Reflections on the Princely Wedding


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olebabs said:
I was VERY dissapionted of the wedding speach by HSH Prince Albert. Who the h...was he talking to??? UN Assembly. His new wife must have felt so warm and loved. NOT

I totally agree. He should have hired Crown Prince Frederik as his ghost writer. No warmth ... Brr!
 
You think they were trying to 'sell'? And a fairy tale?

Maybe not a fairy tale but a love match that at least I dont buy. But the wedding had class and wasnt tacky at all, Monaco is a state that honors its state religion what came across very seriously.
 
It surprised me that it wasn´t tacky. But thanks to the people who organized this. I don´t think Albert has something to do with it, besides the money of course :whistling:
 
Thw whole of Monaco seemed to support this "event" - from the clergy, right down to the last Monegasque child.

Okay, so there were many commercial deals - the champagne, the china, the carpet, the car.

But even Monaco has to get its income from somewhere.
 
I didn't get to actually watch the entire wedding but from the short snippets I saw I thought the wedding was lovely. I'm very very pleased the members of old line royal houses came out in force in support. No royal house is without scandal so I refuse to judge too harshly. I attribute the attendance of Europe's "classier" houses to Prince Albert seems to have made an effort over the years to befriend all royal houses and in think that effort is being rewarded.

I also really like Princess Charlene's dresses. I thought she looked fantastic and her jewels were surprising and lovely. Somehow I was more impressed with her dress choices than I was with Catherine's (but I'm not sure why).

The scandal was a distraction that sadly soured some of the meaning of the ceremony...and I wished I could see Princess Stephanie in a tiara.
 
It seems to me that Stéphanie sees herself as a member of the Grimaldi family. However, she also seems to see herself and her children as one family unit.

Over the two or three days, there seemed to be some discord between Caroline's family members and those of Stéphanie's.

I'm not sure whether PA knows about this, or whether he has the time and energy to devote himself to this.

It would be very sad if the sisters and their children were to break up, especially after such a momentous and unique occasion as The Wedding.

So it's unlikely that Steph would dust off her tiara...
 
EIIR, did we watch the same wedding? I thought it was very classy and very thoughtful of the locals. As for the UK press, I have found it to be very biased and sometimes downright catty against other royal houses. Maybe some jealousy that this tiny little country can get the publicity that it does. Monaco is not in decline. They have the highest standard of living per capita in the world. And unlike the UK or USA, they actually have a national surplus! They have done this with no personal income nor capital gains tax since 1861! Monaco is as close to utopia as it gets.
 
My least favorite moment would be when Albert pulled away from the kiss so fast. Maybe he's shy about kissing in public but he left Charlene lingering for more IMO.
 
My least favorite moment would be when Albert pulled away from the kiss so fast. Maybe he's shy about kissing in public but he left Charlene lingering for more IMO.

He didnt only pull away so fast but didnt look at Charlene during the kiss (his eyes were open) or afterwards, while she was gazing at him.
 
I didn't get to see the whole thing but here's my list.


The Best
  • Charlene's religious wedding gown and reception gown
  • Charlene's new tiaras (not crazy about the wavy necklace)
  • Charlotte channeling her grandmother Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief at the evening reception
The Worst
  • Charlene's two REALLY long trains - one is enough!
  • Charlene's civil wedding romper suit
  • Wedding guests who looked like they're from The Real Housewives of... series. Seriously, if you have to pull down your short skirt every fourth step, you might be a dressed like a tart!
  • The service seemed to go on for-ever! A few words, the choir sings, a few more words, and a solo, more words, another choral number, short prayer, more music. Here William & Catherine trumped them by keeping it short and sweet!
  • They could pick any musical group in the world to perform a concert for them for their wedding and they chose The Eagles??? Bon Jovi all the way!!! If they're not available, there is no second choice!
  • The gaudy wedding cake
Most Amusing
  • Prior to the vows Albert kept looking over at Charlene like 'Is she still there? Is she still there? Is she still there?'. He looked way more nervous than she did. Was he afraid she would bolt (again)?
  • An outdoor royal wedding - if only the Mediterrian were visible.
 
