Prince Albert and Princess Charlene's Relationship - Part 2

[NGalitzine]

I think a better term might be that they have come to an arrangement rather than that it was an arranged marriage which implies a 3rd person fixing the marriage. I don't think this is at all unusual when people (royal and commoner alike) are of a certain age and have known each other for some time. You decide there are certain things that you want out of life and that this is a person you think you can achieve this with. It does not mean that there is a lack of love or affection between the 2 people, merely that they are beyond the first flush of youthful romantic love and the rush to the altar with their "soulmate". If there is an arrangement between A & C and it works for them who are we to question their reasoning. There is no reason to believe that this kind of marriage would be any less successful that the so called love matches.
People forget that the idea of marrying for love is really an early 20th century concept, but as anyone who has been divorced can tell you marriage in the end is a contract about property, money and children.

 

[LadyMacAlpine]

But here's the deal...if that is okay for Charlene why does it bother you so much? And why is she getting all the scorn. Why do 50 year old men with money always want young girls as wives/girl friends....what kind of ambition is that? Couldn't they find someone around their same age group (unless of course they were looking to kids) that they might have something more in common with? Whose to say that their marriage will end up in misery and unhappiness? How do you know that?

And whose to say that Charlene is being humiliated? Again, all I see are allegations. No proof has been provided as of yet to say that she was cheated on.

I've said it before and I will say it again: Charlene and Albert are two capable adults who both know the score. They know want type of relationship they want and it appears that they have it.

Its funny how some people are still debating the same issues years after this relationship has begun. If it doesn't work after a year, 5 years, 10 years or 25 years...they will pop up with "See I told you it would never work." Nothing is promised. We have seen plenty royal marriages (Joachim/Alexandra and Sarah/Andrew to name a few) plus I am sure that people have seen a lot normal relationships (thru people they know) that started with a lot more going on that we give these two credit for and where are they now: NOT TOGETHER.

Let's just see what happens.

I like you post.

The dumb blonde, Princess-to-be Charlene, is having the last laugh.

From the article SA 'Blondie' laughs last. She proved all those who said it wouldn't happen wrong she might just have the last laugh when they stay married until death do us part.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

NGalitzine...I could not possibly have put it better myself...your last paragraph pretty much says it all.

Lady MacAlpine....I am happy for Charlene that she is having the last laugh...just like Kate Middleton...it must be a great feeling.

But egads...what an unflattering article..did the author HAVE to use such embarrassing anecdotes??

Particularly the one about Tolkien......!!

 

[lancchick]

Not sure if anyone saw this report on ABC: Princess Charlene & Prince Albert II Marriage May Be 'Cursed' (VIDEO)

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

I agree with those who are "defending" arranged marriages. In the 21st century, any kind of marriage that helps the two parties find some form of happiness should be accepted. This isn't a Disney movie where marrying for love is all you need; cause after a few years love can turn to indifference, hate, boredom etc.

 

[lancchick]

In the discussion on fertility, we must remember that medical procedures or surrogate mothers would not be accepted in the Catholic Church. It is against doctrine.

What you say is very true although many Catholics ignore this or are unaware and they march right on to these illicit medical procedures.

 

[Renata4711]

The natural urge to breed is a normal way of life.
Even doctrine, encyclicals, edicts and the like cannot prevail against it.

 

[rosana]

So we are all starting to accept the possibility that this marriage was arranged?
If a marriage for love turns difficult in a few years, what can we expect from one without love, where the parties do not feel any physical attraction? Sorry but the kisses both at the civil and church ceremonies looked weird.

No Tyger, I´m not a romantic. I even dont believe in long term relationships. Almost all my friends in their 30´s are divorced. Marriage is a contract imposed by society. What is important is the bond between two people. So why not try to find love? In other cases, when love (or passion, or tendernes, not to be so much idealistic) is not the reason, marriage is a division or sharing of capital. And I cannot think what a nightmare is to live with someone, with time, you barely tolerate, not to mention the cheating factor here.

The reason I don´t like arranged marriages is one of the parties take advantages from the other, or both of them. It is a fake and interested union. It is affection what makes bonds last. This is what happened at last with Rainier and Grace. She was not the protagonist of a fairy tale, but she had the class not to be kept economically by any man. She didn´t wait in the shadow as if her support depended only on a "contract".
We are not in the Middle Ages when this was normal, it is not anymore. Unless you are too reluctant to become engaged like PA, or too greedy, like CW, this union would never have taken place. Because, let´s be honest: if he were a 9 to 5 office worker with a minimun wage, she wouldn´t even have looked at him.

 

[Victoria's Secret]

Rosana, best you speak for yourself. I certainly do not concur that this was an arranged wedding. Whilst I do not believe in the notion of a fairytale union, no-one except the couple themselves know why they have chosen each other. However, the strong bond, affection and physical attraction between them is evident (IMO), since this relationship would not have gone this for for a lack of it. And to call Princess Charlene "greedy", you forget to add, is also merely your own personal opinion.

