's engagement-wedding on the way and now Prince Albert announcing his engagement to Charlene.

 

[Fürstin Taxis]

Wow! She is really pretty. But she reminds me a little bit of Camilla in her younger days. Of course more beautifuler. Camilla was pretty, too. Or not?

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/6228/camillaparker.jpg


(I watched a Michael Jackson concert from 1997 at TV. And I swear, I saw Charlene in the public. She must be 19 there.)

 

[COUNTESS]

Sorry, Charlene is beautiful, even young Camilla was no beauty.

 

[EllieCat]

There is something about her name that is very un-princess like. Charlene reminds me of a character from an Australian soap opera. Charlotte would have been so much nicer.

That's exactly what i was thinking!

However, all the best to the couple. You have to have nerves of steel to enter into an engagement/marriage with a royal figure. Quite a few of the comments here have been so negative, if in fact not downright rude.

i do agree, she has a very reserved facade, as does Letizia. That's not to say they're both not happy, just that they don't tend to show it in public.

 

[Lakshmi]

Congratulations to Pr Albert and Charlene Wittstock. Another royal wedding to look forward to. He did the gentlemanly thing and asked her parents' permission while they were in South Africa for the opening of the World Cup.

The pics of Albert, Caroline and Alexandra were not in celebration of the engagement but it was an official event they attended together. It's sad that some of the posters cannot wish this couple well and already see doom and gloom. If you are upset about this match, don't like the lady then kindly stay away from this thread.

According to "People" mag, Albert called Charlene parent's on Tuesday, a day before engagement and by phone asked her dad for permission to marry her.
Charlene's father told it in interview with another mag, the Star;
Prince Albert Sets the Date for His Wedding - Engagements, Prince Albert : People.com

No, I don't think it is gentlemanly to ask a father for permission by phone, especially that Albert was in South Africa just week ago. And asking just a night before official announcement. It is all strange and not too polite, IMO.

 

[sirhon11234]

Well about time! For a while I thought he wasn't going to get married at all. I'm not a fan of Charlene but I think she suits him. I hope she will be a good wife and Albert a good husband. I also hope she will be kind step-mother to Jazmin and Alexandre they will be a part of her family now.

 

[rarotonga]

According to "People" mag, Albert called Charlene parent's on Tuesday, a day before engagement and by phone asked her dad for permission to marry her.
Charlene's father told it in interview with another mag, the Star;
Prince Albert Sets the Date for His Wedding - Engagements, Prince Albert : People.com

No, I don't think it is gentlemanly to ask a father for permission by phone, especially that Albert was in South Africa just week ago. And asking just a night before official announcement. It is all strange and not too polite, IMO.

I'm curious why Charlene was not interviewed with Albert by Nice-Matin.

 

[Nathalie Cox]

It's sort of odd all this. They have this engagement, and as rarotonga says, i'm curious too why Charlene wasn't interviewed with Albert too. Maybe they will have the interview later, together, i hope.
I mean, Daniel and Victoria had one, Joachim and Marie had one too...and they don't.

 

[rarotonga]

It's sort of odd all this. They have this engagement, and as rarotonga says, i'm curious too why Charlene wasn't interviewed with Albert too. Maybe they will have the interview later, together, i hope.
I mean, Daniel and Victoria had one, Joachim and Marie had one too...and they don't.

Another thing that makes me what to go hmmmm is why the rather impersonal telephone call to Daddy Wittstock (directly quoted from him on The Star, a South African paper) to ask for his only daughter's hand in marriage when PA was in SA only a few days before? PA could have flown in Mommy and Daddy Wittstock to Johannesburg when he was attending the World Cup? Unless he did it backwards - proposed first before asking for Daddy Wittstock's permission?

 

[Bahamagirl]

I think this whole marriage thing was a second thought. I feel that If Albert truly wanted to marry Charlene, he would hae made it his business to visit her parents while they were in South Africa. This whole thing seem planned by his advisers. I do not think that love has anything to do with it. This is sounding to much like a replay of Charles and Diana.

 

[Leslie2006]

Sorry, Charlene is beautiful, even young Camilla was no beauty.

My thoughts exactly. Charlene is very pretty; Camilla has never been good-looking.

 

[Hilda Thomas]

And there could be another theory; during Princess Victoria's Wedding Charlene looked sad, on returning home she could have given PA an ULTIMATUM!! it is your guess.

 

[Lakshmi]

One more thing, some say here that there is a law that says that wedding has to take place at least 6 months after engagement. I don't think it's a law, rather a custom. In many catholic parishes (mine for example) priests require 6 months waiting, but it all depends.
Albert and Charlene could even marry next moth if wanted, but they waited so long to say anything official about their relationship that I am not surprised marriage will be longer wait, meaning summer 2011. The real surprise is only the manner their engagement was announced and of course the engagement itself.

 

[Jaya]

I agree Jaya....I thought it was a lovely dress.

Let's face it there are people who for whatever reason is never going to like Charlene. And that is certainly their right but this looking for perceived slights (i.e. style of dress, lack of public interview, etc.) is getting rather tiresome.

I mean, people said the same thing about Mette Marit. Remember her? The Crown Princess of Norway? Now, I don't follow the NRF on a regular, but from what I can see other than a couple of incidents (early in the marriage) Mette Marit has handled herself with discretion, dignity and is an asset to the NRF and her nation. And if I recall, a lot of people (including Haakon's aunt) thought MM and Ari would destroy the Norwegian monarchy and that hasn't happened.

And if Caroline had really wanted to rule Monaco, I am sure Rainier could have attempted to change the succession laws. I think she will be glad not to be the First Lady of Monaco, and I suspect you will only see Stephanie at three or four events when Albert marries. I am thinking Circus, Rose/Red Ball, National Day and Christmas.

Zonk , thanks for that . We have come a long way. Always but always they see Charlene as some kind of interloper.Charlene has no divorces ; she seems to come from a good family; has never wanted for anything; is not a windswept with all this and that materiality;is a good daughter who took a chance for love;she has no known criminal record; no children hiding under the apple tree;no scandals hounding her except the resentment that she is some kind of interloper on Grace's territory which is Monaco.She has braved the toughest criticisms; and come out with Albert's heart.Maybe she is not Jackie O culturally but perhaps with time she can and will learn.God love ya Charlene ... time to set the example and for us to see what the Prince sees in you.
As for Caro I think she has had a full life and I think that she step aside a bit and let her brother have one which I think she will do easily ; albeit I think she will be patron of the arts on several things still and be included along with Stephanie.