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I didn't get to see the whole thing but here's my list.

[/LIST]The Worst
  • The service seemed to go on for-ever! A few words, the choir sings, a few more words, and a solo, more words, another choral number, short prayer, more music. Here William & Catherine trumped them by keeping it short and sweet!

This is a FYI for the members criticizing the ceremony itself. It was a Catholic Nuptial Mass. The all run nearly exactly the same way. And it's not just "words" spoken during the Mass. It's readings from the bible.

I hope people can respect the faith. :bang:
 
I didnt think caroline looked at all happy , she looked amazing but not happy at all
 
EIIR, did we watch the same wedding? I thought it was very classy and very thoughtful of the locals. As for the UK press, I have found it to be very biased and sometimes downright catty against other royal houses. Maybe some jealousy that this tiny little country can get the publicity that it does. Monaco is not in decline. They have the highest standard of living per capita in the world. And unlike the UK or USA, they actually have a national surplus! They have done this with no personal income nor capital gains tax since 1861! Monaco is as close to utopia as it gets.

The casino takings in Monte Carlo, from which much of the wealth of Monaco is based, are down 14%. The people who choose to live in Monaco are there for one reason and one reason only - because they're so selfish that they're not willing to pay the tax which they should be paying in their own countries. Even this is coming under threat as Albert is coming under growing pressure from international governments to standardise their tax arrangements and reveal details of all the tax cheats who live there. Monaco, like Lichtenstein and Switzerland, has been allowed to get away with this for a long time but those days are coming to an end. On top of this, Albert's big plans to 'reclaim' land from the sea to expand have been quietly dropped.

The point I was trying to make in regards to the wedding is that they've clearly never heard the saying 'less is more' as that truly obscene wedding cake demonstrated.
 
As an American, the UK does tend to be a little snotty when it comes to other royal houses. Like they can't bear that there isn't the richest, oldest, grandest, most powerful etc.
Monaco is tiny but it sure as heck is rich so Prince "can't keep his pants on" and his predecessors must know what they are doing. And people who live in the UK with their royal house of constant divorces, scandals, tell all's, and tampon conversations, really shouldn't be throwing stones at Monaco. I personally think both royal houses need to learn some decorum and class, but I live in a country were one of its greatest presidents famous lines is "I did not have sexual relations with that woman".

I'm going to get killed for this. But I think the building where Charlene and Albert got married was prettier than WnKs. I know one was a palace and the other was an abbey, I just like the structure of CnA's a lot. That might just be nostalgia though.
 
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The civil ceremony and the wedding ceremony were dignified and what I expected from a royal wedding. The gala dinner ball was not televised was it? Too bad, if the public could view it, the image of Monaco could only be enhanced further.
 
I'm going to get killed for this. But I think the building where Charlene and Albert got married was prettier than WnKs. I know one was a palace and the other was an abbey, I just like the structure of CnA's a lot. That might just be nostalgia though.

I may be wrong on this - I can be fuzzy on details :p though this isn't quite an insignificant detail - but I thought that they got married in the main courtyard of the palace - not in the palace. Pretty grand 'foyer' to be sure - but I agree, it was a very beautiful 'look' - it may have been as lovely as it was because of the outdoor Mediterranean light. The colors in this wedding were beauitiful - especially the rose petals on the red carpet. They really designed this wedding well with very little space available. Still can't get over the beauty of the front of her dress.

Like others have mentioned, I appreciated the well dressed guests with (mostly) normal hats for the ladies. I liked that we saw all the guests arriving. I liked that it was a gathering of European Royalty. Archaic - but fun. For some reason the British wedding didn't feel royal 'enough'. It had so many lovely aspects, but it didn't feel royal. Curious.