 

[Renata4711]

It wasn't an arranged marriage in the way Father Tucker "brokered" Grace and Rainier's engagement and wedding. There, a substantial dowry was required by the Kellys.

 

[NGalitzine]

So we are all starting to accept the possibility that this marriage was arranged?
If a marriage for love turns difficult in a few years, what can we expect from one without love, where the parties do not feel any physical attraction? Sorry but the kisses both at the civil and church ceremonies looked weird.

You miss the big difference between an arranged marriage and a couple having made an arrangement.

An arranged marriage implies the outside influence of a 3rd party. A couple make an arrangement between themselves knowing what they want out of the relationship. It does not imply a lack of love or attraction or affection or respect but merely reflects that 2 mature people have lived a bit and know that long lasting relationships are not about youthful lust and fairytales about soulmates. They know what they want out of life and believe that can achieve it together,which seems like a pretty mature approach to life and love IMO.

 

[COUNTESS]

Ranier and Grace made an arrangement between themselves and brokered by Father Tucker. They hardly could have been in love, they barely knew each other. He picked her, becuase she was a beautiful, American actress. She must have wanted to be a princess. It worked out, better than some of the "love matches".

 

[LadyMacAlpine]

Ranier and Grace made an arrangement between themselves and brokered by Father Tucker. They hardly could have been in love, they barely knew each other. He picked her, becuase she was a beautiful, American actress. She must have wanted to be a princess. It worked out, better than some of the "love matches".

My parents meet had 4 dates and were married for 2 months short of 56 years. A few days before Dad died he talked about how he loved her as much then as when they meet. Rainier and Grace exchanged letters from when they meet until they became engaged. You can sometimes learn more about a person from their letters than in person because you both have time to think about what you would like the other person to know about you.

 

[Renata4711]

Arranged Marriage / Wikipedia Arranged marriage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arguments for and against arranged marriage
[edit] For

There are several arguments in favour of arranged marriage. Some of the most popular are:

• Modern arranged marriages, in contrast to classical ones, are not based on proscriptions but on pragmatic considerations. Often, parents can contribute to the offspring's life by utilizing the benefits of experience to choose the right mate for him/her. The common misconception is that the concept of arranged marriages imply traditional male-female duties. Modern Western societies have also started practising arranged marriages in a cosmopolitan setting.[12][13]
• Statistics place the divorce rate for arranged marriages much lower than those in the United States, where marriages out of love are the norm.[14]
• Allow individuals that may have hard time finding a mate such as socially inept, disabled and etc. to find a mate and get married.

Against
Amongst the arguments against arranged marriage, the most prominent are:

• Arranged marriage is as good or as bad as the people arranging it. A forced mismatch, based on the values important to the arranger may not be as important to the parties involved.
• A further condemnation of the practice of arranging marriage for economic reasons comes from Edlund and Lagerlöf (2004) who argued that a love marriage is more effective for the promotion of accumulation of wealth and societal growth.

[15]

 

[lancchick]

I'm seeing a worldwide conspiracy to bring this marriage down; media and forum members alike. Does it serve any real purpose other than poisoning and undermining the vows taken by real people who have a real existence complete with feelings?

I for one am starting to feel very bad about contributing to the negativity against Albert and Charlene. What will become of their life together, will be. But we don't need to start ringing the death knell. I'm getting off this train and will pray for the best for them. Can I invite others to do the same?

 

[Sancia]

I'm seeing a worldwide conspiracy to bring this marriage down; media and forum members alike. Does it serve any real purpose other than poisoning and undermining the vows taken by real people who have a real existence complete with feelings?

I for one am starting to feel very bad about contributing to the negativity against Albert and Charlene. What will become of their life together, will be. But we don't need to start ringing the death knell. I'm getting off this train and will pray for the best for them. Can I invite others to do the same?

I have never been the biggest fan of the conspiracy theory, so I won't enter into this kind of debate. But I have discussed a little the matter of the religious wedding and the wedding sacrament with catholic people and they felt this wedding as hypocrit and highly doubted of the validity of a wedding in which one of the people concerned is known for loving women. There are many other royals about whom one could have said that (I am thinking to one particularly). But if he has been Albert Grimaud, worker in Nice, and not HSH Albert II, Prince of Monaco, the church wouldn't have been so kind and accomodating to allow him to commit himself in such a beautiful sacrament. This particular point does not serve Monaco's reputation, which is very low for a whole part of France.
I can only wish they have both received the blessings of the sacraments and that they will both live and act like catholic spouses.

 

[Renata4711]

World-wide conspiracy ? I think not.

Every individual has a conscience - whether they're Catholic or not.
It's up to the individual to shape his/her thoughts and actions.

My mother's family (all Catholics) are very scathing about PA and his lifestyle. In their eyes, PA is giving the Catholic faith a bad name ...

 

[Tosca]

Every individual has a conscience - whether they're Catholic or not.
It's up to the individual to shape his/her thoughts and actions..