The Monaco wedding felt splendid and very royal. It will always be one of my favorite (royal) weddings.
 
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The wedding wasn't a typical catholic one, I had one so I know how it goes. It was conceived as a show by adding the opera singers, etc. Also, they omitted the part where the Priest asks if someone knows a reason why the two people can't marry. This is present in all catholic weddings.

None of the ceremonies were an intimate affair, which would be expected for two people who would like to keep the day for themselves. No chemistry between the couple, I have looked to several replays, TV shows. I am sure they'll have children but I am sorry for them, don't think their parents will stay together for long. I know someone has stated on one of the TV shows , that it will be a pity if the two will have a girl, most likely he won't be there to walk her down the isle. This event came too late...
 
WTH happened to Princess Stephanie? Good gawd! she looks so horrible. Isn't she the youngest child? She looks older than Albert and Caroline.
 
This is a FYI for the members criticizing the ceremony itself. It was a Catholic Nuptial Mass. The all run nearly exactly the same way. And it's not just "words" spoken during the Mass. It's readings from the bible. I hope people can respect the faith.

The wedding wasn't a typical catholic one, I had one so I know how it goes. It was conceived as a show by adding the opera singers, etc. Also, they omitted the part where the Priest asks if someone knows a reason why the two people can't marry. This is present in all catholic weddings.

My criticism wasn't the "words" of the service, it was the excessive amounts of music during the service. I do respect people's faith, but I got the impression all the singing was there for show. Didn't Albert acknowledge that they were going to try to outdo William and Catherine's wedding?
Interesting point about skipping the objection part - wonder why they did that?:whistling:
 
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My criticism wasn't the "words" of the service, it was the excessive amounts of music during the service. I do respect people's faith, but I got the impression all the singing was there for show. Didn't Albert acknowledge that they were going to try to outdo William and Catherine's wedding?
Interesting point about skipping the objection part - wonder why they did that?:whistling:

I guess it's important to clarify that the basic structure of a Nuptial Mass is the same. Depending on the diocese or part of the world you're in, there can be differences. I was married in a Nuptial Mass and there was nothing in the priest's speech about anyone objecting to the marriage. I'm still Catholic and married, none the same. :lol:
 
As an American, the UK does tend to be a little snotty when it comes to other royal houses. Like they can't bear that there isn't the richest, oldest, grandest, most powerful etc.
Monaco is tiny but it sure as heck is rich so Prince "can't keep his pants on" and his predecessors must know what they are doing. And people who live in the UK with their royal house of constant divorces, scandals, tell all's, and tampon conversations, really shouldn't be throwing stones at Monaco. I personally think both royal houses need to learn some decorum and class, but I live in a country were one of its greatest presidents famous lines is "I did not have sexual relations with that woman".

Why do you feel the need to insult the British Royal Family in a discussion on a wedding in Monaco? Did I miss the part where this thread became a comparison of different royal families?

Also hadn't realised that those of us who live in the UK are not allowed to have an opinion on Monaco. I must have missed that in the TRF rules.
 
EIIR, did we watch the same wedding? I thought it was very classy and very thoughtful of the locals. As for the UK press, I have found it to be very biased and sometimes downright catty against other royal houses. Maybe some jealousy that this tiny little country can get the publicity that it does.

The wedding was probably classy by Monegasque standards ;)! And apart from being RC the ceremony was flavoured by Latin romance and sentiment rather than the Northern European protestant restraint. IMHO! And yet we cannot generalize; it's also about the culture of each individual RF: Come to think of it: I don't remember anything sentimental or tear-inducing about the Spanish RC wedding in 2004!
On the other hand, since the arrival of Prince Henrik sr. we've had the sentimental ' Ave Maria' sung at prostestant Danish RF weddings!