At last an intelligent comment!

 

[angieuk]

Sadly, even if all these rumours turn out to be false and they stay together for years, bring up a family people will always say ... oh well they had to stay together for the children, oh well they had to stay together for the country, oh well they had to put on a brave face.

So many people were looking forward to this wedding after the engagement and sadly everything has become tainted and soiled .... guilty by association i.e. oh there must be some grain of truth in it. Albert is damned now if he makes a public statement, damned if he doesn't. There is not a spin doctor in the world who can get him out of this mess now. I wonder if this is all putting even more pressure on their relationship which of course in turns put a strain on the marriage too. A very sad situation indeed for them. I think he needs some very smart/savy Palace advisers now. My advice to Albert: The show must go on, let them say what they want, keep smiling as Queen Mary (Elizabeth II Grandmother) once said ---- never complain, never explain. Stiff upper lip and all that!!! Whatever Albert says the press will only use it against him. Albert and Charlene are in choppy waters at the moment .... lets hope the ship reaches calmer waters soon.

 

[Renata4711]

Angieuk, you're right about the Press, advisors etc.
But if he puts his trust into people like that self-seeking buffoon Stéphane Bern, then it's no wonder he's up the creek without a paddle.

 

[KittyAtlanta]

I'm seeing a worldwide conspiracy to bring this marriage down; media and forum members alike. Does it serve any real purpose other than poisoning and undermining the vows taken by real people who have a real existence complete with feelings?

I for one am starting to feel very bad about contributing to the negativity against Albert and Charlene. What will become of their life together, will be. But we don't need to start ringing the death knell. I'm getting off this train and will pray for the best for them. Can I invite others to do the same?

I've never been on that train, but I'm glad to help you down the steps. I feel that as soon as things calm down and A & C's real life begins, they will wether the weather --- I think two high-profile weddings so close together is making selected people crazy.

 

[Nathalie Cox]

I've never been on that train, but I'm glad to help you down the steps. I feel that as soon as things calm down and A & C's real life begins, they will wether the weather --- I think two high-profile weddings so close together is making selected people crazy.

Real life begins? What are you talking about? Her real life hasn't begun because there's nothing pretty to talk about!!

Some people...

 

[KittyAtlanta]

Please. They got married to have children, didn't they? isn't that what all people say here? What if she can't get pregnant naturally? what will she do, have a surrogate mother?
In vitro can be used by this woman. And, if she ever has kids, and it results they are twins, i know people here will think that is a God gift, when actually it would be anything less that. It would be the result of in vitro or any other medical procedure.

I'm sure that P.Charlene's ability to birth babies was checked and verified.

 

[Nathalie Cox]

I'm sure that P.Charlene's ability to birth babies was checked and verified.

Yeah, which makes me believe how in love these coulpe are. Full of romanticisim!!

 

[KittyAtlanta]

And, again, I give up...

 

[Nathalie Cox]

And, again, I give up...

Yeah, i think we had enough fun for today.
Anyway, see you around the forums!

 

[rominet09]

I'm sure that P.Charlene's ability to birth babies was checked and verified.

A doctor can only say there is nothing to prevent a Lady to have babies but you can NEVER be sure. There are lots of unfertile Ladies around where the sterelity is "psychological" (= unexplained) while the "apparatus" works perfectly well !

 

[nascarlucy]

As I see it, Prince Albert is a royal who happens to be Catholic. Whether or not he practices his faith or not is his business. To my knowledge no one is perfect in practicing their faith and despite what some people say, they are not 100% (there's always something even if its minor that isn't 100%). Hopefully he will be faithful to his wife in his marriage.

If he were a leader or official in the Catholic church or if he were the figure head defender of the faith like Queen Elizabeth is or if he was critical of others who didn't practice the Catholic faith or who failed to do so, then it would be different. He hasn't done nor would he ever do this. Prince Albert is not an official of the Catholic Church, nor were his parents, siblings or other family members.

Regardless of their religious background or upbringing, I imagine if you looked closely into the lives of other royals, they probably don't follow their religious teachings 100% of the time during their lifetime, especially during their youth.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Yeah, which makes me believe how in love these coulpe are. Full of romanticisim!!

You want romance go watch The Notebook or some other fake romantic movie. Charlene and Albert, along with the rest of us, live in the real world where life is messy and romance dies a quick death.

 

[Nathalie Cox]

You want romance go watch The Notebook or some other fake romantic movie. Charlene and Albert, along with the rest of us, live in the real world where life is messy and romance dies a quick death.

I highly doubt they live the real world. Really.
And here, less people live the real world. Only here people live the fairy tale world, where the exquisite Princess Charlene, the most gorgeous of all, is the best thing that could have ever happened to Monaco.
That's mostly people opinion here. And when i try to show another face, they all attack me because i can`t find the perfection that everybody here finds in Charlene.
Is this one sided forum where we only are allowed to say Charlene is gorgeous and that's it?