Without wishing to join a fight: I agree that the UK press can be biased towards other royal families; I'm especially thinking of the ignorance shown by many RF correspondents when dubbing Northern European RFs for ' bicycling monarchies' and the like!
However: The majority of these bicycling shots are publicity stunts! Besides it's a case of the pot calling the kettle black; the British RF was filmed bicycling during WW2, so they know the trick too!
It's about generating that ' we're all in the same boat' feeling!

CP Frederik was once 'bicycling' the two oldest kids to the kindergarten, but that is as close as we get to a bicycling monarchy in the otherwise egalitarian minded Denmark!
Excuse my veering off topic!

viv
 
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Random reflections!

When Albert didn't get married by the time he reached 40, people were always going to say he's too old to marry a 30-year-old. If he wanted heirs, he was bound to consider someone below the age of 35, and now he's 50+ but he looks younger than his age and Charlene isn't exactly in her early 20s. There is a significant age gap but she is old enough and far, far from Hugh Hefner-Playboy bunny sort of age gap.

Also I think it's important that other European royals went out in full force to support Albert's marriage to a former professional swimmer not only because he's likely developed friendships with them throughout the years but also that had they done what the previous generation did and ignore a Monaco wedding, it would have reeked of hypocrisy. Some royals have illegitimate children and most marry commoners. None of them have moral ascendancy over the Grimaldis and it's high time they recognize that even if their subjects or fans don't.

It was an elegant, well-planned and well-executed wedding but I'm not surprised that others will say it was gaudy and tacky. What I'm saying is I think no matter how hard the Grimaldis try, people are always going to find something to criticize about and will bring up predictable stuff people always bring up to bring down this family. The next generation is, so far, a very private and scandal-free bunch but I wonder if they're aware of how some people perceive their family. It's no wonder they hardly smile when photos of them are taken in such events. They seem almost defensive.
 
Also I think it's important that other European royals went out in full force to support Albert's marriage to a former professional swimmer not only because he's likely developed friendships with them throughout the years but also that had they done what the previous generation did and ignore a Monaco wedding, it would have reeked of hypocrisy.

I don't know about the relations between the various RFs and the Grimaldis, but it's a fact that the Danish RF has been inclusive of the Grimaldis during the reign of Queen Margrethe. Maybe it's got something
to do with her French-born consort ....??

viv
 
I watched several clips of both services--no full showings in the US sad to say. I have to say that I thought both PA and Charlene looked nervous during the ceremonies but happy when they ended. I was touched by Stephanie tearing up during the civil ceremony--very sweet and telling of how much she loves her big brother. The one moment I really loved was after that rather awkward kiss after the civil ceremony, Charlene put her head on PA's shoulder and nestled against him for a moment. Call me a hopeless romantic but I think these 2 are in love. I thought Charlene's clothes were beautiful, especially the dress to the big reception on the night of the religious ceremony--wow! My 2 negatives--1) it was great to stage the religious ceremony at the courtyard of the Palace but it must have been hot because many of the people looked sweaty, several were red in the face, etc. But guess there was no overcoming that. 2) I was super disappointed by Caroline's dress at the religious ceremony--that dropped waist was just not attractive. Sorry, no offense but she is a beautiful woman with excellent taste and that dress was not up to her usual standards. Her blue dress the day before was lovely though. Still, it was beautiful 2 days, the bride and groom looked happy and in love and now I can't wait for Zara's wedding.
 
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Once more several posts have been deleted as off topic, this thread has nothing to do with
the past lives of the princesses, health issues nor is it a place for surgery speculations!
 
I don't think PA could look cross or uncaring unless seriously hacked-off...

I really enjoyed everyone's reflections, and some of them were so funny and clever, they made me laugh :)

The best : "She was dying for a cigarette" & "Charlene's civil wedding romper suit"
 
I didnt think caroline looked at all happy , she looked amazing but not happy at all
You are right. It was like she attended a funeral. Her face looked reaaally sad. But of course, she was waiting that for her whole life she would be the first lady of Monaco and that her brother would never get married.
 
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